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PARENTS DESIGN-A-VALENTINE
We would like to continue a new tradition we started last year and will need your participation!! We would like parents to design a Valentine for their child(ren) to be hung in the hallway at Especially for Children during the month of February. This is your opportunity to be creative and have fun!! Due to limited space, the size restriction of the Valentine will be letter size (9" X 13"). Please have your artwork to Kathy in the office by Monday, February 13. Have fun!!

 
UPCOMING EVENTS
iceskater
FAMILY ICE SKATING EVENT
Please join us for ice skating at Centennial Lakes in Edina on Saturday, February 4 from 10:00-11:30. Skate rental is $6.00 per pair with sizes ranging from a child's size 8 up to adult size 13. Ice sleds may also be rented for $7.00 per hour. Please note that they require a photo ID as a deposit on all rentals. This will be a fun family event as we will be joining with our Edina and Edinborough EFC families. Let's hope we get some great weather to enjoy the outdoors and appreciate our Minnesota winter. See you there!

VALENTINE'S DAY PARTIES
The toddler and preschool groups have their valentine exchange and party on Tuesday, February 14. The teachers will provide more information regarding their classroom parties. Please see Kathy if this is not a scheduled day for your child and you would like them to have the opportunity to participate in the Valentine activities.  

SNOW-DAZE DAYS
Getting the winter blues? Not us!! Let's  celebrate with some crazy "snow-daze"  days to brighten up this long winter!
 
Monday, Feb. 20: SPORTS DAY
Tuesday, Feb. 21: PAJAMA DAY
Wednesday, Feb. 22: HAWAIIAN/ BEACH DAY
Thursday, Feb. 23: MISMATCH DAY
Friday, Feb. 24: CRAZY HAIR DAY

STAR WELLNESS
star wellness
QUICK AND HEALTHY BREAKFAST ON THE GO
With our hectic schedules, finding the  time to prepare a healthy breakfast can  be challenging. Here are some tips for  making this important meal a little easier  to get on the table.
 

1. Set up to-go bags the day before a crazy morning. Include low-fat

yogurt, baggie of granola, hard-boiled egg and a handful of grapes.
 

2. Have a smoothie. Just make sure to add some protein, like yogurt or tofu, to keep you satisfied longer.
 

3. Make quick and healthy breakfast sandwiches with frozen waffles

(toasted), peanut butter and sliced banana.
 

4. Set foods aside the night before; cut up fruits, pour cereal or prepare mixtures for baked or scrambled eggs.
 

5. Consider steel-cut oats for a super healthy and convenient meal. Combine the oats and water, bring to a boil, remove from heat, cover and let set overnight. The next morning, you just have to reheat them.
 

6. Use your microwave. Most hot cereals have microwave instructions. Mix the cereal with liquid and flavorings, pop it in the microwave and finish dressing while breakfast cooks itself.
 

7. Keep your freezer stocked with frozen waffles and healthy breakfast burritos.
 

8. Don't think of berries as an extravagance. They're outrageously

good for you and they turn the most boring bowl of cereal into something special.
 

9. Keep hard-boiled eggs in your fridge - it's an easy dose of high quality protein.
 

10. Always keep a bowl of fresh seasonal fruits available for the easiest grab and go.

 
ESPECIALLY FOR PARENTS
HOW CAN I COME UP WITH ACTIVITIES TO GET US THROUGH THE WINTER?
Are you struggling with how to spend your time at home with your child during these months where it is harder to be outdoors for long periods of time? Here are some questions you might ask yourself as you decide how to spend indoor time with your child. Specific activities will vary, of course, by the age of your child, or children. But here are some good things to think about:
  • Is my time spent with my child enhancing my relationship with him/her?
  • What is my child learning about me when we are together?
  • What am I learning about my child when we are at home?
  • Are there skills that my child needs to work on that I can foster?
  • Are there activities that will complement what my child is doing at school?
  • Are there opportunities for me to provide activities at home that we can't provide at school?
On the internet there are many articles on activities you can do inside with children at various ages. My experience is that you don't need elaborate materials to get going. With your infant, snuggling with a book or introducing a new toy or pan and spoon from the cupboard provide the chance to totally tune in to your baby and respond
to his/her cues. Time on the floor talking with and singing to your infant are precious moments for each of you.
 
As your child becomes a toddler, everything old becomes new again. The books you have been reading to your child now become interactive tools. Allowing your child to point to objects you name or make the sounds of animals becomes a new activity. And then block building and pushing down the creations becomes a game that can be played over and over again.
 
In the evenings, your preschool child will love to show you things he/she has learned at school. Have crayons and various sizes and colors readily available. Find an old cardboard box and let that be the object to decorate. If your child is ready to cut paper, provide child-sized scissors and a space that is easy to clean up after the strips of paper fall. It may not seem like a big deal, but when a child acquires a skill like using scissors effectively, it is a huge milestone. Think about ways you can involve your child in cooking with you. There may be a few shells to dig out when you allow him to practice breaking an egg, but the pride in helping you create a product to eat is worth the effort. It is also a great science lesson to see what the egg feels like and what is inside when it is cracked open. One of the keys to surviving the winters indoors is to think ahead about what you need to do and find ways for your child to participate in the tasks.
 
Also, be aware of activities that your child might be able to do now that she is older. Simple board games, matching games and jigsaw puzzles extend children's ability to concentrate and provide another family activity. Think ahead and talk with your child about what you can do with him/her in the evening. Sometimes the fact that your child can anticipate special time with you makes all the difference!!

    
 Our grandchildren having some indoor fun.
 
TWIN CITIES
FAMILY EVENTS
Winter 2017  Bruce Munro: Winter Light at the Arboretum, Chanhassen  
Now-2/5 Winter Carnival, Saint Paul
Now-2/5 Wells Fargo Winter Skate, St. Paul
Now-mid-Feb  Centennial Lakes Ice Skating , Edina
Now-2/20  Fancy Nancy: The Musical , Stages Theatre Hopkins
2/7-3/26 Dr. Suess' The Sneetches, Children's Theatre, Mpls
2/11 Valentine's Day 5k, Lake Nokomis


Indoor Play Spaces
When your children need some time to run, jump and let out some energy but the weather outside is frightful, check out one of these indoor play spaces the Twin Cities has to offer.

Especially for Children
5133 W. 98th St.
Bloomington, MN 55437 
(952) 831-1435

Center Director:
Kathy Hane
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