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...
We'd like to share with you a few highlights from our spring in-service training. In our first session, Marna Canterbury, Director of Community Health at the Lakeview Health Foundation, discussed some of the hesitations children have about trying new foods (e.g. How will it feel in my...
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Bernie Busch, EFC Edina/W 70th Street Bernie Busch joined Especially for Children 26 years ago and currently teaches preschool at EFC’s Edina/W 70th location. We are so appreciative of his dedication to the field of early childhood education and his positive attitude. Read more about Bernie...
My name is Alexi. I have lived in Inver Grove Heights for a majority of my life. My mom had me at a young age, and when she was starting college, she needed to find a child care center that she could trust. She was...
Kathy Brotten, EFC Circle Pines Kathy started her career at EFC in 1980 at the Brooklyn Park center. She met her husband Dean in 1983 at a softball game. They married shortly afterwards. Dean retired a few years ago and they enjoy as much time as...
The real focus in the preschool years should be not just on vocabulary and reading, but on talking and listening. ERIKA CHRISTAKIS, The Atlantic In this month's Especially for Parents article, we discussed the core values of our curriculum and goals at Especially for Children. We touched on the...
If you need some inspiration to get the family moving this winter, check out this fun video of a toddler breakdancing with his dad. What a fun way to spend a cold afternoon! ...
The ParentFurther website offers resources on a variety of parenting topics. It also provides a list of meaningful children's books that tie to Search Institute’s research on family strengths and relationships. If you are looking for some new books for your family's library, this is...
Learn more about executive function in this video from the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University: Get resources on how you can support executive function/self-regulation in your child here. ...
"Children may be born with the predisposition for learning how to have positive relationships with others. But if and how that predisposition is developed depends on their experience with others...
Check out the video below for easy ways to incorporate science, math, investigation and discovery at home. ...
Spring is a time for observing and enjoying the budding life around us. Gardening is a wonderful way for children to learn new skills, develop an appreciation for the environment and even expand their food horizons. Check out the video and the links below for...
April 12-18 is the Week of the Young Child. (Though as parents, it likely feels that every week is the week of your child(ren)! :)) In celebration of our youngest learners, NAEYC has compiled some great activities for families. Below is a sample: Eight tips for...