Critchlow Adkins Children’s Centers is dedicated to nurturing children and their families by providing quality, educationally-based, and financially accessible childcare in a safe, diverse, and enriching environment. | | |
A Joyful July At Critchlow Adkins! | |
Summer camp is in full swing, and our sites are filled with joy and sunshine every single day, thanks to you! Campers are learning through play, having epic adventures, and making lifelong memories with friends. Each week brings a new theme and new experiences. So far, campers have become chefs, swimmers, pirates, explorers, artists, and scientists, to name a few!
Watch the video below to see some of the smiles YOU made possible this month, then scroll down for more July highlights!
| | Look At What We've Been Up To! | | |
A Blue Ribbon Month!
The kiddos in the school age classrooms at our White Marsh Site participated in the annual Talbot County 4H fair once again this summer. The children worked hard to create handmade crafts, including ornaments, pictures, and mosaics. Congratulations to all who won ribbons in the open category! Mr. Tom and Ms. Bonnie from Talbot County 4H sponsor the students in the fair each year, and also visit White Marsh throughout the year to lead fun and educational activities. During their latest visit, the focus was art, a theme that carried throughout the month, especially during Messy Art Week! Ms. Karen led messy art yoga, the preschoolers painted beautiful rainbows with foam paint, and each camper created a tie-dye shirt – a wearable memory of an amazing summer!
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Diving Into Summer!
In Cordova, campers got wet and wild during Water Palooza week! They made a splash participating in various water-themed activities, including learning about water usage, a homemade slip and slide, and water balloon fun. Our children also headed to the pool for FREE swimming lessons made possible through partnerships with SOS Sink or Swim, and Talbot County Parks and Rec, as well as the annual Conor’s Project fundraiser. Thanks to these life-saving lessons, kids at all of our sites learn how to be safe in and around the water. After lessons, campers enjoyed showing off their new skills during free swim!
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Camp Capers!
Adventure was the word of the month at the Easton School Age Site! During Amazing Race Week, campers completed exciting challenges all around campus, following clues that led them to each new activity. Along the way, they worked together, solved problems, and of course, had tons of fun! The adventures continued during Space Week, when they blasted off to Cabin Fever and Easton Cinemas and created galaxy sensory bags, moon dough, and planet-inspired art. Space-themed treats rounded out the week. A special visit from Amy Cool's Ice Cream Express was out of this world!
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Spirit and Splashes!
Our Preschool Site got in the summer spirit! The different classrooms hosted Spirit Weeks throughout the month. The site was filled with fun and giggles as our littlest campers showed off their crazy hair, mismatched clothes, silly sunglasses, team colors, favorite superheroes, and pajamas! Heading off-campus, the children spent time at the 4-H Fair, watched Toy Story 5, and spent lots of time beating the heat during summer swimming lessons! The water play didn’t stop there – the playground was full of water-themed activities, with splash pads, sprinklers, and water tables to round out a month of pure joy!
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Cooking Up Some Fun!
It was a Party in the USA at our St. Michaels Site! The halls and classrooms were decked out in red, white and blue, and campers made delicious holiday Rice Krispy Treats for Tasty Tuesday. They also headed out to see The Peanuts Movie, where Mr. Toby, a former Critchlow Adkins student, had everything ready for the kids to enjoy an amazing movie theater experience. During Master Chef Week, our budding kitchen experts learned how to make a variety of foods, like pizza, noodles, ice cream sandwiches, cake, and tortilla wraps. School Age 1 and 2 had a bake off, pitting a scrumptious strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting against a yummy yellow cake with vanilla icing, with Mr. Buchkouski, the TCPS School Manager, as the guest judge. While the yellow cake got his vote, the real winners were the happy campers!
| | Follow us on Facebook to get your Friday fix of cuteness with our Weekly Round Up! | | | |
Please join us in congratulating the 3- and 4-year-old teaching staff and leadership at our Easton Preschool Site on a hugely successful first year of the Pre-K Expansion Program in partnership with the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). Critchlow Adkins Children's Centers was the first childcare provider in Talbot County to receive Pre-K Expansion funding as part of the Blueprint for Maryland's Future.
In addition to a strong focus on early literacy and foundational math skills, the expanded Pre-K program incorporates other meaningful learning opportunities. These include art and emotional mindfulness programming through a partnership with For All Seasons, music instruction with Easton Music Academy, yoga, hands-on STEAM projects, and other activities that encourage creativity, movement, problem-solving, and social-emotional growth.
Throughout the school year, teachers and leadership participated in extensive training alongside MSDE and Talbot County Public Schools to ensure the curriculum supports kindergarten readiness and meets the State’s highest standards. At the end of the year, the site received a glowing review from MSDE officials, and has been awarded a second Pre-K Expansion grant to continue the program during the 2026-2027 school year!
We are incredibly proud of these extraordinary educators and their ongoing commitment to giving our children the best possible head start, helping them achieve success in school and in life.
| | Fall Fun With Critchlow Adkins! | | Believe it or not, fall is right around the corner, and that means there are plenty of upcoming opportunities to have a great time while supporting our mission! | |
AMERICAN MAHJONG TOURNAMENT!
Calling all mahjong players! Bring your game, your friends, and your love for mahjong to play for fun, make memories, and strengthen our community!
Our American Mahjong Tournament, hosted by Zandi Nammack, returns on September 8, 2026 at the Talbot County Free Library in Easton (100 W Dover Street). All skill levels are welcome!
The afternoon concludes with light refreshments and prizes for the winners and best “mahj” outfits.
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CONOR'S PROJECT 2026!
This wonderful event, hosted by Rennie Gay and his family, is a beautiful way for our community to celebrate Conor's memory.
The money raised supports Critchlow Adkins' summer camps, swimming lessons, tuition assistance, and enrichment programs. Join us on Sunday, September 13th at the Point at Pintail for the sporting clay shoot, the crab feast, or both, and give children opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive!
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CRITCHLOW ADKINS TRIVIA NIGHT!
Our beloved annual Trivia Night celebration returns on Thursday, October 22nd at the Tred Avon Yacht Club!
Gather your friends and get ready for Trivia fun! Enjoy cocktails, a unique silent auction, a delicious dinner, and our annual fund-a-need paddle raise! And of course, you and your team will test your knowledge during a rousing game of Trivia, with prizes and bragging rights for the winning team.
| | | Meet Our Diamond Star Business Partners! | | Critchlow Adkins and our families are fortunate to have support from across our community, including from our amazing and generous business community! Today, we'd like to introduce you to our Diamond Star Business Partners, who donate $10,000 or more each year in support of our mission. | | |
Blue Crab House, Bryan and Sons, DuCo LLC, Gay's Seafood, and the Preston Group of businesses are steadfast supporters of the annual Conor's Project Sporting Clay Shoot and Crab Feast, while Warrington Builders co-hosts an annual Poinsettia Sale fundraiser and last year, hosted the first ever Cruisin' Into Christmas event alongside Shapers Salon.
These big-hearted businesses do so much more than donate. Together, we:
Create nurturing learning environments!
Offer enriching literacy and STEAM experiences that inspire a lifelong love of learning!
Expand access to quality childcare for families who need it most!
Give working parents the peace of mind to achieve career success!
Click the button below to learn more about our CACC Star Business Partnership program and meet all of our stars!
| | A July STEAM Project YOU Can Do At Home! | | As we celebrated the 250th Anniversary of the United States this month, our students participated in a variety of patriotic projects. This month's at-home STEAM activity continues the USA theme. As always, before we dive in, let's enjoy a great book together for inspiration! | | | | Our July recommendation is The Biggest Flag That Ever Flew, by Rebecca C. Jones. The story is a true account of the War of 1812, and tells a story that happened very close to home. In 1813, the commander of Fort McHenry in Baltimore commissioned a massive garrison flag measuring 42 ft × 30 ft. | | |
Over six weeks, flag-maker Mary Pickersgill, her daughter Caroline, her mother, and a young Black indentured servant named Grace Wisher spent countless hours cutting and stitching the heavy wool.
During the September 1814 Battle of Baltimore, the British Navy bombarded the fort. The next morning, as the smoke cleared, the "gallantly streaming" flag remained waving over the ramparts. This giant flag inspired Francis Scott Key to pen a poem, which later became the U.S. National Anthem. Today, the actual flag that flew that day is preserved at the National Museum of American History.
Now that you're fully immersed in the stars and stripes, let's add a third "s" - science! Keep that patriotic spirit going with this simple Magic Star experiment. Using toothpicks and water, you and your future scientist will learn about capillary action and watch wood turn into wonder!
| | | | As always, be as creative as you want, and have lots of fun learning together! Visit our website for hundreds of additional STEAM activities you can do at home! | |
Artwork by a
Critchlow Adkins Student
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Your generosity turns our students into stars and helps them discover their true colors! You create a safe, nurturing, and engaging environment, and foster a lifelong love of learning. The confidence you instill in our children helps them stand tall and unfurl their potential. We salute you!
Consider a recurring monthly gift of any size to change lives with Critchlow Adkins all year round!
| | Support Critchlow Adkins While Shopping! | | Connect your Harris Teeter VIC card to Critchlow Adkins via the Together in Education Program, and when you purchase the brands listed below, you help earn money to support our programs! | | If you are a Weis Market customer, scan the bar code below at checkout to help Critchlow Adkins earn funds for supplies, programs, and more! | | Thank You To Our Critchlow Adkins Community and Business Partners! | | |
Grant Partners
Bryan Brothers Foundation
Christmas in St. Michaels
Christ Church St. Michaels Parish
Church of the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church Women
Dock Street Foundation
Fullwood Foundation
Maryland State Department of Education
Mid-Shore Community Foundation
Rotary Club of Easton
Rural Maryland Council
St. John Foundation
St. Mark's United Methodist Church
Talbot County Health Department
Talbot Optimists Club
USDA Rural Development
Van Strum Foundation
Whole Kids Foundation
Women & Girls Fund of the Mid-Shore
Philip A Zaffere Foundation
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Academy Art Museum
Adkins Arboretum
Appleseed Books
Boy Scouts of America
Candlelight Cove
Carepacks of Talbot County
Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center
Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
Chesapeake College
Choptank Community Health
Cordova Fire Station
Eastern Shore Speech Therapy
Easton Cinemas
Easton Volunteer Fire Department
Emily's Produce
Environmental Concern
Family Affair Farm
For All Seasons
Girl Scouts of America
Healthy Talbot
Imagination Library of Talbot County
Judy Amdur Music
Judy Center Early Learning Hubs
Jump Start With The Arts
Lion's Club
Kiln Born Creations
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Maryland Zoo
Pickering Creek Audubon Center
Police, Fire, and EMS Departments
Positive Strides Therapeutic Riding
Project Right Steps
Ready at Five
Shore Lit
SOS Sink or Swim
Society of St. Vincent de Paul
St. Michaels Community Center
Talbot County:
Health Department
Infants and Toddlers
Oral Health Department
Parks and Recreation
Public Schools
Talbot County Free Library
Talbot Family Network
Talbot Humane
Talbot Interfaith Shelter
Talbot Thrive
University of Maryland Extension
US Armed Forces
4-H Club
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Critchlow Adkins is so fortunate to have generous support from our local business community. Meet our CACC Stars!
*For more information on how YOU can become a CACC Star, click HERE or contact our Development Director, Liz Connelly, at lconnelly@cacckids.org.
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Ball Greenhouses
Benson and Mangold Real Estate
Brambles Electric
Carpenter Street Saloon
Chesapeake Blooms
Chic-fil-A
Coventry Motor Works
Crackerjacks
Dairy Queen of Denton
Dragonfly Boutique
Easton Music Academy
L. Lucke Designs
Moore Funeral Home
PeachBlossoms Events
RLE LLC
Salt & Light Entertainment
Storm & Daughters Ice Cream
Vintage Family Farms
What's Good, LLC
Windswept Clothiers
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Licensed Maryland Childcare Providers
Cordova - 45445
Easton Preschool - 31291
Easton School Age - 31294
St. Michaels - 31292
White Marsh - 53488
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