Programs and Activities External Resources
Harvest Festivals Around the World: Video
What is Harvest Festival? How do people celebrate harvest around the world? This video shows several different harvest festivals that are celebrated around the world throughout the year from Pongal to Vendimia, The Moon Festival to Olivagando. We share some of the many ways people celebrate harvest around the world.
40 Gratitude Activities for Kids this Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a beautiful time of year to practice gratitude. Here’s a list of Thanksgiving gratitude activities and thankful crafts that are fun and easy ways to teach children about gratitude.
WEBINAR: Building Blocks for Supporting All Children in Inclusive Settings
Are you thinking about how to meaningfully include ALL children in the routines and activities in your program? This webinar can help you determine which supports might be the most useful, identify modifications, and create plans to promote participation, engagement, and access for children who need additional support.
Trauma-Informed Practices Benefit All Children
Did you know that trauma-informed practices can benefit all children? In this newsletter, ChildCare Education Institute looks at traumatic events, adverse childhood events, and the impact these experiences have on young children. They also explore how to recognize the signs of trauma and traumatic stress in the children we care for, how to help children who have experienced trauma, and how we can help meet the needs of the families and children we serve.
What is Culturally Responsive ECE Practice?
What is cultural responsiveness? Rather than just focusing on the celebration of differences and the harmonious co-existence of diverse groups, culturally responsive interactions and programming in early childhood education involve caregivers' deep engagement with diverse cultures and worldviews in order to transform practice.
WEBINAR – Nurturing Transitions: Supporting children and families in the new school year
Looking to strengthen transition practices to ensure new children and their families feel a strong sense of belonging in your program this year? This webinar provides essential tips and strategies to foster confidence and belonging for both children and families. In it, you will learn about effective communication, relationship building, how to nurture emotional well-being and belonging throughout transitions, and how you can tailor your approach for individual children.
Principles for Culturally Responsive Teaching in Early Childhood Education
There can be no recipe or script for culturally responsive teaching because every group of families and children has differing backgrounds and unique needs, capabilities, and interests. Early childhood educators need to know about this diversity in order to adapt their practice to suit the cultural practices, beliefs, and values of the child and their family, and to support all children to participate fully while maintaining their cultural identities. This guide offers some general, research-based principles and suggestions to empower ECEs, in concert with families, to discover different ways of dealing with issues of diversity.
No Backyard, No Problem… Families Can Bring the Outside In!
No backyard? No problem! If the only outdoor space families have access to is a balcony or concrete patio, they can still access nature and its healing powers by bringing it indoors through crafts, gardening, books, and online resources. Here's a list you can share with parents, full of fun and simple nature-themed ways for children to stay curious about the natural world indoors.
Mental Health Skills for Preschool Children: Video Series
This series of 5 short videos introduces important ideas, taught the way young children learn best: through entertaining, relatable stories set in a vivid, imaginary world! The Healthy Minds, Thriving Kids Pre-K Project video series is based on mental health research, created to make important mental health skills available to preschool children (age 3 to 5). Each video features a memorable song that reinforces the key messages. We invite you to watch the complete series with the children in your program. You can also download the free companion guides that summarize key ideas and include an activity that can use to help kids practice the skills they’re learning.
Multilingual Spring Activities Scavenger Hunt
This active scavenger hunt will get children moving outside this spring... and it’s available in 10 languages, so it’s a perfect resource to share with parents this spring!