October News from Especially for Children

OCTOBER 2022

Greetings!

HAPPY FALL!

The leaves are falling jackets are calling. Chilly weather is just around the corner. Remember to keep seasonally appropriate clothing at the center, including a light jacket, hat, and mittens. Please make sure all items are labeled with first and last name.

CENTER HAPPENINGS

HALLOWEEN PARTIES

This year we will be doing individual classroom parties Monday, October 31. Your child’s teacher will provide additional details as to what they are planning in the coming weeks. If your child would like to wear a costume, please make sure they are kid friendly/school appropriate, and leave props, wigs, etc. at home so they do not get ruined during the day.

TRUNK-OR-TREAT

This year to celebration Halloween we are going to do trunk or treating. Our teachers will decorate their trucks and pass out treats during pick up from 4 to 6 pm on Monday, October 31.

PARENT REMINDERS

LOOKING AHEAD

Where has the year gone? With the holidays right around the corner here is a reminder of the days EFC will be closed:

Thursday, November 24:Thanksgiving

Friday, November 25: Thanksgiving

Monday, December 26: Christmas

Monday, January 2: New Years

FALL CONFERENCES

At Especially for children, we hold parent/teacher conferences twice a year. The fall conferences will be held in November. They can either be done through google meets, in person, or over the phone with your child’s teacher. This is a time to discuss your child’s development and progress. Conferences take about 15 minutes, if you are needing more time, please reach out to the teacher beforehand.

STAR WELLNESS

"FRANKENMUFFINS"

These spooky muffins get their green color from spinach and their sweetness from a banana!

Heat oven to 350 degrees and coat 16 muffin cups with cooking spray. Whisk together:

1 cup each all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp cinnamon

In blender, puree:

¼ cup canola oil
¾ cup milk
9oz (6 cups packed) fresh baby spinach until smooth.
Add 1 large banana and 2 tsp vanilla.

Fold liquid mixture into the dry ingredients. Fill each prepared muffin tin two-thirds full and bake for about 20 minutes. Enjoy!

ESPECIALLY FOR PARENTS

LOOSE PARTS IN AUTUMN NATURE

By Angie Williams

“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.”

― Lauren DeStefano, Wither

Fall in Minnesota is spectacular. Cool, crisp air greets us in the morning, the days are generally sunny, and when the leaves turn, warm colors abound.

As nature prepares for what comes next (even as many of us push away all thoughts of winter!), autumn offers many elements that can help children learn in the form of fallen loose parts.

Loose parts are used in early childhood education to inspire child-directed play and help support creativity as well as an understanding of mathematical concepts. They are materials that can be moved, carried, combined, redesigned, lined up, and taken apart and put back together in multiple ways. (Better Kid Care). While we have written in previous communications about the importance of loose parts (https://especiallyforchildren.com/2022/04/15/loose_parts/), fall presents yet another opportunity to highlight the ways in which loose parts help children learn. The following article from Community Playthings describes how autumn’s natural elements support children’s cognitive development in mathematical concepts:

“We are approaching the time of year in which nature generously replenishes its available loose parts. Leaves fall, acorns drop, seed pods form, and there is no end to the natural materials you can collect for free just in your backyard.

‘One area of early learning particularly suited for the use of these materials is math,’ writes Dorie Ranheim. ‘There is a myriad of questions that can be asked to guide children’s thinking. For example, What did we find the most of? Tell me about your stick. Can you find something longer? Which rock is heavier? Through these playful interactions, rich math language flows and becomes part of the child’s vocabulary.’

’You can also use loose parts to model mathematical skills like how to count acorns using one-to-one correspondence, how to create a pattern with fall leaves, or how to measure by comparing two feathers. All the foundational areas of early math can be explored in a playful way using natural loose parts.’”

https://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/2020/Math-Play-with-Loose-Parts

As you are out and about this fall, take note of the loose parts all around you and see what your child has in store for them!