At Auntie Wendi's Day Care, I promote a healthy lifestyle and design activities for the kids to exercise their mind, body, creativity, humor and social skills.  All of the activities help the social and academic development of children.  I feel kids learn best when they are having fun!

Activities include:

• Walking/hiking
• Sports
• Table games
• Swing set
• Computer/Internet (with Parental Control Software)
• Animals
• Music
• Field trips in Santa Cruz and surrounding area
• Costumes
• Singing
• Dance
• Reading
• Outdoor play
• Social development
• Games
• Character building activities

For the parents, I've started Pizza & Movie Night.  Every so often, I host a party for the kids on a weekend to give the parents a night out to themselves knowing their kids are well cared-for.

Helpful Links on Pet Ownership:

* Studies have linked family ownership of a pet with high self-esteem in young children and greater cognitive development. In addition, children with pets at home score significantly higher on empathy and pro-social scales than non-pet owners.
http://www.bestfriendspetcare.com/bf_feature_14.cfm

* A five year study of 600 children aged 3-18 years revealed that pet owning children who are 
slow learners or whose parents have divorced cope better with life than those who don?t have a pet.
http://www.pethealthcouncil.co.uk/people.shtml