Happy New Year!
We are
BUZZING
with excitement to share new ideas, activities, and information in 2020!
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Four Things You Can Do To Build A Happy Healthy Family in 2020!
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Get Unplugged
When was the last time you and your family spent a day "unplugged," without watching any TV, checking any emails, or staying glued to your cell phones? Set aside at least one day a month (if not per week) without your gadgets, and
enjoy family time playing outdoors
, having a
board game marathon
, reading favorite stories, or how about a good old pillow fight. Whatever it is, just have fun! Mealtime can also be the perfect place to start an "unplugged" tradition. Here are two articles with screen time recommendations and ideas for unplugged time:
Mayo Clinic Guide
and
AAP Guide
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Eat Healthy
Committing to eat healthy meals as a family can replace the need to turn to a favorite fast food restaurant. Healthy eating habits can positively shape children's relationship with food. I
nvolving kids in the kitchen
and helping with meal preparation can make them more interested and adventurous at mealtime. Check the
Eating Well
page of
Sesame Street in Communities
page for fun ideas and activities.
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Exercise
Make fitness fun and easy by doing family activities that get you moving. Have a snowman-building race, an indoor
dance party
, or just go for a walk after dinner. Visit the
Moving our Bodies
page of
Sesame Street in Communities
for great resources and activities.
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Read!
When was the last time you took a trip to your public library? Together you can make this the year that you visit the local library and see the amazing things happening there! Library staff are great resources for finding age appropriate books for kids of all ages! Don't forget to ask about a library card! Learn more at
PPLD.org
.
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Did you know Sesame Street offers articles, activities, videos, printables, and storybooks? Click the logo to access their resources for both caregivers and families!
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Build language and literacy skills with fun books celebrating the New Year!
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Make it your New Year's Resolution to read to your child. Research shows that reading to children also teaches them to listen, and good listeners are going to be good readers.
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The Night Before New Year's Eve
By Natasha Wing
It's the night before New Year's, and the whole family is determined to stay up until midnight! Everyone's stocked up on sparkly streamers and festive party hats, but after a night filled with card games and too many cupcakes, the little ones are getting sleepy. Can they make it until the clock strikes twelve?
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P. Bear's New Year's Party
By Paul Owen Lewis
A dapper polar bear has an elegant New Year's party and invites all of his animal friends—one whale, two horses, three cows, and so forth until midnight. As each party animal arrives, children learn to count . . . AND tell time.
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Squirrel's New Year Resolution
By Pat Miller
Squirrel knows that New Year's Day is a great day for making resolutions! But what does it mean to make a resolution? As she makes visits around the forest, she learns about New Year's resolutions and helps her friends get started on theirs. If only she can think of a resolution of her very own!
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Freedom Soup
By Tami Charles
Every year, Haitians all over the world ring in the new year by eating a special soup, a tradition dating back to the Haitian Revolution. This year, Ti Gran is teaching Belle how to make the soup — Freedom Soup — just like she was taught when she was a little girl. Together, they dance and clap as they prepare the holiday feast. Ti Gran tells Belle about the history of the soup, the history of Belle’s family, and the history of their family's Haitian homeland.
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Shanté Keys and the New Year's Peas
By Gail Piernas-Davenport
Shanté Keys loves New Year's Day! But while Grandma fixed chitlins, baked ham, greens, and cornbread, she forgot the black-eyed peas! Oh no--it'll be bad luck without them! So Shanté sets out to borrow some from the neighbors.
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Every Month is a New Year
By Marylin Singer
In many places around the globe, the new year starts on January 1st. But not everywhere! Chinese New Year is celebrated in January or February. Iranians observe Nowruz in March. For Thai people, Songkran occurs in April. Ethiopians greet the new year at Enkutatash in September. All these diverse cultural, regional, and religious observances, and many others, have deep-rooted traditions and treasured customs.
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Lunar or Chinese New Year
By Grace Lin
Lin tells the story of a Chinese-American family as they hang decorations, cook, and dress up in preparation for the Lunar New Year. This story introduces readers to the traditions of this Chinese celebration.
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Happy New Year, Spot!
By Eric Hill
Spot isn’t old enough to stay up until midnight, but he finds a way to celebrate the New Year early with his family. Bring your party hats and noisemakers as you join Spot in celebrating the New Year!
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Helpful Tax Information For Families
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Get Ahead Colorado: Tax Credits for Working Families Public Information Campaign
For more than 25 years, The
Piton Foundation
has been conducting a public information campaign, now called
Get Ahead Colorado
. The annual campaign raises awareness about valuable tax credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and shares information about free tax assistance through
Tax Help Colorado
.
As part of the campaign, you can access a suite of free educational materials for
partners
. Visit the
online store
to order or download copies today.
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Family
SPEAK is a project of Alliance for Kids, El Paso County's Early Childhood Council
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