We are excited to begin promoting our participation in the TC Family Events, part of the TC Marathon weekend in October! We hope you will join us on Saturday, October 6 for a great morning of fitness and family fun. There are events for the...
We hope you are having a great summer so far! At EFC, the children have been enjoying many fun learning activities based on our All-American Summer theme. See what they've been up to in our video!...
It is almost time for the short and sweet Minnesota summer! We all love to take advantage of the outdoors during these summer months, and many of us have developed summer routines centered around local parks, the cabin or just our own backyards. We wanted...
I recently came across this interesting post from the new Teaching Strategies blog. It discusses the importance of routines for children, especially during times of stress. The author writes:"Providing consistent routines, whenever possible, gives children certainty, something they can count on, and something they...
At Especially for Children, we love engaging in cooking activities with children. They can practice creativity and learn so many new skills. And it is always a fun time! Watch our video and check out the resources below to learn more. Find out more with...
We know from decades of research that too little stimulation early on is bad for brain development.But have we considered whether too much stimulation, or inappropriate stimulation, is bad for brain development as well?Watch this video of a presentation by Dimitri Christakis, a pediatrician, parent...
The physical learning environment is so important at Especially for Children. We arrange our classrooms according to the guidelines set out in The Creative Curriculum so that children have opportunities to learn through play in a safe, comfortable and challenging environment. See more in this...
We introduced the ez Write curriculum for handwriting at our centers earlier this year. See how ez Write is helping children learn to write in a fun, creative and effective way! You can learn more about the program here. ...
The holidays are upon us, and one of the best things about the season is the chance to share stories - whether real or imagined. We asked our center managers to tell us their favorite holiday books for children. Here's our list:Christmas Trolls by Jan...
We recently added 4 new videos to our website. The videos help parents learn more about EFC and our programs. Below is our About Especially for Children video. You can find the Infant, Toddler and Preschool Program videos on our YouTube Channel. We hope you...
One of the very unique features of our program at Especially for Children is that we take field trips on a regular basis. In addition to being incredibly fun experiences for children, field trips enhance the curriculum by providing hands-on learning opportunities. Field trips also...
Most young children naturally delight in art. They love the process of applying paint to paper, gluing things together, and pounding a lump of clay. Art enables children to learn many skills, express themselves, appreciate beauty and have fun – all at the same time!!Children...
Watch our latest video blog on sensory play. It is a wonderful way for children of many ages to make new discoveries about the world....
The dramatic play area is a popular place at our centers. Not only do the children have fun creating stories and role-playing different characters, they also develop many important skills while engaging in dramatic play including:Social/Emotional: cooperation, negotiationPhysical: small muscle skillsCognitive: imaginationLanguage: explanation, asking questionsRead...