Child Care Chronicles

Michigan Edition

Welcome to This Week Newsletter!

Hello Michigan Child Care Providers! ❄️

Welcome to this week’s Winter Olympics–themed newsletter, where we’re cheering on safe, high-quality care—Michigan style. Think of this as your “opening ceremony”: a fresh start, a little inspiration, and a few practical wins you can use right away.

DECAL CDA Scholarship

🚨 New Class Alert!

Privacy Matters: Documentation and Observation in Early Learning

Why it’s a gold-medal pick this week:

Documentation helps you capture children’s learning—without oversharing.
Observation supports better planning and stronger family communication.
Privacy habits protect children, families, and your program.

Quick “starter tip” you can try today:

Before you save/share a photo, do a fast privacy check:

✅ No full names visible (labels, cubbies, papers)

✅ No other children in the background

✅ Shared only where families have permission

February-Friendly Savings!

💘Valentine’s Day- Share the Love of Learning. 💘

Lunar New Year Learning $10 select 3 hour trainings (Expires 2/21)

Presidents’ Day Lead with Learning

Illuminate Learning🕯️Maha Shivaratri

More Discounts

Fun Corner: Giggles + Good Vibes

🎉 Fun Corner: What fun classroom ideas can we do this week?

🏅 1) “Build a Winter Olympics” Movement Stations (10–15 min)

Set up simple stations and rotate groups:

⛸️ Speed Skating: “Skate” on paper plates (or pretend skates) across the rug
🛷 Bobsled Push: Partners push a laundry basket (lightweight items only)
🐇 Ski Jump: Two-foot hops over a taped line
🥌 Curling: Roll a soft ball toward a target circle on the floor

Teacher talk 💬:

“Show me how you keep your balance!”
“How can we cheer for our teammates?” 📣

🎒 2) Mystery Bag Observation Game (5–8 min)

Put 3–5 classroom objects in a bag. Children take turns feeling an item and describing it:

“It feels…”
“It might be…”
“I think it’s used for…”

Great for language 🗣️ + thinking 🧠 + turn-taking 🙌.

🌈 3) “Friendship Helpers” Job Cards (ongoing)

Create 4 simple helper roles:

🚪 Door Holder
🧍 Line Leader
🧹 Clean-Up Captain
💖 Kindness Spotter (“I noticed you helped!”)

❄️🏅 Winter Olympics Fun

Even without snow, you can bring the Olympic spirit indoors:

🥇 Make paper medals and celebrate effort and teamwork
💪 Teach the idea of practice: “Athletes practice—just like we practice taking turns!”
📣 Add a “Cheer Chant” during movement: “Go, team, go!”

Are You Looking for Onsite or Virtual Trainings?

🧑‍🏫💻

If you don’t see what you need on our calendar, you can request an onsite or virtual training for a group of 10 or more here:

Submit an On-site Request

📰 Featured Article

Insights, ideas, and inspiration for your week.

👧 What is Milestone Monday and how can it help my child care program?

Milestone Monday is a short, simple weekly routine you use to notice and record one small set of age-based skills for each child. It helps teachers and directors keep track of what kids can do and spot when a child may need extra help. Using a regular time each week makes #observation easier and builds trust with #families.

✨ Featured Activities/Social Media✨

🌟 Recreate this 3D Masjid Ramadan Activity and tag us for a repost and to be featured in our story. Ramadan Kareem to all those who celebrate. 🌙 We've put together a whole array of simple Ramadan activities with instructions! Access the list here www.linktr.ee/ChildCareEd

🚗 Put away the cars, legos, and dolls. Do you ever stop and appreciate your tidy time skills?

☘️ Have y'all seen Lucky the Leprechaun? Home Daycare Providers and Child Care Providers, spark some St. Patrick's Day magic with this activity!

Boom, Clap, Snatch! Sharpen Focus and Listening Skills. Try it, it'll be a hit in your classrooms. Like, share, and follow ChildCareEd for more 🙂

Definitely give these a try—and tag @childcareed in your video so you might snag a spotlight in our Stories! ✨

🌙 Ramadan (Theme: Kindness + Community)

If families in your program observe Ramadan, this can be a wonderful time to practice inclusion and kindness 🤍.

Classroom-friendly ideas:

🔗 Create a “Kindness Chain”—each link is one kind act children notice
📚 Read stories about helping, sharing, and community
🏠 Offer a family board: “What traditions matter to your family?” (optional sharing)

Tip ✅: Keep it simple and respectful—families choose what they want to share.

Click Here for Free Resource: Ramadan Classroom Activities

Big Feelings Helper (Quick Script) 💛

😌 Big Feelings Helper

🧰 This Week’s Tool: “Name it + Breathe it + Do a Plan”

When a child is upset, try this simple 3-step support:

🏷️ Name it: “You look frustrated.”

🎈 Breathe it: “Let’s do 3 balloon breaths together.”

🗺️ Do a plan: “You can ask for a turn, choose a different toy, or get help.”

Balloon Breath Script 🎈

“Put your hands on your belly. Breathe in… big balloon. Breathe out… slow and quiet.”

Try this during ⏳ transitions, 🧺 clean-up, 🧍 waiting turns, and 👥 group time.

🎓 Unlimited Learning = More Peace of Mind

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