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April 2026
Fun activities, aligned with the Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards,
to help prepare children for school success!
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Babies
Hold your baby and look into the mirror. Point out the different parts of their body (toes, head, fingers) and then point them out on yourself. Use words to describe the other parts of each of you. Tell them what each part does.
Toddlers
Ask a relative or family friend to record them reading their favorite children's story or telling a favorite story of when they were a child. Listen or watch this recording with your toddler and talk about who recorded the story. Follow along in a book that uses pictures, braille, or signs to tell the story. Create your book using personal photos, words, and illustrations if none are available.
Preschoolers
Give your preschooler a magnifying glass to look at their hair, nails, and skin. What do they see? Have them also look at your hair, nails, and skin. What is the same? What is different? Is each part the same color, texture, or size? What makes each part different? Using the magnification tool on your tablet or computer, demonstrate how the size changes as you zoom in. You can also feel the texture of hair, nails, and skin. Use soft, smooth, or bumpy words to describe what is felt.
Kindergartners
Have your kindergartner think of some things they can't do now but might be able to do when they grow older. Ask them to think of what needs to happen so they can do these activities, like getting taller to drive a car. What are some things they can do now that they couldn't do when they were younger? Ask them what changed. For example, they drink out of a cup now, instead of a bottle, because they can hold a cup better than when they were a baby.
Get more activities at Learning is Everywhere: April – PA Promise for Children.
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10 Books about Growing Up
Community Helpers From A to Z by Bobbie Kalman & Niki Walker
Pretend You're a Community Helper by Karen Bryant-Mole
Hello Benny!: What It's Like to Be a Baby by Robie H. Harris and Michael Emberley
When I Grow Up by P. K. Hallinan
Jobs People Do by DK
The Berenstain Bears: When I Grow Up by Jan and Stan Berenstain
When I Grow Up by Al Yankovic
When I Grow Up (Little Critter) by Mercer Mayer
Grow Up! by Nina Laden
Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do by Kathryn Heling, Deborah Hembrook, Andy Robert Davies
Print the list at Learning is Everywhere: April – PA Promise for Children.
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Celebrating National Home Visiting Week April 20-24, 2026
National Home Visiting Week, April 20-24, 2026, celebrates and recognizes home visitors and their positive impact on maternal and child health outcomes. Home visiting connects pregnant and parenting families with young children to trained family support professionals who provide customized coaching and guidance through pregnancy and the early stages of a child’s development. Utilizing a variety of evidence-based models, home visiting supports healthy birth outcomes, increases family self-sufficiency, and helps children enter school fully prepared to succeed.
Pennsylvania offers a variety of evidence-based home visiting programs designed to support families with young children, promoting health, development, and positive parenting practices. Families interested in home visiting services can find programs through the COMPASS Child Care Search website or by contacting their local Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC). These resources can help families locate available programs in their community and understand eligibility criteria.
Learn more about Pennsylvania's Home Visiting programs at Pennsylvania Evidence-Based Home Visiting & Family Support Programs | Department of Education | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
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Celebrate the Month of the Young Child!
During April, we come together to celebrate young children’s joy, wonder, and boundless potential! 🎉💕 The Month of the Young Child is a time to recognize the critical role families, early childhood educators, and communities play in nurturing and shaping the future of our youngest learners.
In the video below, Shante' Brown, Deputy Secretary for the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), shares her appreciation for the families, early learning professionals, and communities that support our youngest learners during the Month of the Young Child.
How can you become involved in MOYC?
- Look for ways to celebrate in your home, early learning program, or community.
- Create a display that shares why quality early learning is so important.
Learn more at Month of the Young Child – PA Promise for Children.
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Fun Nature-Based Learning Activities
Celebrate spring with fun activities to encourage fine motor skills and creative thinking, and inspire a love of nature with these nature-based activities by Lindsey Brown, owner of Brown’s Family Child Care in Venango County.
The activities are perfect for home or an early learning program. They are part of a homemade nature-based curriculum approved through the Department of Education and align with the PA Early Learning Standards.
Check out the Bird Watching Area Activity, Circle Cereal Bird Feeder, Collaborative Bird Feeder, and Homemade Bird Feeder activities.
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Sustainable Gardening with Kids Activity Guide
Empower kids to take action and make positive contributions to their communities. This free 18-page guide by KidsGardening and High-Country Gardens walks through the basics of sustainable gardening and offers tips and activity ideas for four sustainable youth garden themes.
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Have You Registered for the Virtual PA One Book Author Visit?
There is still time to register for the April 15, 2026, 10:00 AM, virtual author visit with Jessica Shaw, author of The Great Cookie Kerfuffle, the 2026 PA One Book selection!
Join this virtual event with your child for a fun, interactive Storytime experience and a chance to connect with the author behind this year’s featured book. It’s a wonderful way to spark early literacy, imagination, and joy in reading.
Register now at Meeting Registration - Zoom.
The PA One Book project is made possible with Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Office of Commonwealth Libraries. Additional funding provided by the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning, the Pennsylvania Treasury, and the Pennsylvania Kiwanis Foundation. Learn more about the Pennsylvania One Book.
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Still Time for Families to Register for The Lifting Family Voices: Using Your Story to Strengthen Programs and Spark Change Workshop Opportunity
Registration deadline April 20, 2026
The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is recruiting pregnant and parenting families of children birth to age five in Pennsylvania for the Lifting Family Voices: Using Your Story to Strengthen Programs and Spark Change workshop on May 20, 2026, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. This workshop is designed to support families to learn how to make their voices heard and influence decisions that improve maternal and early childhood programs in Pennsylvania.
Reimbursement for child care and travel expenses, such as lodging and mileage, within guidelines will be provided. Lodging will be available for those who are traveling more than 50 miles to the workshop location.
Registration is due by April 20, 2026. Seats are limited and will be provided on a first come first serve basis. Register now for the Lifting Family Voices Workshop 2026.
Questions? Contact Sadia Batool at c-sabatool@pa.gov.
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Health Trends in Early Childhood Education: Well-Child Visits – Checkups for Success!
The April Health Trends in ECE focuses on Well-Child Visits – Checkups for Success! Well-child visits are associated with fewer hospitalizations and emergency department use. Despite these benefits, children miss between 30% to 50% of well-child visits. Many families struggle to access and utilize well-child preventive healthcare services and supports in the community. Taking the “whole child” approach to health goes beyond the physical to include social-emotional needs, mental health, and healthy behaviors, ensuring the best outcomes in early childhood and throughout the life course. Health promotion and preventive services for young children must be comprehensive, evidence-based, and evidence-informed. Learn more in the April release of Health Trends in ECE.
Each month, Health Trends in ECE shares information about a recent health trend, helping readers understand why it is important. Discover the impact it has on children, their families and caregivers, and the community, as well as actions to take to ensure the health and well-being of children in our communities.
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Helping Kids Build Healthy Habits for Better Sleep
Getting kids to sleep well can feel impossible, but understanding the science of sleep and building healthy routines can make all the difference.
In this episode of Thriving Kids (25:31), Dr. Dave Anderson sits down with Dr. Shelby Harris, a clinical psychologist and board-certified sleep specialist, to share practical, evidence-based advice for parents. Drawing on her experience helping families overcome bedtime struggles, Dr. Harris explains why sleep matters for kids’ mental health, learning, and behavior, and how small changes can lead to big improvements.
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Protecting Your Child from a Measles Outbreak: FAQs
Measles is wildly contagious. Nearly 1 out of every 3 children under the age of 5 who catch measles end up in the hospital.
Are some young children at greater risk from the measles virus during an outbreak? What, if anything, can parents do to protect their little ones? Here are some answers from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
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Positive Parenting, Thriving Kids
The Positive Parenting, Thriving Kids Project is a series of free videos and print resources with practical, evidence-based information and skills to address families most common parenting challenges. This project is part of the Child Mind Institute’s innovative partnership with the state of California. The series is organized into four categories, each containing multiple videos. Each video has been created in both English and Spanish. Ver episodios en español
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Don't Wait. Vaccinate
When planning summer activities, please remember to schedule vaccinations. Scheduling your children's vaccines now for the ones they will need to start the next school year will help you cross a critical item off your hectic back-to-school list this fall.
Immunizations should be part of your children's regular school physical before kindergarten. See information about immunizations for students attending Pennsylvania schools. For more information regarding vaccines required for your children, please contact your children's health care provider.
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Calendar of Activities for Early Learning Providers
During May, celebrate Children’s Mental Health Awareness Month and spread awareness about the importance of children’s mental health and the need for services that support recovery, resilience, and success for youth.
Check out the May Calendar of Activities for Early Learning Professionals with activities and information to help prepare children and their families for school success.
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