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...
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...
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...
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. ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
These amazing directors have been with Especially for Children for over 20 years! We are incredibly grateful for their hard work, dedication to children and families, senses of humor, commitment to the staff at their centers and so much more. Read a bit more about (pictured from...
Every child is, by nature, an intellectual being--a curious, sense-making person, who is continuously seeking to understand his or her physical and social environments. ...
Sue Smith has worked for Especially for Children - Edina/Edinborough since August of 1987, making her the teacher with the second-longest tenure in the company! Tell us a bit about yourself… My husband Steve and I celebrated our 40th anniversary this year! We have lived in Edina for many years...
The gardens at our schools are transforming before our eyes. It has been a wonderful experience for the children to plant, water, weed, observe, cook and taste! We've had some special visitors in our gardens including many bugs and even some baby bunnies! Check out...
Lynn Livingston has worked for Especially for Children - Eden Prairie since November of 1989, making her one of our longest-term teaching staff! Read more about Lynn below. Tell us a bit about yourself… I grew up in Bloomington and live in Chanhassen. My mom and sister...