June 2018
Fun activities, aligned with the Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards, to help prepare children for school success!
We're learning in the neighborhood!
Babies
Encourage your baby to explore different textures by providing him with items to feel, like bare feet in the grass or hands touching trees. Talk about what he is feeling and use words to describe the item (soft, rough, hard, smooth, etc.) Tell him about what he is feeling as it relates to his neighborhood. "This trees is in our back yard and gives us shade from the sun." If you cannot take your baby outside, bring the outside in! Put grass in a plastic container. Allow him to play with his fingers or toes. Pick up a blade of grass and tickle his hands, arms, legs, feet, face. Smell the grass and talk about the color. Read more!

Toddlers
Encourage your toddler to still (just for a second or two!) and listen to the noises around her. What does she hear? Help her identify the noises she is hearing. Listen for birds singing, dogs barking or church bells ringing. Try a verbal and/or visual cue for her to stop and listen. You may need to guide her listening, "What is that? I hear a bird. Do you hear it? Where is it?" When you are out in the community, listen for those sounds that you may not hear at home. (Traffic, church bells, horns, etc.) Read more!

Preschoolers
Compare large and small as your preschooler moves throughout his neighborhood. Help him decided if items are larger than he is (like a mailbox) or smaller than he is (like a dandelion) by having him stand next to the item. Now it's your turn! Have him help you decide if items are larger or smaller than you. Read more!

Kindergartners
Go for a walk with your kindergartner and have her help identify different items that begin with each letter. For those more difficult letters (like Y or Z), can she name items she'd like to see that begin with those letters? (Wouldn't she like to play with a yo-yo while she's at the park?) Take along homemade flashcards or a list of the letters of the alphabet so she has a reference to the letter and then the object that starts with the letter. Have her match the card with the correct letter by the object. Read more!


9 Books about Neighborhoods

My Neighborhood  by Johnny Bregar
Keat's Neighborhood  by Ezra Jack Keats
Curious George Neighborhood Friends  by H. A. Rey
Welcome to My Neighborhood  by Quiara Alegria Hudes and Shino Arihara
What Do You See in Your Neighborhood?  by Bracha Goetz
Only One  by Marc Harshman
Jobs Around My Neighborhood  by Gladys Rosa-Mendoza
Night on Neighborhood Street   by Eloise Greenfield
In Lucia's Neighborhood  by Pat Shewchuk

Summer Child Care
Many families will need summer care for their children. Did you know Pennsylvania has a website where you can search for a licensed program for your child? Visit www.findchildcare.pa.gov to find before and after school programs, child care and licensed programs offering summer care.
Find Summer Meals in Your Community
N utritious free meals are available for children and teens 18 and younger at many locations throughout Pennsylvania throughout the summer while school is out of session. 

The US Department of Agriculture has a map to locate a summer meal in your area .
June is National Safety Month  
Learn how to keep everyone safe where they live and play and all points in between. While the places your family spend time can be filled with wonderful experiences, they can also contain hidden dangers. By learning what environments are safe for your family and child, you can help prevent accidents and keep your children healthy and happy. Learn how to be safe where your family lives and plays.
Protecting Your Child From the Sun
A few serious sunburns can increase your child’s risk of skin cancer later in life. Protect your child's skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays anytime they’re outdoors with sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses and shade. More sun safety tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Your Child and Juice
How much juice should your child drink? The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends children less than 1 year of age should not have fruit juice. Fruit juice offers no nutritional benefit to children less than 1 year of age. In addition, the evidence is clear that over-consumption of juice can lead to weight gain and tooth decay. Click here to see if and how much juice your child should drink.
sisters with baby drinking from cup
Six Tips for Summer Safety
Sun shining, warmer temperatures, it's almost time for summer fun! Help keep your child safe while having fun this summer season with these six tips .

  1. Prevent heatstroke
  2. Secure pool areas
  3. Protect from bug bites
  4. Use sunscreen
  5. Stay hydrated
  6. Keep cool
Starting Kindergarten in the Fall?
Will your preschooler enter Kindergarten in the fall of 2018?  Sign up for the FREE monthly Kindergarten, Here I Am eNews!  Each month get activities, tips and resources you can use to help your kindergartner prepare for and have a successful Kindergarten year. 
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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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