29 Aug Math is Everywhere
Math concepts are highlighted in various areas of the classroom. [gallery columns="2" size="medium" ids="6912,6915,6918,6919,6920,6922"] ...
EFC Parent Blog
31 Jul Especially for Parents: Time to Investigate
When children are interested or intrigued by an object or an idea, they need to dig deep and explore. - Judith Pack, Early Childhood Education Consultant One of the most important characteristics we can foster in our children is that of curiosity. We have written before that...
27 Jul More Science Experiments and Activities
In our Parent Article this month we shared some ideas for fun and easy science experiments. Below are a few more activities to try during the warm weather months! Go on a Sound Hunt Make a list of sounds you might hear outside and then go on...
27 Jun Birthdays, Toys and Apps, Oh my!
Creating appropriate limits for children in this consumer-driven, digital age can be a challenge. We've come across a few resources in recent weeks that might help you navigate where to draw boundaries and provide more information from child development experts around these choices. If you...
30 May Grandparent Spotlight: Grandpa Jim & Grandma Molly
We are so appreciative when parents and grandparents contribute their time and talents to our program. Read about Grandpa Jim and Grandma Molly, who have offered the gift of music at one of our EFC schools. Some time ago, I was asked to sing and play...
02 May Especially for Parents: The Gift of the Present
On a recent airplane ride, I sat behind a family that included a young girl who looked to be about 5 years old. While the plane was boarding, she cried softly in her seat and expressed her discontent to her mom, using some phrases that...
25 Apr Process Art as a Learning Experience
Among the other wonderful opportunities that warmer weather brings is the chance for children to bring their art projects outside. Creating art in the outdoors allows children more space for their materials as well as the chance to get a bit messy. Outdoor elements such...
28 Mar Celebrating Earth Day with Children
We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. ~ Native American Proverb April 22 is Earth Day. It is a great day to talk with your child about taking care of our earth. We've gathered a few Earth Day resources...
27 Feb The art of the daycare drop-off
Anna Wilson, co-director at Especially for Children Edina/Edinborough was recently featured in MN Parent magazine. Read her tips on how to have a successful school drop-off with your child. ...
30 Jan Especially for Parents: Activities to get you 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...
30 Jan Indoor Play Spaces
As we wrote in this month's Especially for Parents article, you don't need fancy materials to create indoor fun at home. Sometimes, though, it does the body and mind good to get out of the house and move your muscles. When the weather isn't cooperating for...
03 Jan EFC in 2016
What a year it was! We celebrated our 40th Anniversary, had visits from firefighters and Santa Claus, explored apple orchards and animal farms, grew fruits and veggies in our gardens, learned Spanish and enjoyed music, movement and dance, and so much more. Most importantly, we learned...
21 Nov Fine Motor Activities at Home
In our Especially for Parents article for December we discussed the importance of fine motor skills for young children. This Community Playthings article provides some great information on the topic, including the activities listed below that you can try at home. In addition, here is our...
25 Oct Especially for Parents: Cultivating empathy in your child
The Harvard Graduate School of Education has an initiative called Making Caring Common. The project is gathering information about strategies for promoting empathy. The premise is that empathy is extremely important for school, professional and life success. "Empathy is at the heart of what it means...
25 Oct More on empathy
As a follow-up to our Especially for Parents article on cultivating empathy in your child, check out the video below from Sesame Street with Murray and Mark Ruffalo. Have you found effective ways of explaining or modeling empathy to your child? We'd love to hear...