As noted in our last blog post on summer safety, children face serious danger during outdoor play when the heat index reaches 90 °F or higher.  Such heat poses elevated risk for children, according to the National Weather Service.  Here's why:

• ​Children spend more time outside than adults
• Children breathe more air in relation to their body weight than adults, and they are closer to the ground where some pollution settles
• Children can't get away from extreme heat and pollution and may depend on adults to drink fluids, change clothes or go to a cooler place

Recent research also underscores the compounding effects of heat and air pollution on children’s health—worsening asthma, allergy symptoms, and long-term learning and respiratory outcomes (see the AAP 2024 resources below)

In our July 2023 blog post, I talked about water, heat, and sun safety.  Here's a brief summary of risk areas and key tips:

• Drowning: Never leave children unattended 
• Heat-related illness: Hydrate, rest, dress lightly, cool off with water
• Sun exposure: Cover up, avoid peak hours, use sunscreen, hats, sunglasses
• Hot-car danger: Never leave children in a vehicle or unattended where they might access one

Today I'd like to share some updates concerning heat, pollution and climate, as well as additional information on and tips for preventing hot-car deaths.

​When children are exposed to dangerous heat waves and longer, hotter summers, they are at risk because:
-Extra heat and sunlight create ground-level ozone, which causes asthma.
-Heat can worsen local air pollution by contributing to smog.
-Prolonged warm seasons and more carbon dioxide in the air lead to a longer, more intense pollen allergy season.
-More intense and frequent droughts create more dust in the air and affect water supplies that people use to stay cool in the extreme heat.
-More wildfires make air pollution worse.

The changing climate with its more frequent extreme weather events and air pollution exacerbate heat risks.
Heatwaves and poor air quality frequently go hand in hand. Increased heat promotes smog and longer pollen seasons, which can exacerbate asthma and respiratory conditions in children (AAP, 2024) 
​
What can help:

• Ensure children at risk dress appropriately, take break, drinks lots of water, and are allowed time to get used to the temperature
• Monitor your area’s Air Quality Index (AQI), and adjust plans for outdoor play accordingly
• Families, childcare programs and schools can work together to provide healthy policies for all children concerning heat and outdoor play
• Talk with your pediatrician if your child is taking any medications; some heighten risk of heat illness
• Incorporate clean-air filters into your home's, program's or school's HVAC systems
• Advocate for greener transportation and local tree planting in your community

Follow the ACT protocol:

• Avoid leaving a child unattended
• Create reminders—put phone, purse, or shoe in back seat as a visual trigger
• Take immediate action—call 911 if you see a child alone in a car (AP 2025)

Summertime should be full of laughter, play, and sunshine—not worry. By staying informed, being proactive, and sharing safety information with families, we can help every child enjoy a safe, comfortable, and healthy summer!

Black is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy
We recently discovered this picture book illustrated by Coretta Scott King Award winner Ekua Holmes. In the author’s note, Joy explains the challenge of teaching black history after her preschooler commented, “But Mama, we’re not black, we’re brown.” She took that as a challenge to teach that “Black is not just a color, but a culture, too.” The book backmatter includes a playlist, poems and historical context of the book's references to significant people and events. ​

​
​Little People, Big Dreams is a biography series for kids. It includes some board books and a website that offers “extras” like teachers’ guides, bookmarks and costume kits!

Learn about the lives of heroes in sports, arts, music, activism, past and present.

​​Follow Your Dreams Little One and Dream Big Little One, both by Vashti Harrison, are part of the Little Leaders books.

The Coretta Scott King Book Award winners are books that have been honored because they express the African American experience through literature and art.  Although these books are for older children, they may be great teacher resources. 
There's a listing of the award winners that you may find useful at harpercollins.com.

The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture website has an Early Childhood Education page.  It includes interactive activity books for young children.

​Dr. Brian L. Wright's article in the NAEYC journal Teaching Young Children has 2 more book recommendations as well as a helpful discussion for early childhood classroom teachers.

​The NAEYC website also has a blog post on Black history and early childhood education with eight resources to explore. 

Here are some activities to keep young children busy on cold winter days!
 
Indoor Play:

• Snuggle up with a blanket and a book. Read to your child and also let them see you reading for pleasure!
• Act out favorite stories, letting children choose props for retelling (“What could we use for a magic wand?” “How would the farmer in the story dress?” “What could we use to make a pretend castle?”
• “Pretend” skate inside
• Practice putting on sweaters or jackets and socks.
• When doing laundry, have children help match socks or mittens, or compare sizes.
• Play a “freeze” game like freeze tag or “freeze” when the music stops.
• Make soup or hot chocolate together: measuring, mixing and tasting! - 

Speaking of cooking, my preschool classes used to enjoy reading Stone Soup by Marsha Brown and cooking their own.  This is a great cooperative activity that can involve all the children's families as they each contribute an ingredient to the soup.  You may want to invite them to join the children for the feast!

Outside Play:

• Prepare by talking about cold weather safety, dressing for the weather, and walking on snow and ice.
• Observe and describe nature’s changing seasons, weather and activities, like melting snow or ice, differences in shady areas compared to sunny places.
• Place a shallow container of water outside when temperatures are expected to get below freezing. Add found objects before, make predictions, and talk about what happens.
• Try winter sports and activities like sledding or hockey.
• Make a birdfeeder: (as simple as a pinecone covered in peanut butter and rolled in birdseed)

Inside or Out:

• Build a snowman, real or pretend (playdough, pillows, paper)! 
• Toss snowballs, real or pretend (paper, yarn, wool).

Children interested in science and nature may look for flowers, seeds, plants, and/or insects or animals. Talk about roots underground, animals hibernating or migrating, and other signs of nature's changes in winter. Nothing in nature is active in every season, except young children! 

​​Letting children experience new things through play is priceless! Please comment with your children’s favorite play activities in winter!

Holidays give us opportunities to make connections with family and friends and to share traditions of other families, cultures and religions. Whether we are sharing customs with our own families or providing holiday activities in a school or childcare setting, we can help children learn about and appreciate other holiday traditions - as well as the people who celebrate them!

​We at ECS are by no means authorities on winter holidays that we ourselves do not observe (we celebrate Christmas).  But we are passionate about accurately and respectfully helping young children learn about holidays and traditions from other cultures, faiths, and families!

Hanukkah Traditions:
The Jewish observance of Hanukkah begins at sundown on December 7th this year. For eight nights, families gather  to celebrate with these traditions:

• A time for giving and sharing with others 
• Lighting of menorah candles, one more each night of eight nights
• Traditional songs shared 
• The story of the Hanukkah miracle, when the Maccabees had oil to light the temple lamp for only one day, but the oil lasted for eight days. 
• Children begin to learn and help say traditional prayers with family at home  
• Playing the dreidel game and winning wrapped “gold” coins of chocolate
• A gift each night 
• Cooking latkes and enjoying special jelly-filled Hanukkah doughnuts called sufganiyot 

Hanukkah books we recommend:
We recommend the children’s book, My Family Celebrates Hanukkah by Lisa Bullard (Early Bird Stories). Simple illustrations tell the history of the Hanukkah miracle and how the family celebrates together today.  

Other books for young children include:
-Is it Hanukkah Yet? By Nancy Krulik (Step into Reading) - a book for early readers
-Hanukkah by Mari Schuh (Spot books) - including simple language, a pronunciation guide and photo illustrations 
-Hanukkah by Grace Jones (Festivals Around the World) - a book of questions and answers explaining Hanukkah traditions and features photo illustrations 
-The Colors of My Jewish Year by Marji Gold-Vukson - a board book of all Jewish holidays

Here are some Kwanzaa books for young children we recommend:
-My Family Celebrates Kwanzaa was written by Lisa Bullard
-Kwanzaa, by Mari Schuh (Spot holidays series), contains simple words, photo illustrations, and explanations of Kwanzaa traditions 
-Kwanzaa, by Rachel Grack (Celebrating Holidays series), features photo illustrations, concepts, vocabulary, and how to make a Kwanzaa flag

Whatever your culture or faith tradition, we at ECS a wishing you a very happy holiday season!

​Typically, babies will be more interested in the box a gift came in, the shiny ribbons they can grasp and wave, the paper they can tear or a piece of sticky tape! 

We suggest toys that encourage open-ended play and meet the needs of children at their ages and levels of development. Please share these suggestions with anyone buying or making holiday donations to young children:

• Birth through 6 months: rattles, squeeze toys, teething toys, soft dolls, textured balls, vinyl and board books, books with nursery rhymes and poems, unbreakable mirrors
• Older infants 7-12 months: large beads, balls, and nesting toys, large soft blocks and wooden cubes, low, soft things to crawl over; baby dolls, plastic and wood vehicles with wheels.
• One-year-olds: board books, toy phones, dolls (doll beds and strollers), dress-up props, puppets, stuffed toys, plastic animals, plastic and wood vehicles, blocks, puzzles, large pegboards, toys with parts that do things (dials, switches, knobs, lids), large and small balls
• Two-year-olds: wood puzzles (with 4 to 12 pieces), objects to sort (by size, shape, color), blocks, sturdy transportation toys, construction sets, child-sized furniture (kitchen sets, chairs, play food), dress-up clothes, sand and water play toys, washable crayons and markers, large paintbrushes, fingerpaint, large paper for drawing and painting, colored construction paper, chalkboard, large chalk, rhythm instruments, picture books, large and small balls for kicking and throwing, ride-on equipment (but probably not tricycles until children are 3)

Important Note: Always keep in mind the safety of toys, especially for children under age 3.  Toys that may pose a choking hazard may not be labeled as such, so do your own testing before giving toys to infants and toddlers:  Pull on all the parts of the toy to see that they are securely fastened together.  Then check every piece for size.  If you don't have a small parts test fixture that "measures 1 inch to 2.25 inches in height, slanted on a diagonal plane, and 1.25 inches in diameter"(NIH.gov), a toilet paper roll may be a good substitute.  Keep any toys that fit completely into the tube away from children under 3.  Recent research shows that occasionally choking can happen even for larger toys, so use your best judgment and always supervise children's play vigilantly. (NIH.gov)

​Here are some suggestions for gifts that encourage open-ended play for young children (approximately 3-5 years old):

For more toy suggestions for young children listed by ages and stages, visit: naeyc.org/resources/topics/play/toys

You don't have to spend a bundle to give gifts of love and learning for preschoolers!  Providing open-ended activities with household objects and creative materials (such as wrapping paper scraps, boxes, and ribbons) can also keep your child engaged and learning throughout the holidays.

If you are planning to do some online shopping, please visit our website store to purchase our own EEPWORM® picture books and comfort toys.  They were designed to help children deal with big feelings, so they can help with self-regulation!

Did you know that there are many awareness campaigns during October?  It has been designated as:

• ADHD Awareness Month​
• Bullying Prevention Month
• Breast Cancer Awareness Month

And within October are other awareness campaigns, including: 

• Fire Prevention Week |October 8-14, 2023 | Theme: “Cooking safety starts with YOU” 
• Red Ribbon Week (fostering safe, healthy, and drug-free communities)  |October 23-31 each year |2023 Theme: "Be Kind to Your Mind. Live Drug Free.™
• World Mental Health Day | October 10 every year | 2023 Theme: "Mental health is a universal human right”
• World Teachers’ Day |October 5 annually | "The teachers we need for the education we want: The global imperative to reverse the teacher shortage."​

There's a lot going on this month, isn't there?! These seven themes can give us lots of ideas for developmentally-appropriate activities and/or teaching strategies we can use in our early childhood programs during October.  You may want to add one or more of these themes to your October plans for your classroom.

​Here are just a few suggestions to get you started and some resources where you can find more information:

Check out this resource for more information:   https://www.stompoutbullying.org/world-day-bullying-prevention

Let everyone in the home hear the sound of the smoke alarm (using the test button) and practice what to do if they hear it! For young children, “Don’t hide, get outside!” is a simple reminder you can tell them.

Let us know how we can help you keep children safe. I am a Child Care Health Consultant, and while I specialize in early childhood mental health, I have the training to help with other health and safety issues as well. 

Use teachable moments to talk about drugs with young children and keep their level of understanding top of mind.  It's best to follow the child's lead, answering their questions calmly and as simply as you can.

"Good mental health is an integral part of our overall health and wellbeing.
Good mental health allows us to cope with challenges, connect with others and thrive throughout our lives. It’s vital and deserves to be recognised and respected." (WHO)

Check out this resource for more information  https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-mental-health-day/2023
I can help you support your children as a Child Care Health Consultant.  I specialize in early childhood mental health!

This theme may not be something to explore with your children, but it may be something to share with your families and your co-workers.  You may want to brainstorm ways you can work together to contribute to UNESCO's goals of advocacy and appreciation for all teachers.

Happy October to all, no matter which awareness campaigns you are able to support.  Just getting your young children through the month as the excitement builds toward Halloween is quite an accomplishment!
​
Contact us if we can help in any way.  We have trainings on ADHD, infant mental health (social-emotional development), and much, much more!

ADHD Awareness October 2023. (n.d.).  https://www.adhdawarenessmonth.org/​
Breast Cancer Now. (n.d.). Mummy's lump.  https://breastcancernow.org/information-support/publication/mummys-lump-bcc164
CHADD. (n.d.). General Prevalence of ADHD. chadd.org/about-adhd/general-prevalence/
Head Start ECLKC. (2018, Jul 16).  Children with disabilities: Classroom visuals and supports. https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/children-disabilities/article/classroom-visuals-supports
National Breast Cancer Foundation. (n.d.) What to Say to a Cancer Patient eBook. https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/what-to-say-to-a-cancer-patient/
National Fire Protection Association. https://www.nfpa.org/events/fire-prevention-week
Nemours Teen Health. (May 2023). Drugs: What to know. https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/know-about-drugs.html​
​NFPA Sparky's School House. https://sparkyschoolhouse.org/
Red Ribbon Week. (n.d.). Red Ribbon inspires our kids to be happy/be brave/be drug free.  https://www.redribbon.org/
Stomp Out Bullying. (n.d.). https://www.stompoutbullying.org/world-day-bullying-prevention
​Wonderlick, M. N. (2021, June 21). Starting with preschool, strive for kids who thrive.  ADDitude: Inside the ADHD mind. https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-children-preschool-parent-teacher-help
World Health Organization. (n.d.). World Mental Health Day.   https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-mental-health-day/2023
UNESCO. (n.d.). World Teachers’ Day. https://www.unesco.org/en/days/teachers​

We hope you find these suggestions helpful.  We are wishing all teachers, children and families a playful - and less stressful - start to a new school or classroom! ​

Elkind, D. (2006). Much too early.  Education Next1(2).  Retrieved September 1, 2023, from https://www.educationnext.org/much-too-early/ 
Elkind, D. (1988). The hurried child: Growing up too fast too soon. Rev. ed. Addison-Wesley.
Elkind, D. (1987). Miseducation: Preschoolers at risk.  Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
Penn, A. (1993). The Kissing Hand. Tanglewood Press.
​Tunis, D., Kleiner, R. and Loewenstein, F.B. 13 tips for starting preschool. NAEYC.  https://www.naeyc.org/our-work/families/13-tips-starting-preschool​

The decision-makers affecting policies and funding need all our voices. Let's remind them about the value of childhood and about the resources needed to provide the education and care that nurtures it.

​Let's help policy-makers and funders see ECE as a wise investment - every dollar spent on quality ECE saves many more dollars in the future. And good ECE makes for happier childhoods that lead to more productive adult lives!

It's important for our voices to be heard. Legislation and administrative decisions about ECE have a profound impact on how children and families are served, how child care professionals and educators are trained, evaluated and compensated, and ultimately, how children remember their childhood.

These decisions affect not only children and our ECE workforce but also our communities and our country’s economy and workforce.

So we need to share with decision-makers what “quality early child care” is and what it isn’t. Administrators, legislators, school board representatives and the voting public need to know what caregivers, teachers and researchers have learned through our work with young children.

Remember:  Advocacy is just reaching out and telling people what we know, and we can all do our part. Join us in advocating for ECE with the decision-makers in your community.  Together we can support early childhood care and education!

Here are more facts for you:

Child care is an essential service that requires support!​

There are so many young children in care, but unfortunately most of them are in programs of low quality. Child care professionals' work is critical to children's development, but it receives extremely low compensation. For high quality, affordable care and wages that support child care professionals, we need public investment - and we need it now!

Again, please do your part to support early childhood education, childcare workers and families in the important work they do! Know the facts and share what you know with policy makers.

Here are some statistics from ZERO TO THREE, from their resource "Infant-Toddler Child Care Fact Sheet":

• ”Of the 12 million infants and toddlers in the United States, more than half spend some or all of their day being cared for by someone other than their parents.”
• ”75% of toddlers in center care and 93% in home-based care are in low or mediocre quality care settings that can be detrimental to their development. Only 10% of child care programs nationwide are rated as high-quality.”
• ”In 30 states and Washington, D.C., center-based child care for infants and toddlers is more expensive than in-state tuition and fees at a public university.”

Together we can work to change facts to ones that reflect support for young children and those who care for them!

​Here are two organizations we recommend that share our concern for not only funding early childhood education, but also for how those dollars should be spent: 

My statement on this image sums up the reason I am so passionate about supporting children, families and early childhood caregivers. Early childhood education affects us all - whether we are in the early childhood profession or not, whether we are parents or not.

When I wrote this statement, I was thinking primarily of the early childhood workforce. But it’s true of all parents - they need to feel supported in their work of raising children as well as in their paid employment.

That’s why we early childhood educators must advocate for our profession, in addition to our primary task of meeting the needs of the children we teach and care for. We need to be supported, so we and our children can thrive!

We wholeheartedly agree with Michelle McCready, the interim CEO of @Child Care Aware of America. Her opinion piece appeared in the publication The Hill on January 9, 2023, entitled “America 2023: When even members of Congress don’t have child care.”  She discussed the importance of affordable and high-quality child care for families and for our country.

Here is an excerpt:
“Child care is a crucial component of our country’s economy; it’s the work that makes all other work possible. The high cost of child care and lack of availability is bad news for families, but it’s also bad news for employers and communities who benefit from widespread access to affordable, high quality child care.”

Well said, Michelle!  You can read the rest of her opinion piece here.

Safety is always the priority when caring for young children!

In this post we're sharing information and tips for keeping children safe this summer - around water, in the heat, and in the sun. 

​We want everyone to enjoy the summer safely!

Here are some tips from the National Safety Council for keeping children safe around water:

Here are two Texas charities I've found.  Sadly, both were formed after a young child drowned:

• Colin's Hope - "teaches parents, caregivers and children about water safety to prevent drowning"​
• Judah Brown Project  - offers survival swimming lessons to needy children and life-saving education to families

Check out their websites, or find another charity in your area.  We hope you can both get support from and provide support to these organizations.
​
Together, let’s save lives!

Here are 7 sun safety tips for you from the American Academy of Pediatrics, through the website healthychildren.org:
​
-Keep infants under 6 months old out of the sun
-Dress children in lightweight clothes with a tight weave that cover the body
-Have kids wear wide-brim hats
-Stay out of the sun between 10am and 4pm
-Provide youth sunglasses with 99% UV protection
-Use sunscreen, reapplying every 2 hours
-Model sun safety for kids

Here are some ways to keep children safe on hot days, also from healthychildren.org:

1. Hydrate! Make sure water is available and encourage children to drink water often, especially during outside play. 
2. Take frequent water, cooling and rest breaks.
3. Play in the shade where temperatures are slightly cooler, and plan outdoor play during cooler hours.
4. Dress in light colored (reflects sun and heat) and loose fitting clothing (provides a layer of protection and ventilation.)
5. When the temperature is too high to safely play outside, try active indoor activities like a “dance party”

Lastly, here’s one more important heat safety fact: “Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, about three kids die each week in hot cars,” according to the National Safety Council.  “Even on mild or cloudy days, temperatures inside vehicles can reach life-threatening levels. Leaving windows slightly open doesn't help. Children should never be left unattended or be able to get inside a vehicle.”
See the page “Kids in Hot Cars: One Child is Too Many​” on their website for more info.  The NSC also has free resources you can share with your program’s families.

Healthychildren.org. (2023, July 26).  Extreme heat: Tips to keep kids safe when temperatures soar. American Academy of Pediatrics.  https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Protecting-Children-from-Extreme-Heat-Information-for-Parents.aspx​

Healthychildren.org. (2023, November 20).  Sun safety: Information for parents about sunburn & sunscreen. American Academy of Pediatrics.  https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Sun-Safety.aspx

National Safety Council. (n.d.).  Drowning can happen in an instant.  https://www.nsc.org/community-safety/safety-topics/seasonal-safety/drowning

National Safety Council. (n.d.).  Kids in hot cars: One child is too many.  https://www.nsc.org/community-safety/safety-topics/seasonal-safety/summer-safety/heat