A Week of Celebrating...

What is “The Week of the Young Child”? It is a week- long celebration of us. Who? Read on and see…

·         The child- We celebrate the child because our center would not exist without the little ones who fill our classrooms as well as our hearts, participate in our activities, and remind us of why our jobs are important.  Children are the reason we do what we do!

·         The family- If we didn’t have all of you and your support for what we do, we would fail. Our goal is to share the educational responsibility in your child’s growth and development as well as care for them while you are working or in school. We appreciate your support and your trust in us.

·         The Center- We have an amazing group of people who love and care for the children and their families and we want them to know how much we appreciate them.

Please help us make the “Week of the Young Child” a successful one and join us this April 15-19^th in the activities planned to celebrate YOU!

For more on The Week of the Young Child, you can visit the following:

http://www.naeyc.org/woyc

Pinterest and other cool websites...

Did you know that you can make cool designs on paper using glue, salt, and food coloring? What about making your own birthday decorations instead of spending money on items that can be easily made? In today's world, we have modern technology to thank for sharing ideas, recipes, and kid friendly projects that create hours of fun. (especially on days like our recent snow day!)

The following websites are easy to use and offer a variety of ideas and activities to pass the time, engage in family time, or to just expand our creative experiences.

www.pinterest.com
www.pbskids.org
 http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/kids-websites
www.nickjr.com
www.familyfun.com

These websites offer cool activities, recipes for food and science experiments, art projects, and games. Next time you are home and looking for something to do with your little one, spend some time exploring one of these sites to create a fun filled day!

*Cool Art Activity to Try:

What you will need:  construction paper, glue, salt, and food coloring
What to do: Take the glue and create whatever design you want on the construction paper. Use a salt shaker to sprinkle over the glue design. Make sure glue is covered in the salt and shake excess salt off of the paper. Take the food coloring and drop one drop at a time on the glue/salt design. Watch the colors spread all over the design to create a cool art project. This activity is great for kids who want to make their own name signs for their bedroom door- just hang when it dries!

Being Prepared for an Emergency

In this day and age, we are more prepared than ever for disasters and emergencies. We keep extra supplies around the house for snow days; have flashlights and umbrellas in our cars, and even extra methods of heating and cooling our home in case of power outages. But how prepared can one really be?

In the event of cold weather and possible snow storms and blizzards, it is especially important to review your car and home supplies for emergencies. Do you have a first aid kit in your home or car? How about a flashlight? Or more importantly, what about bottled water in case of freezing pipes or if your car stalls or gets stuck in the snow?

Remember to have items available for your little ones to keep them entertained during the emergency situation. Have flashcards, books, puzzles, battery operated games, and other games stored in a safe location in your car and home that are only used in case of an emergency. These items will work as a distraction for your family while you wait for the situation to become safe or while you wait to return to your normal routines. 

Please take a few minutes to read and check over the lists to help better prepare you and your family for emergencies and disasters.  Remember to have the following numbers available to you:

1. Police/Fire Department/EMT

2. Gas and Electric Company

3. Poison Control

4. Towing/Insurance company for car issues

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2009/12/27/10-ways-to-prepare-for-disaster.html

http://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/documents/files/checklist3.pdf

http://www.ehow.com/list_6682320_emergency-supply-list-car.html

Being Thankful

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and more often than not, we remember the turkey but forget all of the reasons we should be thankful. Just yesterday, we were able to celebrate our freedom and vote for a President. It is never too early to share with our children reasons why we should be thankful. In fact, showing our gratitude and appreciation for things will instill in children just how important it is to remember there are always people less fortunate than we are. During the holidays, take some time as a family to do one of the following activities about being thankful. Each activity is a way to bond as a family, create conversations about others, and allowing children an opportunity to demonstrate their reasons for being thankful.  

•       Talk about the freedoms we have in America and then compare them to other countries that are less fortunate in their way of life whether it be poor environment, limited freedoms, opportunities for health care, jobs, or religious freedoms.  You could create a diagram or chart to show what America has and what others do not.

•       Create a family banner. (We enjoy having families do this for their child’s classroom and if you make one, you could bring it in and share with the class as well.) A family banner shows your appreciation for your family thru pictures, short descriptions of the people who matter most, and even our appreciation for our pets.

•         Create a list of things you are thankful for on one side of a piece of paper and then on the other side create a list of things you could do for others. (During the holidays, there are always ways to donate time, items, or purchase things for the less fortunate. You can learn about these things through charity organizations, local churches, and schools.)

• During Thanksgiving, take a portion of your meal to an elderly neighbor or someone who lives alone who might not have any place to go during the holidays.

We are thankful for YOU and YOUR family during the holidays! Happy Thanksgiving!

Reducing Germs

Did you know that we…..

• Wash hands before and after every meal, water or sensory activity, and after bathroom, art, and when  we blow our noses 
•   Brush teeth after our lunch time meal 
•   Use separate nap sacks for blankets on our cots
•   Have individualized cubbies and storage spaces
•  Use a cleaner and a sanitizer on surface areas before and after use

Do you know why we do all of these things? We want to protect each child and staff member of our center from unnecessary germs. We believe your child’s health and safety, as well as that of the staff, is very important to our center and it is our goal to reduce the spread of germs when possible.

We encourage the children to wash their hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds. It is important to practice this at home too. Your child will understand the hand washing procedure better if they understand that they need to do it at home before and after eating, after petting their animal, after using the bathroom, and after blowing their nose. Ask yourself how often you wash your hands and it will make you think twice about forgetting. 

Prevent Bullying

The month of October is full of areas to observe, learn about, participate in, and be aware of. One of the topics I think is really important to touch on is the National Bullying Prevention Month for October. As child care providers, we often see children resolving their differences with little guidance by their teachers. On occasion, we might have to intervene to offer positive resolution in the conflict. There are moments when we might not realize that bullying could be happening to one or more children. 

As a child care center, we do NOT tolerate any form of bullying by the children, staff, or families. We value everyone as a unique individual. Our value and self-worth is primarily developed by the actions and words of our peers. When bullying occurs, the value and self-worth of a child lowers and can create problems for the child.

                Please take a few minutes to visit the following links on how to recognize, address, and do your part in the prevention of child bullying.

http://www.pacer.org/bullying/nbpm/

http://www.facebook.com/PACERsNationalBullyingPreventionMonth

http://www.nctsn.org/resources/public-awareness/bullying-prevention-awareness-month