We're learning while doing the laundry
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Babies
Do you have clothes hanging on the line to dry? Use this time to play peek-a-boo with your baby using the hanging laundry. Point out to him the moving laundry as the wind blows and the shadows created by the clothes and the sun. Carry your baby in your arms or on your shoulders, or push him in a stroller or wheelchair. Encourage him to reach and stretch and touch the fabrics and feel and see the sun and shadows.
Read more!
Toddlers
Have your toddler help separate by same and different (color, types of clothing, your clothes/her clothes, etc.) and then offer two boxes or baskets of different sizes and tell her, "Put this in the big basket/little basket." Encourage fine motor skills by using a clothes pin and asking her to match a pair of socks, then clip them together. If she has motor difficulties, have her direct you where to put the items. If she is unable to provide verbal directions, ask her, "Does it go in the big/little basket?" and encourage her respond with a head shake or nod for yes or no.
Read more!
Preschoolers
Help your preschooler develop his language skills by using possessives ("Here is Mommy's shirt"), possessive pronouns ("Here is my shirt, this is your shirt. Where is your shirt?"), and prepositions ("The sock is under the shirt!"). After stating this, ask him, "Who's shirt is this?" "It's Mommy's shirt!" Feel free to sing these phrases as well.
Read more!
Kindergartners
Ask your kindergartner why we wash our clothes. Where does the water come from that fills the washer? Does she know why laundry detergent is needed? Help her read the simple words on appliance, like ON and OFF. Listen to the washer agitate the clothes and spin the water out of the drum. Ask her to mimic those sounds. When the clothes are clean, transfer them to the dryer together. Ask her how the clothes feel. Once in the dryer, listen together as the dryer tumbles the clothes, and ask her to describe that sound. Listen for the buzzer to signal the completion of the cycle. Remove the clothes from the dryer with her assistance. Ask how the clothes feel, how they smell, and what temperature they are now.
Read more!
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10 Books About
Doing Laundry
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Wanda's Washing Machine
by Anna McQuinn
Llamas in the Laundry
by W. H. New
Stinky Clothes
by Joanna Emery
Knuffle Bunny
by Mo Willems
Mrs. McNosh Hangs Up Her Wash
by Sarah Weeks
Henry Helps with Laundry
by Beth Bracken
Dirty Laundry Pile
by Paul B. Janeczko
The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash
by Trinka Hakes Noble
Laundry Day
by Maurie J. Manning
Smelling Sunshine
by Constance Anderson
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How Making Eye Contact Helps Your Baby Develop Social Skills
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How important is making eye contact with your baby? A
new study
shows it can make a big impact on how babies and adults communicate with each other. Making eye contact while singing and talking with your baby increases brain activity in your baby and also encourages your baby to communicate more! These activities help your baby develop social skills he will need to learn and grow.
You can help your baby develop social skills by holding him and making eye contact during every day activities, like changing his diaper, bathing, or even singing to him.
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Your Child Care Provider's Emergency Plan
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Did you know all regulated child care centers, group child care homes, and family child care homes in Pennsylvania are required to have an emergency plan to keep your child safe? An
article from Child Care Aware
states that 38% of parents are unsure of their child care provider's emergency plan.
You can be sure your child's regulated early learning facility has an emergency plan that covers things like:
- How you will be contacted in case of an emergency
- How and where your child may be evacuated in case of emergency
- You should also receive a letter, explaining the emergency procedures at your child's early learning facility. If you don't, or need a new copy, ask the Director or owner.
Are you looking for a safe learning program for your child? Use Pennsylvania's
www.findchildcare.pa.gov
to locate an early learning program that is a good fit for you and your child.
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Tracking Your Child's Milestones
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What typical milestones should you expect when your child is two months old? When she's 12 months old or by the time she is three years old? The Early Learning GPS can help!
Milestones are what activities or actions your child typically should be doing at a specific age. With the Early Learning GPS, you can create a personal map for your child to record those milestones. With the GPS, you answer ten quick questions about your child and get tips and resources you can save to your child's map to help your child learn and grow. You can also follow your child's milestones, save activities to build your child's skills, and compare child care and early learning programs. All the info is confidential and there's no cost to create your child's map! The Early Learning GPS is available in English and Spanish.
Click here to get started
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Babies: Do They Know What Words Mean?
Babies typically speak their first words by around 12 months of age, but a
new study
shows they might understand a lot more than they say. Watch the video below to learn more.
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Reading Aloud With Your Child
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Grab a book and start reading to your child! Read Aloud 15 Minutes, a non-profit organization recognizes the benefits of reading aloud to children and encourages families and caregivers to read aloud every day for at least 15 minutes.
At
readaloud.org
materials and resources are ready for you to share with others to inspire reading every day. Be sure to look at the parent handouts "Where Will Books Take You?" available for various ages and in both English and Spanish:
Use these resources to share with others to help promote reading aloud every day!
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July is International Group B Strep Awareness Month
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Approximately 1 in 4 pregnant women carry Group B Strep (GBS), the leading cause of sepsis and meningitis in newborns according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. GBS can also infect babies during pregnancy and the first few months of life. Not all babies exposed to GBS become infected, but for those who do, the results can be devastating. Fortunately there are many ways to help protect babies from Group B Strep.
These resources
can help you learn more about GBS and prevent its devastating effects.
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Online Vaccine Quiz to Keep Your Child Healthy
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An
online quiz
from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has brief questions to help you identify needed vaccines to keep your child healthy. Take the quiz and get a list of vaccines based on your responses. Then discuss the vaccines on the list with your child's doctor or health care professional.
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Preventing Heatstroke in Young Children
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Babies and young kids can sometimes sleep so peacefully that we forget they are even there. It can also be tempting to leave a baby alone in a car while we quickly run into the store. Leaving a child alone in a car can lead to serious injury or death from heatstroke. Young children are particularly at risk, as their bodies heat up three to five times faster than an adult's. These tragedies are completely preventable. Get
tips from Safe Kids Worldwide
to prevent heatstroke in children.
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Choose Healthy. Choose WIC.
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Did you know the special supplemental nutrition program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) has helped Pennsylvania families since 1974! WIC helps pregnant women, mothers and caregivers of infants and young children learn about good nutrition to keep themselves and their families healthy.
WIC provides nutrition services, breastfeeding support, health care and social service referrals and healthy foods to eligible participants. You might qualify for WIC if you are a women who is pregnant or had a baby in the past six months or twelve months if breastfeeding; have an infant and/or children under age five; or if you are a father, grandparent or foster parent, who is the legal guardian of a child under age five. Visit the
PA Department of Health
to learn more.
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Summer Food Service Program
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The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) from the USDA provides free meals to children from low income families so they may receive the same high quality nutrition throughout the summer that they eat in school cafeterias during the school year. To find a SFSP site in your community:
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Our Favorite Pinterest Pins
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Starting Kindergarten in the Fall?
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The PA Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) provides families access to high quality services to prepare children for school and life success.
Find more information about Quality Early Learning in Pennsylvania
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