Have you ever seen a young child open a larger present — and then toss the gift aside to play inside the box? The box may become a race car or spaceship, or something else entirely. No matter the specifics, that child is engaging in imaginative play, and the process of pretending is both essential and more complex than it may look on the surface.

Here are four benefits of imaginative play.

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After being cooped up during the wintertime, children often have lots of extra energy in the spring—and it’s likely that yours are no exception. So here are even more activities to keep them busy and engaged during the spring break and Easter season.

If your family celebrates Easter, there are plenty of Easter activities in Northeast Ohio, from egg hunts to pictures with the bunny. To make it easy for families to find the right ones, NortheastOhioFamilyFun.com has listed activities, along with dates and locations.

Here are two more ideas for the season.

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If you’re looking for fun spring break activities in Northeast Ohio that are appropriate for the entire family, then look no further than the Lorain County Metro Parks and Cleveland Metroparks. Each offers locations across Northeast Ohio for families to walk, hike, bike and soak in nature at its finest. Best of all, it’s all free.

We’re also including information about a specific upcoming indoor/outdoor Lorain County Metro Parks program with a nominal fee, along with indoor amusement park information at the I-X Center.

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When people think about what’s important to develop in children before they start school, they often think about children learning to count and the alphabet, and other academic-related pursuits. Those are very important skills—but much of early learning takes place through the development of the child’s body, called their motor skills. There are two main types of motor development: gross and fine—and both are crucial.

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When ice and snow keep young children indoors, boredom can quickly set in, so be proactive and provide fun, entertaining activities that will keep their bodies active and minds alert.

Try these preschooler winter activities to keep children busy in cold weather!

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If you go to a coffee shop, you’ll see people ordering pumpkin spice drinks — and maybe that’s why you’re there, too. Grocery stores are offering pumpkin-flavored items, ranging from sausages to potato chips, granola and yogurt, ice cream, salads and much more. So we thought we’d share kid-friendly ideas for your children to enjoy the autumn taste of this round orange fruit. (Yes, although you’ll find differing definitions, the Mayo Clinic and other reputable sources say the pumpkin is technically a fruit.)

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When you help your child observe and celebrate changes in nature, you’re also teaching him or her science concepts in a fun way. One of the easiest ways to do this: Talk to your child about leaves before autumn color changes occur. What different shapes are they? Are the green colors in the leaves all the same? If not, which ones look more yellow-green? Blue-green?

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This summer, your child will love learning and growing during Horizon Education Centers Epic Adventures Summer Camp. The learning themes are built to prevent summer learning loss and engage hands-on science, math, reading and art skills and experiences important to their development.

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