"Behind every young child who believes in himself/herself is parent who believed first"
~Matthew Jacobson
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COVID UPDATES & RESOURCES
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All individuals 12 years of age and older are now eligible for the vaccine.
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12 to 17 year olds who get vacinated can have names entered into random drawing for a full scholarship to SUNY or CUNY Sign Up
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Effective May 19, most business capacities—which are currently based upon percentage of maximum occupancy—have been removed. Businesses will only be limited by the space available for patrons or parties of patrons to maintain the required social distance of 6 feet. Find more information on the easing of pandemic restrictions.
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COVID & Child Care
We know that the health and safety of your child is your top priority and seeking child care during the COVID-19 pandemic can be challenging. Here are some health and safety tips to consider when evaluating child care programs:
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COVID y cuidado infantil
Sabemos que la salud y seguridad de su hijo es su principal prioridad y buscar cuidado infantil durante la pandemia de COVID-19 puede ser un desafío. A continuación, se incluyen algunos consejos de salud y seguridad que debe considerar al evaluar los programas de cuidado infantil:
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Child Care Referrals & Resources |
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Bubbles keep children of all ages entertained. Grab some common household items and make your own bubbles and wands.
For a full list of ingredients/materials click below
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Nurturing With Nature
Seeing and smelling - such pleasing experiences for infants outdoors. In mild weather, be sure to push strollers to places where babies can see, touch, and smell flowering plants. They want to feel the rough bark of a tree, the soft brush of wild grasses or grains of sand, and explore the many textures of large stones and rocks. You can guide this sensory journey as you help them to notice their natural surroundings, like the gently swaying leaves in a summery tree.
If possible, consider landscaping your outdoors with a flowering hedge of perfumed jasmine to delight babies' sense of smell. And on a warm summer day, babies who sit well relish the experience of a shallow wading pool, where they can splash in a few inches of water while you cheer on their discovery of wet versus dry. Be sure babies wear hats and have sunscreen on exposed skin.
Animals
If you can arrange to wheel strollers to a pond, be sure to bring bread crumbs for the ducks. Babies love to be part of the ritual of feeding ducks (and fish too). One 10-month-old, whose visits to the duck pond were such a pleasurable part of daily outdoor excursions, said "duck" as her first Word!
Physical Development
Lawns and other safe outdoor spaces are wonderful places to set babies down on their stomachs so they can observe from close range ants busy crawling, grass moving, grasshoppers leaping, buttercups all yellow and dainty. This arrangement will also give babies opportunities to push up from their bellies and strengthen their arm muscles. Be sure to bring along wet wipes, as babies love to squeeze dirt in their fingers. At the same time, you can help them understand that they may squeeze, touch, and sniff but may not eat many of the earthy materials outdoors.
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Toddlers / Niños pequeños
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Let's Go Outside
A seesaw is more fun when a peer participates. Going up and down a slide is more exciting when a few children run, run, run to climb to the top and share one another's exhilaration. Outdoor playtime provides excellent opportunities to help children learn to take turns and to share activities.
Playing Outside
Playground equipment offers exercise that challenges growing toddler muscles - pushing on swings and seesaws, climbing steps before swooping down the slide. Outdoors, toddlers learn to trust their bodies as they attempt more and more kinds of movement. A well-equipped playground not only enhances this physical well-being but also gives children newfound appreciation of how their bodies move in space. Outdoor play helps toddlers gain confidence as their competence and agility grow.
Digging and Exploring the Earth
Most toddlers love to muck about in mud and earth. So playground space needs to offer places where they can dig holes and fill pails. If you set aside an area for planting, toddlers will be very willing helpers - making holes, pouring water in each one, enjoying giving each baby plant a better chance to grow. And every day they help, children will be learning about responsibility. Watching how a young seedling grows into a big tomato plant, a flowering zinnia, or a colorful bed of pansies is a priceless learning experience
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Preschoolers / Niños en edad prescolar
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Let's Go Outside
Nature Walks
This outdoor activity adds to your child’s arsenal of vocabulary. Describe what you see, hear, smell, feel, and taste. Discuss names of plants, or add those plants and animals you’re wondering about and research later.
Create a Dream Catcher
Creating a Dream Catcher from twigs, stems, and leaves is fun for children. Add some yarn into the project. Discuss why some materials hold better than others. Talk about the Native American culture and the significance of the dream catcher.
Make a Pyramid
Twig Pyramids are simple. Gather sticks of all shapes and sizes. Then build your structure. Talk about what sticks you may need for the base and why, and so on. Great activity for budding engineers
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School Age Children / Niñez intermedia
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Cool Outdoor Games For Teens That'll Have Them Feeling Like a Kid Again
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Blob Tag: This is just like regular tag except once a person has been tagged, they latch onto “it” and go together to tag the next person. The game continues and the “blob” gets bigger until there is only one person unattached. At that point, the winner can either just be the “winner” or they can become “it” and the blob can disperse so that the came can start all over.
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Flashlight Tag: This is much more like hide-and-seek than like tag. Once it’s dark outside, head out and bring a flashlight. As “it” (the person with the flashlight) counts to 100, everyone else should run and hide. In this version, you don’t have to be physically touched to be tagged. If “it” catches you with the beam of light and calls out your name, you lose. Be on the lookout for new places to dive behind or under, as long as you can escape the flashlight, you’re still in the game.
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Sponge Pass: Have your teens form two teams and line up facing each other. At the head of the line place a bucket of water and a sponge. At the end of the line you should place an empty bucket. On your mark, teammates must begin soaking up water, passing the sponge down the line and wringing it out in the empty bucket. The first team to empty their bucket (or fill the other) is the winner.
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Sleeping Beauty: Have one teen play Sleeping Beauty and lay down on the grass or in a lounge chair and pretend to sleep. All the other players should take turns trying to “wake” Sleeping Beauty by making them laugh or open their eyes. Remember: No touching!
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Want a delicious recipe? Click the link below.
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914 Cares aims to support those in the community who are struggling to meet basic human needs, through donation drives, clothing banks, and more. If you or someone you know needs assistance, visit their website, Click Here.
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On Saturday, May 22nd, our Professional Development Department hosted two outdoor trainings with a participation of 14 family and group family providers - Infection Control from 10am-12pm and Art for a Mixed Age Group from 12:30pm-2:30pm. We provided a light breakfast, lunch and a take home kit so providers could put into practice what they learned. The participants enjoyed a day of hands on activities and social interaction. Check out a few photos below.
A big thanks to the Mother Cabrini Foundation and the St. Faith's House Foundation for their support of this project.
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If you are passionate about child care and making a positive impact, looking for a great career opportunity, or simply want to volunteer, we would love to work with you. Learn more about open positions, and how to apply, below! |
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For other council events, click the link below: |
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THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS TO SUPPORT THE COUNCIL |
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The Child Care Council of Westchester has been chosen as the Charitable Partner for Shake Shack in Hartsdale. We receive 5% of the sales from the delicious Pie Oh My Concrete Dessert. We hope that you'll stop by soon to enjoy this treat, and help raise funds for the Council. We want to thank Shake Shack Hartsdale for being such great neighbors! You can find them at 379 North Central Park Avenue, Hartsdale, NY 10530 |
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AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. AmazonSmile is available at smile.amazon.com on your web browser and can be activated in the Amazon Shopping app for iOs and Android phones. When you shop at AmazonSmile, you'll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added benefit that AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to the charitable organization of your choice.
When you shop AmazonSmile and select The Child Care Council of Westchester, we receive a smile too! A portion of your purchase will be donated to the Council!
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When you support quality early care and education, your donation lasts a lifetime. If you wish to donate monetarily or any other way, you can find out how to do so by clicking the link below. |
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914.761.3456
313 Central Park Avenue
Scarsdale, NY 10583
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