Kids Corner
We can't resist this collection of Valentine's Day songs from Disney Jr. and follow along with Brightly Storytime as they read Here Comes Valentine Cat.
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Help Me Grow was designed to create an opportunity for parents to track their child's developmental growth and provide peace of mind. Your Family Is Eligible For:
- Free developmental screenings - to identify possible social and emotional delays.
- Follow-up care coordination - ensuring families receive the services they need.
- Other community resources - promoting health and wellness for the whole family.
CALL 2-1-1 to complete your child's developmental screening TODAY!
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2022-23 Voluntary PreKindergarten (VPK) |
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Florida’s Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program (VPK) is a free educational program that prepares 4-year-olds for success in kindergarten and beyond. Children must live in Florida and be 4 on or before September 1st of the school year they enroll. Parents whose children are born between February 2 and September 1 of the calendar year may postpone enrolling their 4-year-old until the following year when their child is 5.
Parents can choose from different educational settings and various program options. Private child care centers, public schools, and specialized instructional service providers offer VPK. VPK providers have the flexibility to structure daily hours per week to meet the required number of instructional hours.
VPK School-Year Program - 540 Instructional Hours: Class sizes are not to exceed 11 students with a single lead instructor or up to 20 students with a lead instructor and an assistant.
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National Children's Dental Health Month
Children's Dental Health Month raises awareness of the importance of teaching children good oral habits early to ensure a lifetime of healthy smiles. Parents or caregivers are essential and can promote children's dental health this month and throughout the year. Keeping up with daily oral care and visiting the dentist at least twice a year for an oral examination and professional cleanings are steps you can take towards a happier and healthier mouth! Setting the foundation for your child earlier in life will set your child up for success in the future.
10 Tips to Help Your Child Have a Healthy Smile
- Offer children water instead of soda or sweetened juice.
- Don’t put a baby to bed with a bottle.
- As the first birthday approaches, encourage your child to drink from a cup. Many training cups are essentially baby bottles in disguise. The child gets liquid by sucking on the cup, much like a baby bottle.
- If your kids chew gum, make it sugarless – chewing sugarless gum after eating can increase saliva flow and help wash out food and decay-producing acid.
- Floss daily (yes, even for kids).
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Help your kids develop good brushing techniques by brushing for them first, then allowing them to brush (or do their best to brush) after you.
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It should take about two minutes to brush teeth. There are apps that help keep the time and make teeth brushing fun. You could also use an ordinary kitchen timer or have your child brush the length of a few songs that you sing or play.
- Make sure your child wears a mouth guard when playing sports.
- If kids crave a snack, offer them nutritious foods.
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And, of course, schedule regular dental visits.
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February is Black History Month
Ever wonder why Black History Month is in February? In 1926, historian and journalist Carter G. Woodson started "Negro History Week" to focus on black history and culture, which was left out of school curricula. Initially celebrated each year during the second week of the second month, the thirst to study black history grew so strong that eventually the holiday expanded to the entire month. Keep reading to learn more facts like these to teach your kids.
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We have a number of videos featuring some of our early learning experts who are here to offer us tips, tricks, and sometimes more complex explanations of early child development. Take a look and be sure to follow us on Facebook for more Parenting Pro Tips coming soon!
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With half of Florida’s children who struggle with mental health not receiving proper treatment, it is time to ditch the stigma and get our kids the help they need. That’s why it is important to have access to proven resources that can help you identify and support a child in need. Simply Healthcare and the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FCAAP) have curated the following resources to support and strengthen mental health in children.
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Check out this parenting resource from ZERO TO THREE, an organization that believes during the first three years of life, emotionally nourishing relationships lay the foundation for lifelong health and well-being.
A Year of Play
Browse fun seasonal activities by month to find play activities that promote your child's development.
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February’s theme is Textures. Try these fun activities to explore new textures:
Talk Together
- For your baby: Pick one or two concepts (perhaps soft/hard and bumpy/smooth) and use these words as your talk with your baby across the day. “What a soft blanket you have!” “That rattle feels bumpy, doesn’t it?” Follow your baby’s lead and let her linger over textures she seems to find interesting (“yes, your blanket has a smooth edge, and a soft middle”). There may also be textures she does not enjoy, and that’s okay, too. You can label her feelings (“I bet that oatmeal feels sticky on your hands”) and give her something else to touch.
- For your toddler: Discover textures with your toddler and talk about how they feel (soft/hard, bumpy/smooth, silky/rubbery, etc.). Be creative about where you find textures: The leaves of a plant can feel “pointy” or the lint you clean from the dryer can feel “woolly.” As your toddler grows and develops more language, you can ask him “What does this feel like to you?”
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Read Together
- Try reading some touch-and-feel books together. For babies, Animal Kisses by Barney Saltzburg is always a favorite, as is the classic Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt. Older toddlers may also enjoy I Am Happy: A Touch and Feel Book of Feelings by Steve Light which links feelings and textures. The touch-and-feel books from the Spot series by Eric Hill are usually a big hit, too.
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Play Together
- For your baby: Let your baby touch and play with a set of differently textured fabrics. Offer her silky scarves, textured lace pieces, a soft cotton handkerchief. Play peek-a-boo behind the different fabrics. See if she tries to pull the scarf off your head! Which textures does your baby seem to like best?
- For your toddler: Make texture Valentines. Cut squares from different papers and materials—cloth, lace, ribbon, sandpaper, aluminum, foil, etc. Pour some glue (another texture to touch!) into a plastic bowl and let your child pick a square, dip it in the glue, and then glue it to a sturdy piece of paper you have cut into a heart shape. Follow your child’s lead; if she is done after gluing 2 squares or if she only wants to glue the foil on, that’s okay. When you’re done, hang her “masterpiece” at her eye-level so she can show everyone her work.
- For babies and toddlers: Make a texture book for your child. In honor of Valentine’s Day, cut heart shapes from a variety of differently textured fabrics and papers—lace, satin, cotton, corduroy, sandpaper, corrugated cardboard, etc. You can glue these into a book and write the texture on each page (“silky,” “scratchy,” etc.)
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16 Fun Tummy Time Ideas
Click below to find 16 fun tummy time ideas and activities by age to make it a fun experience for both you and baby. There are even some you can start from birth.
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Pom Pom Bouquet
What you need: white paper, green marker, pom poms, and glue.
Draw several lines on the paper that represent stems. Then, place a dab of glue at the top of each line. Invite your baby to place a pom pom on each glue spot. Use some extra paper hearts to create a little bow at the bottom. So cute!
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Toilet Paper Roll Love Bugs
Kids love hearts, glitter, flowers, and being creative so it is understandable that they are attracted to making Valentine's Day crafts. These Love Bugs are very simple to put together and the sky is the limit to how they can be designed and decorated.
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Heart Paintings
Symmetry painting is when you add a few drops of paint to one side of a piece of paper, fold the second side over the paint, and press the paint sandwich together with your hands. Then, when you open up the folded paper you have a unique and symmetrical design.
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DIY Valentines
In the event your kids want to make their own Valentines, or perhaps there isn't any time to run to the store, these love bug valentines can do the trick. These are a great DIY craft for kids that they can take to school and share with classmates. Simple and kid-approved!
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Stapled Paper Heart Wreath
Paper, ribbon, scissors, and stapler. That is all you need to make these adorable heart wreaths. You can have your little one help cut out the strips of paper and work on their motor skills using the scissors. And they will also have fun picking the different colors to make their wreath.
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We need you! Join the Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) for a platform to discuss the needs and wants of your unique family. Complete the application now, and information about how to join the next virtual meeting will be emailed to you. Don’t miss out! |
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February Special Dates
National Cancer Prevention Month
American Heart Month
Black History Month
African Heritage and Health Week (February 1-7)
Burn Awareness Week (February 6-12)
National School Counseling Week (February 7-11)
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February 1
National Freedom Day
February 2
Groundhog Day
National Tater Tot Day
Girls and Women in Sports Day
February 3
Women Physicians Day
Optimist Day
February 4
Thank a Mail Carrier Day
February 5
Ice Cream for Breakfast Day
February 7
National Periodic Table Day
Send a Card to a Friend Day
February 8
National Boy Scouts Day
National Kite Flying Day
February 9
National Pizza Day
February 10
National Umbrella Day
Giving Hearts Day
February 11
Make a Friend Day
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February 12
Global Movie Day
February 14
Valentine's Day
National Organ Donor Day
February 16
National Pancake Day
February 17
Random Acts of Kindness Day
February 18
National Caregivers Day
February 20
National Love Your Pet Day
February 21
Presidents Day
February 23
National Banana Bread Day
February 26
Tell a Fairy Tale Day
February 27
National Polar Bear Day
February 28
National Tooth Fairy Day
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Florida KidCare offers quality, affordable health & dental insurance for ALL FL children from birth through the end of age 18! Children are eligible for head to toe coverage, even if one or both parents are working.
Click here and use code ELC5 to receive an expedited application process.
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We exist to help grow healthy children, parents,
and the relationship between them.
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If you have applied for child care assistance and are on the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida’s wait list, please call us at 850-747-5400 or toll free 866-277-9077 for other financial options. |
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Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida
Phone: 850.747.5400 | Fax: 850.747.5450
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Sponsored by the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida and the State of Florida, Division of Early Learning |
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