June 19th in Observance of Juneteenth

Juneteenth is a time for celebration and reflection with the whole family. For young children, the abstract concept of freedom and the hard history of slavery can be challenging to grasp. NMAAHC's early childhood education team offers the following resources to support young children's understanding and celebration of Juneteenth: a guide on how to talk about slavery and freedom in age appropriate ways, an activity to inspire hope and activism, and a children's book and online resources list.

With Father’s Day approaching soon, it’s the perfect time to start brainstorming some creative and thoughtful Father’s Day crafts to make with your kids. Crafting is an engaging and enjoyable way for kids to express their love and appreciation for their dads, and in this article, we’ll be sharing 50 of the best Father’s Day craft ideas for kids. These crafts are easy, inexpensive, and perfect for kids of all ages. Moreover, they also help to improve creativity in kids. Let’s dive in and get inspired to create some unforgettable Father’s Day crafts!

Alma creates a lot of new memories with her family when she visits Puerto Rico — like finding shells on the beach, visiting the El Yunque National Rainforest, eating alcapurias and pasteles, and learning a new poem. One way to remember fun summer days with your family is by creating a souvenir box. The box can be a place to collect items that spark memories. You can fill the box with notes, drawings, small trinkets, and mementos — anything from a special time you had with your family or friends. As you make more memories throughout the summer, you can add more items to the box. Click here for more!

If traveling with your anxious or challenging child feels overwhelming, it can be tempting to stay close to home. Even if you’re worried about unpredictable reactions and the possibility of meltdowns in public places, the truth is that your kid is still a kid. Having new experiences can be invaluable to their growth, as well as your own mental health.

Here are some suggestions to help you take control of your trip

TRUCE Family Play Plans for Summer

Summertime is the perfect time for families to get outside and play. Splashing in water on a hot day. Digging in cool, slippery mud. Chalking up a sidewalk or driveway with hopscotch games or original drawings. Planting a simple garden. What child can resist such fun activities, especially when joined by siblings, parents, or even grandparents, and sometimes friends too?

But, sadly, nowadays many families seem less and less to be playing together. Busy schedules leave little time for play and little time to be together as a family. In addition, screen-based entertainment is a constant distraction. Children need to learn again how to become engaged in simple games and outdoor play after the rapid fire zap, zap, zap they get from screen activities. However, today’s parents may not have had opportunities to play when they were growing up so may not be familiar with simple games and pastimes to introduce to their own children.

For these reasons, TRUCE (Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Children’s Entertainment), created a set of Family Play Plans to give parents some simple ideas for seasonal family activities. All the suggested activities use inexpensive or free materials that are readily available such as sand, water, cardboard, bubbles, or string. Unlike specialized toys, open-ended materials like these offer endless opportunities for rich, creative, and on-going play. The ideas can be expanded and developed depending on family member’s abilities and interests.

Does it seem the busier your family gets, the slimmer the chances you'll see each other at dinner (or any other meal, for that matter)?

If you answered yes, don't feel guilty. Life demands a lot of everyone, your kids included—and many families find it hard to block out time for shared meals. But here's something that might motivate you to change things up: kids who eat with their families at least 3 times a week enjoy hearty physical, emotional, social and academic perks.

Read on to learn about the benefits of eating together as a family, along with practical tips to make it easier and get the most out of shared mealtime.

Now that Summer is fast approaching it is the opportune time to review these questions with your child...

Kids can explore engineering and spatial concepts as they help Elmo build a series of train tracks to move his train around and through different objects to get to Grover!

Afterward, ask, “What materials could we use to build train tracks or roads of our own?” Encourage them to design and build train tracks or roads using everyday materials like paper-towel rolls and craft sticks. Set up different obstacles using items like blocks and tissue boxes to build around. Challenge kids to build their tracks or roads to go up or down a ramp! Click here to play!

Portraits of summer camp showcase sun-splashed children playing sports, swimming, and getting freckles. Not pictured is any sign of anxiety, a natural reaction to a new adventure and a several-week separation. All children experience a mixture of excitement and nervousness when summer camp approaches. For most, excitement trumps nerves, but some children develop anxiety serious enough to get in the way of what should be a fun, formative experience. Click here to read more.

The idea of your young twins spending a couple of hours in a classroom setting away from their parents, siblings, and possibly each other can be quite a change for everyone involved. If your twins have spent time in a child care setting, the transition may not be as dramatic as for those who have been cared for at home or in a smaller group setting. Our generation may or may not have attended preschool back when we were young. Today, however, education experts agree that the experience of a preschool program can help kids learn more effectively when kindergarten comes along. We’re talking about a fun, relaxed preschool atmosphere, and not any sort of rigorous academic curriculum! Three-year-olds usually participate 2 or 3 half days a week, while 4-year-olds can participate 3 or 4 half days a week. Click here to learn more.

The summer is the perfect time to help prepare your child for the transition to kindergarten. Here are some things you can do at home to get them ready.

Concerns about students losing ground academically during summer break go back at least a century, with early evidence suggesting that summer contributed to large disparities in students’ outcomes. This narrative spurred expansion of a variety of summer programs and interventions aimed at stemming summer learning loss.

We make dozens of decisions every day. As adults, making choices is something we do so often that we hardly even notice it. But it’s a skill that takes time and practice to learn. Parents can help kids develop this skill by showing them how to think through the pros and cons of their choices. Learn more here.

Vigo County Fair Open Class & More

Where Everyone Can Showcase Their Talents

Many people think of the Vigo County Fair as an event for youth –

but all ages and abilities can participate in Open Class.

Whether your talent is in food, floriculture, photography, or a fun craft – we need you!

This year the Open Class committee is hoping to see some of your efforts at the Fair. There are

categories in Food Preservation, Culinary Arts, Fine Arts, Floriculture, Hobby & Crafts, Horticulture,

Miscellaneous Foods, Needlecraft, Quilts, and Photography. There are new categories, new check-in

times for Floriculture, and other needed information in the book, as well. Open class entries are judged and the winners are given ribbons and awards.

If you are interested in more opportunities to compete during the fair.

The 17th Annual “Baker’s Best” competition will be on Wednesday, July 10th and the Open Class BBQ Contest is on Friday, July 12th. This year’s Baker’s Best contest flavor is Raisin and the categories are cookies, cakes, pies, and breads.

Winners will be announced at 6:30 pm on Wednesday during an auction of the baked goods.

There is no cost to enter either contest.

Open Class books and exhibitor numbers are available at the Purdue Extension office located at 275 Ohio Street from 8am - 4pm, Monday thru Friday. Open Class exhibits are open to everyone, including individuals who do not live in Vigo County.

The 2024 Vigo County Fair dates are July 6th – July 13th.

If you would like more information about Open Class, Baker’s Best, or the Open Class BBQ Contest,

contact the Vigo County Purdue Extension Office at 812-462-3371 or wrigh509@purdue.edu.

Open Class exhibits are open to everyone, regardless of age, gender, marital status, residency or

membership. Those who are not residents of Vigo County also can enter.

Families, teachers and children are better together. That’s why the Child Care Resource and Referral Network is proud to serve as a navigator for families, expertly assisting them in finding high-quality child care and connecting them with additional opportunities to meet their needs.

Is your family struggling to make ends meet? Could you or someone you know use assistance with paying for utilities, accessing a food pantry, or connecting to job training or employment services? Call 800-886-3952, ext 2. to learn more!

For personalized support in finding a child care program that best meets your family's needs,

contact CASY, Child Care Resource and Referral, Family Engagement Specialists

at 800-886-3952 and choose option 2.

Our Family Engagement Specialists will follow up with you by the next business day when you submit the online form.

Do you prefer a language other than English? ¿Habla español? Ou pale kreyòl ayisyen? ဗမာစကား ပြောတတ်လား။ Our family specialists can support you in any language, whether via emails or texts, communication over the phone or a conversation in person. We can provide information in any language you need on finding quality child care, paying for care and connecting to resources your child needs to grow, learn and develop. For free, personalized information on child care and other resources, complete our online referral request form or connect with your local child care resource and referral agency for assistance.

As of April 1, 2024 Federal Poverty Level (FPL) has increased. You may now be eligible for child car assistance. Visit these links for more information.

Income Guidelines to be approved for CCDF:

https://www.in.gov/fssa/carefinder/files/Income-Get-on-CCDF.pdf

Income Guidelines to stay on CCDF at recertification:

https://www.in.gov/fssa/carefinder/files/Income-Stay-On-CCDF.pdf

On My Way Pre-K awards vouchers to 4-year-olds from low-income families so that they may have access to a high-quality pre-K program the year before they begin kindergarten. Applications for the 2024-25 On My Way Pre-K vouchers will be available beginning April 1, 2024. Any child who will be 4 by August 1, 2024 (and not 5), is eligible to apply for this funding to support a high-quality pre-kindergarten program that best fits their family’s needs. Help your child gain critical skills — apply at OnMyWayPreK.org.