Child Care Chronicles

Indiana Edition

🌟 Hello, Indiana Providers!

Happy Dr. Seuss week! 🎉 This is your friendly reminder that you help write the best stories every day—one giggle, one snack, one “I did it!” moment at a time. 💛

This week, let’s lean into playful learning, big imagination, and lots of encouragement (for the kiddos and for you!). You’re doing meaningful work—and it matters. 🙌✨

📣 Indiana Preschool Teachers & Families: Share Your Voice (Purdue University Study)

The Social-emotional Health in Nurturing Environments (SHINE) Lab at Purdue University is currently recruiting participants for their ongoing study. They are currently exploring teacher and parent perspectives on social-emotional well-being and mental health risk in early childhood (IRB # 2025-908).

This study includes a brief, confidential survey for teachers and parents related to their research. There is also an optional interview component. All participation is completely voluntary and fully virtual. To thank participants for their time and effort in contributing to their research, they will receive $30 for completion of the surveys. Those selected for a virtual interview will receive an additional $40. The researchers hope that these findings will support early identification and action for social-emotional health, especially addressing risks early on.

The SHINE Lab is recruiting two groups of participants: 1. Preschool teachers who currently work with children between the ages of 3-5 in a preschool program in Indiana • 2. Parents/caregivers of a child between the ages of 3-5 who is currently enrolled in a preschool program in Indiana

For more information or to participate, please click on the link to the flyer and scan the QR code.

SHINE Lab Purdue Teacher Flyer

***Disclaimer: ChildCareEd and its affiliates are not part of this IRB-approved research study and do not make any claims regarding the research, the IRB review, or study outcomes.***

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Fun Corner: Wacky, Whimsy, Wonderful You! ✨

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

🎨🎈

Here are some easy Dr. Seuss–inspired activities that work great in child care settings:

🎩 “Cat in the Hat” Pattern Play: Make red/white strip patterns with paper strips, beads, or blocks. (Math + fine motor = win!)

🍳 “Green Eggs & Ham” Sensory Bin: Dyed rice or play foam “eggs,” felt “ham,” tongs/scoops for sorting and serving pretend meals.

📖 Silly Rhyme Time: Pick 3 common classroom items (chair, cup, block) and let kids make rhymes—real or nonsense! (“Block…sock…wock!” 😂)

🧦 Wacky Sock Day: Invite families to send mismatched socks. Create a “sock sorting station” by color/size/pattern.

🖍️ Seuss-Style Self-Portraits: Add silly hats, bowties, stripes, and bright shapes—let kids design their own character look.

Resource: My Silly Seuss's Hat!

Don’t Wait, Don’t Wobble—Save Your Spot on the Double! ⏰🎓

Including All Children and the Americans with Disabilities Act

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March 3, 2026 —

6:45 PM to 9:45 PM (EST)

March 7, 2026-

08:00 AM EST to 11:00AM (EST)

Basic Health & Safety and Breastfeeding Awareness

Upcoming & running sessions:

March 4, 2026 —

6:45 PM to 9:45 PM (EST)

March 7, 2026 —

8:30 AM to 11:30 AM (EST)

In a Room or on Zoom—How Do You Want to Learn? 🎉

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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:

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📰 Featured Article: A Peek, a Think, a Brand-New Wink! 😉

Ideas to try and inspiration to fly—this week!

👧 How Can We Build Early Literacy Skills Through Everyday Activities?

Young children learn a lot from calm, caring adults who talk, read, and play with them every day. This article gives simple, practical ideas for child care providers and directors to build early #literacy skills. Why it matters: children who get language and reading support early are more ready for school and feel confident as learners.

✨Fun to Do + Fun to View: Featured Activities & Social! 😄✨

🎶 Practicing music and movement skills through beat practice🎵. Would you try this in your classroom? Tell us in the comments and follow for more activity inspiration!

☘️ Let's Sham-Rock n Roll into some Gross Motor Movement! Home daycare and child care providers, will you try this activity? Tell us in the comments! CC: @coachgelardi 💚 To get lucky with more play ideas, follow ChildCareEd 🪙

Creative play helps children connect stories to real experiences while supporting fine motor skills. For Dr. Seuss' Birthday, I've got activities to match Dr. Seuss stories! 🎩 Silly hat parade: Download the FREE Silly Hat Parade printable from www.linktr.ee/ChildCareEd (link in bio), let children decorate paper hats and headbands. Then play music and parade around the room. 🥚 Green eggs sensory science: Create a green sensory bin using dyed rice, pom-poms, or slime. Add scoops, cups, and plastic eggs for counting, sorting, and describing textures. 🌳 Truffula trees craft: Wrap paper around craft sticks or straws and add colorful tissue paper “tops.” This builds fine motor strength and can become a class display connected to The Lorax. Try these activities at your daycare.

☘️ Wow your kids with these magical STEM Leprechaun rocks! Will you try this St. Patrick's Day activity? Tag ChildCareEd for a repost and story feature. CC: @kindergartenkitties

Definitely try these and tag @childcareed on your video to get featured in our stories!

Follow ChildCareEd and hop on to www.ChildCareEd.com for tons of free resources and child care trainings.

✨ Faith-Based & Cultural Celebrations Corner

For programs that include faith-based or cultural learning, these resources offer developmentally appropriate, classroom-friendly activity ideas. As always, it’s a great practice to align activities with your program’s policies and the preferences of the families you serve. 🤝✨

🌙 Ramadan Classroom Activities

Create opportunities for children to explore kindness, generosity, gratitude, and community through simple projects, books, and family-friendly conversations.

🔗 https://www.childcareed.com/r-00790-ramadan-classroom-activities.html

🍞 Passover Classroom Activities

Introduce themes like family traditions, remembering stories, and helping others with age-appropriate crafts, sensory play, and discussion starters.

🔗 https://www.childcareed.com/r-00806-passover-classroom-activities.html

✝️ Good Friday Activities

Support gentle, respectful learning with activities that focus on reflection, kindness, caring for others, and hope—in ways that fit your center’s approach.

🔗 https://www.childcareed.com/r-00807-good-friday-activities.html

💡 Tip for inclusivity: You can frame these as “family traditions around the world” and invite families to share (optional!) a favorite food, song, greeting, or tradition—so every child feels seen and respected. 💛

💥 Big Feeling Helper

(for kids with BIG emotions)

Big feelings can BOOM! Big feelings can BOP!

And you—dear grown-up—are their safe, steady spot. 💛

Try these playful, Seuss-y tools to help kiddos calm and reset:

🌬️ “Blow the Worries Away” Breathing

Let’s blow like we’re making bubbles 🎈

Or blowing out birthday candles 🕯️

Inhale… exhale… nice and slow—

Do it again and let the calm grow!

🧊 Chill Choice

Offer a cool-down pick they can choose:

A squishy soft friend 🧸, a sensory bottle 🫧,

Or a quiet, cozy corner with a book 📚✨

🗣️ Feelings Words Boost

Give their feelings some friendly names:

“I see you’re feeling mad 😠.”

“Your body looks wiggly 🌀.”

“Let’s find a calm plan together 🤝.”

🚦 Stoplight Strategy

When feelings go FAST like a zoomy racecar…

Use the stoplight to help them go far:

🔴 Stop (pause your body)

🟡 Breathe (two slow breaths)

🟢 Choose (hug, ask for help, take space, use words)

⭐ Mini mantra for the week

“Big feelings aren’t bad feelings—

they’re just feelings we’re learning to feel.” 💛

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