The Office of Children and Families will host its annual Howard County Child Care Fair on Saturday, January 24, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This event brings together early care program staff and community resources, giving Howard County parents a convenient opportunity to explore preschools, child care options, and local support services—all in one location. View the flier in English or Spanish for more information. Register now to attend. | | Located at 9790 Patuxent Woods Drive in Columbia, the Family Support Center (FSC) brings Howard County families together to learn and have fun. The FSC's community-based programs are designed for parents and caregivers of children from birth to age five. A variety of fun activities are featured below. View the full schedule of December programs (in English or Spanish) or email Ashton Sullivan for more information. If you are interested in a class and it is full, join the waiting list and we will contact you if we can add you to the registration. | | |
Winter Story Time
December 10, 10 – 11 a.m. | Register
Join us for a cozy winter story time! Bundle up and gather round as we dive into enchanting tales of snowflakes and winter wonderlands. This event will feature a classic winter story and a fun craft activity to bring the story to life.
My Gym Fitness Classes
Littles Class (6 months - 2.5 years): December 8, 2 – 2:45 p.m. | Register
Pre-K Class (2.5 – 5 years): December 22, 2 – 2:45 p.m. | Register
Age-appropriate classes incorporate fitness, music, dance, puppets, relays, games, gymnastics, sports and other activities. Children have fun as they exercise and gain strength, balance, coordination, agility and flexibility while learning social skills.
Infant Discovery Play
December 11, 9 – 9:45 a.m. | Register
Join us for a morning of tummy time and sensory activities for infants 0–12 months. Babies will explore simple, engaging activities that promote physical and cognitive development, while parents learn ways to continue the fun and growth at home!
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Dinner with Dads
December 16, 5:30 – 7 p.m. | Register
This interactive and fun evening will take place over a shared meal, giving fathers a chance to connect with and learn from one another while sharing the joys and challenges of fatherhood in a supportive environment. Fathers will walk away with new strategies to be the best dads they can be—and enjoy some exciting giveaways!
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Gingerbread Houses
Session 1: December 18,
10 – 11 a.m. | Register
Session 2: December 18,
11:30 – 12:30 p.m. | Register
Enjoy a festive gingerbread house decorating activity with your child! Read a winter story together, then create your own decorated gingerbread house.
Rufus Puppet Show
December 10, 2 – 3 p.m. | Register
Don't miss this fast-paced and funny story about acceptance and inclusion with an adorable main character; presented by Blue Sky Puppets.
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OCF Staff Spotlight:
Ashton Sullivan, Family Support Center Manager
Before joining OCF in 2023, Ashton was an elementary school teacher for 10 years and a certified Reading Specialist. "I love sparking an early love of reading in children who visit the Family Support Center and helping get them ready for Kindergarten," she says of her current role. "I am a mom of twins, and working with children has always been my passion. For fun, I love spending time with my family and friends, cuddling with my pets, riding horses, and reading."
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The Basics: Shape Hunt
Shapes are everywhere! On your plate, in the park, even on your clothes. Turn it into a game by picking a shape and seeing how many you can find together. Talk about each one and point to it as you go. It's a fun way to build language, observation and early math skills
If your child is under five, and you want more tips like these, sign up to receive free weekly Basics Insights text messages based on your child’s developmental stage (materials are available in English and Spanish).
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Holiday Travel Sleep Tips
Are you planning to travel during the holidays? Being pro-active and creating a game-plan for your child’s sleep routine will help you handle the unpredictability of holiday travel. Holiday Travel Sleep Tips from The Sleep Lady include ideas for planning, flexibility and how to make the trip successful. And don't forget the Child Mind Institute's list of 24 ways to make flights and road trips easier for children with autism, anxiety and other challenges. Read up on ideas like doing a test run, packing favorite snacks and relaxing technology rules. For more ideas, view our videos: Tips For Car Travel and Travel Flight Tips.
Visiting Aging Parents?
The holidays are a natural time to gather with loved ones and a good moment to start important conversations about the future. These discussions can be difficult to initiate, but supportive family and caregivers can make all the difference as one gets older. Here are a few simple ways to begin the conversation:
1. Prepare Ahead - Choose a relaxed moment to discuss key topics. Think about whether your care recipient prefers a casual chat or a more planned family meeting.
2. Start the Conversation - Reassure aging parents or relatives that your goal is to meet their needs. Start with, “I’d love to talk about planning for the future so we both feel confident your needs are met.” or “I found some helpful resources about future planning—maybe we can look at them together.”
3. Help Them Feel Comfortable - Listen patiently, give them space and offer steady reassurance. If you are new to caregiving, check out Trualta, a free, online platform which offers 24/7 access to helpful articles to answer questions and address challenges. Learn more about this online portal for caregivers, below.
4. Take it One Step at a Time - A phased approach helps everyone adjust and create a thoughtful, flexible plan that truly supports your loved one. For more information, read Tips for Talking About the Future with Your Senior Loved One.
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Trualta offers 24/7 support for Howard County caregivers
Are you caring for someone and have questions, or unsure of where to begin? Whether you're just starting out or well into your role as a caregiver, Trualta can help. Howard County residents can access the FREE caregiver learning portal anytime, from your phone, laptop or tablet. Trualta offers short articles, videos and interactive lessons to support you every step of the way on your caregiving journey. Resources are available in English and Spanish.
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Celebrate the season with indoor, family-friendly activities
Cold temps and winter weather makes it more difficult for parents to find physical and creative outlets for children that promote positive development across all the developmental domains. Here are some ideas to help your children stay off screens and remain active indoors, while creating an environment that supports and encourages positive and healthy development.
- Using cushions, chairs, or easy to move furniture, create a pillow fort or indoor obstacle course that encourages crawling, climbing, walking, or jumping, to promote motor development skills.
- Make your own snacks using ingredients you already have and let your child help put together his/her snack of the day. This is a great way to infuse learning across all the different developmental domains.
- Go on a letter or word hunt. Have your child find objects in your home that start with a certain letter or has a certain letter sound to promote language development. Creating a book of your child’s drawings also promotes language skills.
- Freeze dance to promote a child's self-regulation skills (it's fun, too!)
- Create a sensory bin using rice, beans, or uncooked pasta to support your child's fine motor, cognitive, language and social-emotional development skills.
For more ideas, visit:
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Holiday Lights Map
The 2025 HoCo Holiday Lights map is live! Visitors can access a personalized map of holiday lights throughout Howard County and/or search for holiday displays by city, zip code or key word. To put your home, business, or community holiday lights display on the map, click here. If you have questions or issues registering your holiday display, contact HoCoHolidayLights@howardcountymd.gov.
Howard County Rec and Parks' Winter Activity Guide Now Available
Recreation & Parks’ Winter 2026 Activity Guide is now available online. With hundreds of great programs, activities, and events to choose from, there is something for everyone to help chase those winter blues away. Hard copies have been mailed; extra copies are available at HCRP headquarters, located at 7120 Oakland Mills Road in Columbia, at community centers, or your local Howard County Library System branch.
Día de las Velitas (Day of the Little Candles)
December 6, 2 – 4 p.m. | Elkridge Branch Library | Learn more
Enjoy a special performance by 123 Andrés and create your own paper lanterns to celebrate a traditional Colombian holiday.
Holiday Train Garden B&O Ellicott City Station Museum
Enjoy train models set up throughout the Baltimore and Ohio Ellicott City Station Museum, including the year-round exhibit in the Freight House. Find more information and hours here. For all ages.
Frozen Fest at the Robinson Nature Center
December 13, 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Robinson Nature Center | Register
Delight in a winter walk through the woods and investigate frozen experiments. Learn about winter constellations in the planetarium, create tracks in the snow, see an outdoor puppet show, warm up by the fire with a roasted marshmallow, and take a photo with Santa. Preregistration recommended, walk-ins welcome. For all ages. Registration is $7 for Robinson members; $10 for nonmembers; free for kids under 2.
Little Free Library
Visit Howard County’s newest Little Free Library, The Tardis, in Historic Ellicott City (#HoCoTARDIS) and drop off or pick up a book. The mission of the Little Free Library is be a catalyst for building community, inspiring readers and expanding book access for all through a global network of book-exchange boxes. In Howard County, there are nearly 50 Little Free Libraries. Visit one near you today!
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10th Annual Howard County Toys for Tots Campaign!
Every year, this effort shows just how far kindness can go when we come together as a community. A small gift can make a big difference and during the holiday season, it can mean the world. If you’d like to donate new, unwrapped toys, drop-off boxes are located at County buildings, police stations, libraries, 50+ centers, and community centers. View the Toys for Tots flier for location details or visit www.toysfortots.org for online donations. Volunteers are needed to help sort the toys at 9975 Patuxent Woods Drive in Columbia, December 18–20, leading up to the big giveaway day on Saturday, December 21. Volunteer here. If you or someone you know needs assistance this year, email hocohelp@howardcountymd.gov to get connected to the right resources.
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