EFC Parent Blog

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...

With September being "Back to School" month, we thought it would be a great time to revisit some of the resources on our website about school readiness. You can find Minnesota's Kindergarten Entry Developmental Checklist here. It covers the following developmental areas:Personal and Social DevelopmentLanguage...

Here are some great activities to get children of all ages moving (Courtesy of Deb Lund, Occupational Therapist from the Hopkins School District).  Push and Pull Activities Push Toys (toy shopping carts, baby strollers, trucks)Push a cart or box (filled with toys or books) across the...

The toy aisles of your nearest box store offer hundreds of options for your child's entertainment and learning. But since 1998, only 53 toys have made it into the National Toy Hall of Fame. Many of the toys are simple in construction (e.g. ball, blanket,...

"Gardening with children is like most sensory experiences with three and four year-olds. It’s messy, it’s chaotic, and the more children you add to the scenario, the more instruction goes out the window and you just hope something is getting through. The amazing...

Guest post by Angie Williams With the weather finally warming up, my daughter and I have had the chance to get out for a few walks around the neighborhood. On our first walk of the season, she spent much of the time meandering up people’s...

It is important that adults use effective questioning techniques when speaking with children. Asking numerous questions is not always a useful technique. Instead, ask fewer questions that require more thought on the child’s part. Give the child time to process the question and listen to...