Storytelling for Preschoolers through Movement and Dance

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“Tell me a story!”  This is an opening to build on your child’s interests and attention span.  Pounce on the opportunity by having a few suspenseful stories of your own ready to share!  Unlike reading to children, oral storytelling seems to unleash the imagination.  (No illustrations to rely on!)  When we are making direct eye contact with the children in our audience, we are also building community.  When we watch each other’s faces for emotions, a call-and-response takes place.  For example, if I gesture wildly or raise my voice, the children gasp.  If I whisper, they lean forward.  The intense listening and immediate responses create a level of intimacy and unity.  

By acting out stories, children consider how characters look, move, and sound.  What are the gestures and voices that make the characters seem real?  Here are some stories appropriate for children ages three to five, with a few suggestions for sparking interaction. 

“Goldilocks and the Three Bears” 

When telling this story, pause to let the children act out scenes.  When Goldilocks is tasting porridge, children cup their palms as if holding the bowl.  Does the bowl feel hot or cold?  Next, taste the porridge using various facial expressions.  When Goldilocks sit in the rocking chairs, they can rock back and forth.  Then Goldilocks startles awake, looking very frightened!  The children can run in place to demonstrate Goldilocks fleeing and may begin stomping their feet to show speed and fear. 

“Going on a Tiger Hunt” 

This story not only has repetitive phrases such as “but I’m not afraid” but also gives children the opportunity to invent many sound effects and memorize/anticipate the rhythm and sequence of the sound effects. 

“The Three Billy Goats Gruff” 

Before telling this story, discuss with the children how a troll might move or sound. When telling the story, ask the children, “How do you think the eldest Billy Goat Gruff sounds different from Baby Billy Goat Gruff?  How do you think the eldest Billy Goat Gruff moves when he crosses the bridge versus Baby Billy Goat Gruff?”  This discussion will make each character more distinctive and will also encourage the children to be aware of the differing points of view when acting out each segment.  Children will also begin to predict the repetition of phrases such as “trip-trap-trip-trap” when the goats move over the bridge. 

Oral storytelling encourages deeper participation among preschoolers through role-playing and performance.  Preschoolers develop essential speaking and listening skills when they express their ideas and respond to the ideas of others. Storytelling can expand preschoolers’ creativity and develop their language skills and social skills.  If children are learning a new language, tell stories that incorporate a few keywords in their native language.  

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Dancing with Preschoolers 

Have you ever wondered how to get your exercising done while also keeping an eye on your preschooler? You can do both at the same time by teaching dance to the children in your care. Children are natural explorers, and they enjoy activities that involve the senses and movement.  As a result, children are more engaged and physical activity makes them feel good! Together we can demonstrate and practice the movements that go with words like tiptoe, gallop, soar, swing, shuffle, sway, prance, and twirl.  While teaching, set up a mirror or record the children dancing, so the children can watch themselves during or afterward!  

You can also incorporate changes of tempo (speed) and rhythm (marching, waltzing).  Choose music that is mostly instrumental and let the children experiment with movements best adapted to the music.  Alternate between music that is calm and soothing and music that suggests a very energetic response. Ask children how their bodies felt when listening or moving to the different types of music. Which ones did they like the most?  

Activity Ideas for groups of preschoolers 

1.  Read the chosen book aloud to the undivided class.  Then, ask the children in the first group to go to a personal space.  Remind children to be aware of others in the space around them.   
2.  Split the class into two groups if space is limited. One group will be the audience and the other will dance.  
3.  Ask the children in the audience group to do something specific while they watch the dancers. Watch for actions by the dancers, like ice skating, building a snowman, or making footprints in the snow.
4.  Play the music softly.  Over the music, retell highlights from the story in the order they happened and if necessary, call out movement prompts. 
5.  Observe any variations created by the children as they relive the story through movement.  Give children enough time to try out their ideas, but also be ready to move on to the following action before attention wanders. 
6.  Conclude the story and ask the children to freeze in their final position.
7.  Have the two groups change places and retell the story. 
8.  Then, children can move to a circle to sit and discuss any changes or additions they could make to the story. 

Image Source: Canva

Children may have a favorite story that suggests various movements.  Encourage them to move by selecting their favorite story to act out. It’ll help them stay engaged with the story! 

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats.  1962.  Viking Press. 

The book follows the adventures of Peter, a little boy in the city on a very snowy day.  

Possible actions include:  Waking up, looking around, putting on a snowsuit, walking with toes pointing out and toes pointing in, dragging feet slowly, swinging a stick at a tree, making a snowman and a snow angel, climbing a snow bank and sliding down, putting snowballs in pockets, going to sleep. What other actions can you think of?  

Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes.  2004.  Greenwillow Books. 

This book is about a kitten who thinks the moon is a bowl of milk.  

Possible actions include:  looking at the moon, closing her eyes, stretching her neck, opening her mouth, tasting a bug, leaping at the moon and falling, hurting her ear, running (in place), climbing a tree, leaping in the pond, feeling wet and hungry, drinking a bowl of soup  

Interestingly, when preschoolers retell a story through dance, they build language and literacy skills. Creating dance stories helps preschoolers learn about sequencing, identify with characters, understand the setting, acquire vocabulary, reinforce concepts from the stories, and gain awareness of adapting movement to the available space. Overall, incorporating movements with stories frees a child’s imagination and prompts them to interact with the material.  Check out Growing Active Readers for more book-based lessons for children Pre-K to 3^rd Grade.

Source:  Expressing Creativity in Preschool from the editors of Teaching Young Children.  2015. 

National Association for the Education of Young Children. 

LADONNA WERTH, EXTENSION EDUCATOR | EARLY CHILDHOOD EXTENSION

Peer Reviewed by Lynn DeVries, Lisa Poppe, and Jackie Steffen, Extension Educator, Early Childhood Extension

Make sure to follow The Learning Child on social media for more research-based early childhood education resources!

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Keeping Routines is the Secret to a Calm Holiday

Photo source, Lynn DeVries

As I sit in the warmth and quiet of my home, I see the posts, advertisements, and the excitement of Black Friday shopping. And it starts, the traveling, special programs, shopping, parties and holiday gatherings.  It can take a toll on us all, especially our young children.

Children are even more sensitive to disruptions in their routines. However fun the activity or event may be, parents may observe more displays of behaviors or moodiness from their children during the holidays. Structured routines help children to feel safe and predict what is happening around them. Children learn how to control themselves and their surroundings when they live in a structured, secure, and loving environment. This feeling of security fosters healthy social and emotional regulation in young children.

Tips for a healthy holiday:

Sleep well

A regular schedule will help children sleep better at night and they are less resistive to transitioning to going to bed. Parents can help by sticking to routines and bedtimes that are as consistent as possible during the holidays. Perhaps reading a bedtime story to children after bath time.

Regular meal times

It is best if children eat at predictable times to avoid those “hangry” moments.  Offer a healthy breakfast and small healthy snacks between meals. Eating at the table instead of in front of the television, will reduce overeating, as children can focus on how hungry or full they feel. I recommend family style meals where caregivers sit with and eat the same foods as children.  When children are ready, allow them to serve themselves. They will be more likely to try new foods if given choices.

Traveling

For those long car or airplane trips, bring along a comfort item like a stuffed animal or a busy bag of books, paper and crayons. Mornings seem to be better for children, consider traveling in the morning, and making stops for meals at regular times. I recommend scheduling extra time on road trips to stop and allow children a break from their car safety seats.

Active times

If children are home from school or childcare over the holidays, remember to keep them active.  Build in time for outdoor activities so children can be physically active. If the weather doesn’t allow outdoor time each day, be sure some indoor time allows for physical activity.  Have an indoor paper snowball fight, or build a fort with blankets. Planning out a specific time each day during winter break for an activity will become part of their routine while children are at home.

Limit Screen time

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states, “Today’s children are spending an average of seven hours a day on entertainment media, including televisions, computers, phones and other electronic devices. To help kids make wise media choices, parents should develop a Family Media Use Plan for everyone in their family.”

I recommend focusing on laps instead of apps. Instead of reaching for a digital “babysitter,” offer more of your time and attention.  What might be seen as attention getting behaviors, could simply be your child’s attempt at wanting more connection with you.

 Photo source, Lynn DeVries

Screen time recommendations:

• For children younger than 18 months, avoid use of screen media other than video-chatting. Parents of children 18 to 24 months of age who want to introduce digital media should choose high-quality programming, and watch it with their children to help them understand what they’re seeing.
• For children ages 2 to 5 years, limit screen use to 1 hour per day of high-quality Parents should co-view media with children to help them understand what they are seeing and apply it to the world around them.

Check out this Media time plan and calculator by the American Academy of Pediatrics, to help you set your own family guidelines.

Transition back to school

As the holiday break ends, if you did stray from routines, help your child adjust by gradually getting back on schedule to similar meal, and bedtime schedules that they will have at childcare or school.

In closing, my wish for you is that you have a safe, happy and healthy holiday with your family. Take time to enjoy the little things and laugh together.

LYNN DEVRIES, EXTENSION EDUCATOR | THE LEARNING CHILD

Peer Reviewed by Leanne Manning, , Lisa Poppe, and LaDonna Werth, Extension Educators, The Learning Child

Make sure to follow The Learning Child on social media for more research-based early childhood education resources!

  

Creative Preschoolers

(Three to Five Years)

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The “Why” years can be rather trying at times, but what a clear sign of your child’s expanding knowledge!  This is the prime time to make memories through shared activities.   Creativity can be encouraged through art, dance, music and story-telling activities.  These activities may be one-on-one with your child or with small groups of preschoolers.

Three to Four Years

At three years of age, you may notice new skills such as matching shapes, colors and patterns or drawing simple faces. Three-year-olds may use a pencil or crayon to print large capital letters or they may cut with scissors and begin to follow simple outlines.  These are some activities you may enjoy trying with your child:

• Reading stories and poems with repeating phrases where children can join in

• Singing or dancing activities in small groups such as “Ring Around the Rosy” and “Musical Chairs”

• Reciting rhymes or finger plays with counting

• Dancing or exaggerated movements in front of a mirror

• Making collages using paper, glue, and pictures cut from magazines

• Labeling your child’s artwork using his/her own words and then letting your child “read” it

• Humming familiar tunes and encouraging your child to recall lyrics or add new verses

• Asking your child to choose a favorite storybook character to act out and discussing the character’s feelings and emotions

• Reading a familiar story and pausing halfway through to let your child recall the ending or make up a new ending

• Telling stories of grandparents, aunts and uncles when they were children

• Imitating movements made by animals (loud and fast or soft and slow)

• Imitating sounds found in nature (wind, rain, hail, thunder)

Image source: Canva

Four to Five Years

Are you starting to hear “stories” from your child that show imagination and exaggeration?  Do these stories involve lots of actions such as running, jumping and hopping?  Here are some other creative activities to try:

• Repeating sequences of three to five simple movements to fit a song or dance

• Creating child drums by using empty containers

• Making a patchwork quilt with scraps of paper or fabric

• Inserting a familiar song when telling a story or reading a book

• Drawing a character from a favorite book or drawing a self-portrait while looking in a mirror

• Observing animals and drawing them in motion

• Identifying what is missing from a drawing of a face or animal

• Bringing clipboards outside so children can draw trees, flowers, pine cones, and tall grass

• Dramatizing a story together with familiar roles and then reversing roles in the same story.

Image source: Canva

Five Years

“I can do this!”  Yes, your child will demonstrate many new skills during this year!   Physical skills may include jumping rope, playing hopscotch, doing somersaults and cartwheels and riding a bike.  Buildings made with cardboard or blocks may become quite elaborate and so will the stories that accompany these adventures.  Encourage your child’s creativity by providing opportunities to try some of the following activities:

• Making scrapbooks of favorite stories or artwork

• Writing a song together

• Telling a brief story and have your child draw or paint pictures showing emotions

• Role play a familiar chore and have your child guess the activity, then reverse roles

• Choosing a theme and have children create a mural using sidewalk chalk

• Demonstrating dance movements and then have children take turns leading the dance while the music plays

• Reciting poetry about emotions and experiences. Reciting a second time with pauses to let your preschooler provide keywords especially concerning feelings.  Encouraging your child to talk about any other feelings.

• Provide a prop box of durable items and choose stories to dramatize

For more information on developmental milestones, check out our NebGuide on Ages and Stages for 3, 4, and 5 year olds https://extensionpublications.unl.edu/assets/pdf/g2106.pdf

Our Beautiful Day video inspires families to Go on a Nature Walk https://mediahub.unl.edu/media/12406 or here is another on playing a game of Bean Bag Toss https://mediahub.unl.edu/media/13187. Discover and Design are packed full of ideas https://fitandhealthykids.unl.edu/discover-and-design.

Linked resource:  Creative Connections:  Young Children and the Arts

By the Maryland State Department of Education, 2013

www.marylandhealthybeginnings.org

LA DONNA WERTH, EARLY CHILDHOOD EXTENSION EDUCATOR | UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA

Peer Reviewed by Lynn DeVries, Lisa Poppe, and Jackie Steffen, Early Childhood Extension Educators

Make sure to follow The Learning Child on social media for more research-based early childhood education resources!

The Creative Toddler

(Eighteen to Thirty-Six Months)

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This is an exciting time for caregivers of toddlers!  Every day brings new glimpses of personality and their expanding interests. Tap into your toddler’s creativity with a few inexpensive and low-stress creative activities.  Your child’s self-confidence and language will develop at a fast pace when participating in a variety of art, music, dance and story-telling activities.

Eighteen to Twenty-Four Months

At this age, you’ll notice your toddler finds undressing to be quick and fun but dressing is still difficult.  Physical coordination is also improving daily and you may notice your toddler standing on tiptoe, walking up and down stairs, and catching balls using both arms and chest.

Better watch what you say and do!  Your child is becoming an excellent mimic of action and voice.  Here are some creative activities to try:

• Hold hands with your child and move to music.  Let your movements vary from fast to slow, high to low, and forward to backward.

• When socks won’t stay on the feet, pretend socks on hands are puppets or animals.

• Visit the library and choose picture books.

                    Look at pictures and photos and tell stories.

• Act out favorite stories with simple props (toy phone, doll, scarves).

• Play with simple child-sized instruments.

• Creative art projects may use paper plates, Popsicle sticks, torn paper, nontoxic paint, or Play Dough.  As the caregiver, you will be supervising but allowing your child room to experiment.

Image source: Canva

Twenty-four to Thirty-Six Months

Growing into the “Terrific Twos” you will notice your child’s coordination improving and concentration lasting longer on some activities.  Since that attention span varies day-to-day, be ready to move on if an activity doesn’t “click” on a particular day. Here’s a wide variety of ideas to try:

• Draw on paper and name objects drawn

• Go outside and draw on sidewalks with water

• Complete puzzles that have large knobs on each piece

• String large beads

• Use motions for “Itsy, Bitsy Spider” or “I’m a Little Teapot”

• Experiment with brushes and paints, Play Dough and clay

• Create simple costumes using fabric or old clothes

• Play with puppets to retell stories or create new ones

• Point out shapes, textures, and colors when dressing

• Demonstrates loud/quiet and fast/slow when singing or dancing

• Demonstrate and explain light and dark colors and hard and soft pressure when drawing and coloring

Image source: Canva

For more information on developmental milestones, check out our NebGuide, Ages and Stages for Toddlers https://extensionpublications.unl.edu/assets/pdf/g2104.pdf

I also invite you to watch these short videos from our Beautiful Day series, Paint with Water https://mediahub.unl.edu/media/13293 and Exploring Shapes https://mediahub.unl.edu/media/13189 for more creative inspiration with your child. Discover and Design are packed full of ideas https://fitandhealthykids.unl.edu/discover-and-design.

Linked Resource:  Creative Connections:  Young Children and the Arts

by the Maryland State Department of Education in 2013

www.marylandhealthybeginnings.org

LA DONNA WERTH, EARLY CHILDHOOD EXTENSION EDUCATOR | UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA

Peer Reviewed by Jackie Steffen, Lisa Poppe, and Lynn DeVries, Early Childhood Extension Educators

Make sure to follow The Learning Child on social media for more research-based early childhood education resources!

Choose Creativity for Your Child!

(Ages Birth to Eighteen Months)

Image source: Canva

Think you don’t have time to be creative?  We can’t give you more hours in the day, but we can   find creative activities to do with your child that don’t require any “extra” time.

From birth to eighteen months, creative play is very essential to development.  When children participate in creative play, they are actively learning about their world.  Activities in music, dance, art and story-telling can enrich their play and stimulate self-confidence and language development.

For the young child, these activities will mostly be one-on-one with their caregiver. Caregivers have the closest view of each child’s interests and responses and can quickly cater to those interests.

Birth to Three Months

Maybe you’ve noticed your baby turning toward sounds and voices.  Now is a great time to encourage your baby’s growing awareness of language and music.  For instance, when your baby begins to coo, respond by repeating those sounds.  Encourage your baby’s interest in music by singing while rocking your baby, patting your baby in time to a song, or holding your child close and swaying to music.

Three to Eight Months

Now your child is beginning to make sounds such as cooing, babbling or maybe even some repetitive sounds like Dada or Mama. Your child may also be turning toward voices and focusing on faces or objects.  Watch for new responses from your child when you try some of the following activities:

• Let your child touch objects that have texture or make sounds.

            Name objects as your child touches them.

• Listen to singing or instruments.

            Clap or sway in time to the music.

• Read nursery rhymes, sing lullabies, or play pat-a-cake.

• Read picture books and point to pictures while naming objects.

• Tell stories and songs while making faces, gesturing and adding sound effects.

Image source: Canva

Eight to Eighteen Months

What great changes you will see at this age!  Since each child develops at their own pace, keep in mind that the following may happen in any sequence:

• Anticipates in peek-a-boo and hide-and-seek

• Understands “all gone” and “bye-bye” and may begin repeating some words

• Stacks blocks

• Holds large crayons and can make marks on paper

• Crawls, pulls up to standing position, walks, climbs

• Shows affection and expresses frustration

Image source: Canva

You may already be doing some of these activities with your child, but look for a few new ideas to add.

• Encourage making sounds with voice or clapping

• Play instruments such as shakers, bells and toy drums

• Practice balance by swaying while sitting or standing

• Show emotion through voice and facial expression

• Move to different play areas inside or outside

• Play music and move child’s feet, legs and hands to the beat

• Play clapping games within songs

• Touch and talk about shapes, textures and colors

• Hang pictures at child’s eye level then count, describe or compare

• Read stories using character voices and gestures

• Finger paint with water or draw with large crayons

Now relax and have fun with activities to spark your child’s attention and creativity!  You will soon be seeing the world through their eyes!

Explore more developmental milestones in our NebGuide, Ages and Stages 0-12 months https://extensionpublications.unl.edu/assets/pdf/g2103.pdf

We also invite you to check out our Beautiful Day video on Infant Games https://mediahub.unl.edu/media/12768 or click here to view Reading with Infants and toddlers  https://mediahub.unl.edu/media/12665

Linked Resource:  Creative Connections:  Young Children and the Arts

Published by the Maryland State Department of Education in May 2013

www.marylandhealthybeginnings.org

LA DONNA WERTH, EARLY CHILDHOOD EXTENSION EDUCATOR | UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA

Peer Reviewed by Jackie Steffen, Lisa Poppe and Lynn DeVries, Early Childhood Extension Educators

Make sure to follow The Learning Child on social media for more research-based early childhood education resources!

Help Breastfeeding Mothers by Becoming a Link in the Warm Chain of Support

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The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action designates August 1-7 as World Breastfeeding Week. This year’s theme is the Warm Chain of Support, focusing on how all people and environments in a mother’s and child’s life impact healthy child development. Breastfeeding provides all nutrients needed for babies and is an inexpensive, climate-friendly, sustainable way to provide the best nutrition for infants. Current recommendations from the World Health Organization encourage mothers who are able to breastfeed to do so exclusively for the first six months after their baby’s birth and to continue breastfeeding for up to two years or until mutually desired by mother and baby. At six months, babies may be ready for the addition of some solid foods to complement breastmilk.  

According to the Nebraska Breastfeeding Coalition, 85.3% of Nebraska babies are breastfed at some point and 32.6% of Nebraska babies are exclusively breastfed for the first six months. When promoting breastfeeding, it is important to recognize the benefit of formula as an option for nourishing infants. Formula provides infants with good nutrition to grow and thrive in situations where breastfeeding is not desired or sufficient.  

For mothers who begin breastfeeding exclusively, a number of factors influence the decision to switch partly or entirely to formula before six months, such returning to work. Some mothers find it difficult or impossible to provide enough breastmilk for their infants while working away from home and need to supplement with formula.  

To help mothers who want to continue breastfeeding, businesses and workplaces can become part of the Warm Chain of Support through the adoption of policies and practices that embrace breastfeeding mothers. The beauty of breastfeeding-friendly spaces is that all infants benefit from them because mothers who are not able to breastfeed or who choose formula are also welcome in the spaces.   

The Nebraska Breastfeeding Coalition lists a number of practices businesses and employers can adopt to be designated as a breastfeeding-friendly site. Examples of criteria the Nebraska Breastfeeding Coalition examines when reviewing applications for the breastfeeding-friendly designation are: 

• Breastfeeding and milk expression support applies to all individuals including but not limited to: employees, contractors, vendors, guests, and patrons.  
• Breastfeeding mothers have access to a private and secure room with a lock, other than a bathroom, for expressing milk or nursing.  
• Site offers a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere that allows breastfeeding mothers to nurse or express milk including, but not limited to, a comfortable chair, a lock on the door, a small table, and an electrical outlet. 
• All breastfeeding employees have flexible breaks to express milk or nurse. 
• Has a formal breastfeeding support policy, guideline, or procedure supporting breastfeeding employees and patrons. 

• Communicate with staff and new hires on the breastfeeding support policy, guideline, or procedure.  
• Coordinates with all expectant mothers and supervisors on a “return to work plan” prior to maternity leave 

The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action encourages individual community members to join the Warm Chain of Support by sharing personal stories of breastfeeding, forming breastfeeding support groups or connecting new mothers to those groups, advocating government and businesses to create breastfeeding-friendly areas and normalize breastfeeding in public spaces, and volunteering to support breastfeeding mothers in crisis or emergency situations.  

The health of infants and young children is impacted by their environment and the well-being of the adults in their lives. Creating environments that make breastfeeding easy for mothers is a step in supporting the healthy growth and development of infants and young children.  

To learn more about obtaining a breastfeeding-friendly designation, visit the Nebraska Breastfeeding Coalition website.  

ERIN KAMPBELL, EARLY CHILDHOOD EXTENSION EDUCATOR | UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA

Peer Reviewed by Hayley Jackson and Lynn DeVries, Early Childhood Extension Educators

Make sure to follow The Learning Child on social media for more research-based early childhood education resources!

“Comfort in a Changing World”

Image Source: Pexels

“I don’t like this!” This statement is one that children or youth might use during a heated game, when being asked to correct unwanted behavior or when plans change. For those children and youth who were looking forward to milestones like field days, end of school year celebrations, prom, or graduation, they have reason to believe that life can be sad, frustrating, and difficult.

The question is how do we, as nurturing adults, help young people cope with these emotions and equip them with the skills they need to be caring, connected, and capable adults? Any loss for a child or youth, such as a failing an exam, death of a pet, changes in family structure, or events from a disaster, can lead to a wide variety of feelings such as disappointment, sadness, loneliness, or anger. These feelings are common reactions to such experiences.

As caring adults, we can do the following to help young people cope.

Acknowledge feelings and allow youth to talk about their feelings and concerns. Let youth know that it is okay to be sad, scared or confused. Identifying and naming a feeling can be very helpful in trying to understand and make meaning of a situation.

Be a calm and reassuring presence. Remind youth that over time things will get better.

Help youth form positive coping skills by setting a healthy example of how to manage feelings like grief, anxiety, fear, or sadness. Teach young people that exercising, meditation, writing in a journal, engaging in a favorite hobby like art, cooking, gardening, or sewing are healthy ways to work through disappointment, loss, and grief.

Expressing gratitude for things that make life enjoyable is another way teach positive coping skills.

Create an environment where youth can interact with their peers. Using video conferencing, having telephone conversations, or writing letters are ways of connecting with peers. These connections can be helpful ways to provide emotional support for youth, especially for adolescents.

Simply, listen. If ever youth need adults to listen, it is now. Being able to talk about an experience can support making meaning of a situation which is an important part of grieving. Remember you don’t have to have all the answers. Silence is okay. Youth just need to know you care.

Sometime life can be difficult, unfair, and painful. While adults cannot prevent or change all these experiences, they can play a significant role in helping young people cultivate and practice skills that give them the ability to develop resiliency or the ability to overcome hardship. The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University recommends that adults build supportive adult-child relationships to strengthen a young person’s resiliency. Taking the time to listen and communicate with young people, being a positive example of healthy coping skills, and simply just being a calming reassuring presence are action steps that adults can implement now. As adults, let’s take the time to prepare young people to become caring, connected, and capable adults.

For more information and resources about youth social emotional development in difficult times can be found at https://disaster.unl.edu/families , by contacting your local county Nebraska Extension office or emailing TLC@unl.edu.

DR. MICHELLE KREHBIEL, NEBRASKA EXTENSION 4-H YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, | UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA

Peer Reviewed by Linda Reddish, and Lynn DeVries, Early Childhood Extension Educators

Make sure to follow The Learning Child on social media for more research-based early childhood education resources!

“Seas” the Day

Image Source: Jackie Steffen

Reading with children is one of the most effective and educational activities you can engage in with your children.  Children learn concepts of print, letter and word recognition, comprehension, and storytelling (https://reachoutandread.org/why-we-matter/child-development/).  To help you incorporate reading into your daily routine and bring in some exciting science concepts, check out Nebraska Extension’s 2022 STEM Imagination Guides.  This year, we are discovering all things ocean!  

Each guide features an exciting book about oceans, water, or sea animals and includes a fun science experiment or activity you can do right at home.  Additionally, we have included a nature activity, a creative arts element, and an infant/toddler specific component.  We are especially excited to announce that our guides are translated into Spanish to help expand our reach!  To access these guides, visit go.unl.edu/imagination.   

Mess Free Painting 
Infants and toddlers bring the story Rainbow Fish alive by using their senses to create a one-of-a-kind painting. 

You might be wondering what is so exciting about oceans.  After all, Nebraska is a land-locked state.  However, I’m sure you are familiar with the Missouri River that borders the east side of our state.  This river meets up with the Mississippi River and empties out into the Gulf of Mexico.  Even though we are not directly connected with the ocean, our actions still impact the plants, animals, and water of the ocean (https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/ocean/help-our-ocean.html).  Therefore, it is so important to introduce children to the value of our world’s oceans.  Together, we can help children build a love for the environment and an interest in conservation.  

The following books have been selected and paired with activities that provide opportunities for exploration and play to inspire creativity and wonder.  These books tie directly to the Collaborate Summer Reading Program’s theme, Oceans of Possibilities (https://www.cslpreads.org).  

• The Sandcastle the Lola Built by Megan Maynor 
• Pokey, The Turtle Patrol by Diana Kanan 
• The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister 
• A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle 
• Hey, Water! by Antoinette Portis 
• My Ocean is Blue by Darren Lebeuf 
• Rocket Says Clean Up! by Nathan Bryon 
• The Treasure of Pirate Frank by Mal Peet and Elspeth Graham

STEM Connection:  Fast Fish 
Make your own fish and then see how quickly they can swim when you break the tension. This is an engaging activity about surface tension. 

Check out go.unl.edu/imagination for access to the guides.  If you have questions or would like additional resources, please contact Sarah Roberts at sarah.roberts@unl.edu, or Jackie Steffen at jsteffen2@unl.edu.  

JACKIE STEFFEN, EARLY CHILDHOOD EXTENSION EDUCATOR AND SARAH ROBERTS, EARLY CHILDHOOD EXTENSION EDUCATOR | UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA

Peer Reviewed by Amy Napoli, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, University of Nebraska,

LaDonna Werth, and Lynn DeVries, Early Childhood Extension Educators

Make sure to follow The Learning Child on social media for more research-based early childhood education resources!

Learning in the Heartland!

Image Source: iStock-841351076

According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children: “For preschoolers, field trips as simple as visiting the grocery store down the street or the post office a few blocks away offer interesting learning experiences. Trips such as these help children get to know the people and community in which they live.” Field trips are positively related to many areas of development, including social-emotional skills, by fostering positive relationship-building among students, teachers, and the people hosting the field trip. They also enhance and increase learning that takes place in the classroom and broaden learning to include aspects of a child’s community not encountered in an ordinary day. For children to reap these benefits, educators need to organize the trip to inspire questions, problem-solving, and observation. When these opportunities are provided with activities and discussion before and after the trip, field trips can contribute to children remembering concepts long term. We all know that Nebraska communities have a lot of opportunities to share with our children.

Virtual field trips may seem like a new idea to you and your family.  Covid transformed some of our learning experiences around and gave more opportunities for children to hear from community leaders in a new way. The Learning in the Heartland Project brought four different states together to develop new learning opportunities for children and their families.  If you are a parent looking for a fun thing to do on a rainy day or a preschool teacher with limited funds, Learning in the Heartland is for you!

Bring books to life with virtual field trips and activities. These short, exciting field trips help inspire questions, problem-solving, and observation to help children remember concepts longer. This program provides all caregivers, preschool teachers, and parents with books, virtual tours, art, and physical activities along with music. Children will learn more about community helpers and services and demonstrate an increased familiarity with doctors, police officers, firefighters, veterinarians, and greenhouse managers.

Topics and Books included in the Learning in the Heartland program are:

Fire Drill by Paul Dubois Jacobs and Jenifer Swender / Visiting a Fire Station

Patrolling Police Cars by Tony Mitton / Visiting a Police Station

Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert / Visiting a Greenhouse

The Berenstain Bears Go to the Doctor by Stan and Jan Berenstain / Visiting a Doctor’s Office

Biscuit Visits the Doctor by Gina Bellisario / Visiting a Veterinarian Clinic

You will find:

• Teacher Outlines
• Virtual Field Trips
• Story Book Reading
• Physical Activity
• Hand On Activity
• Music
• Center Activity Ideas
• Family Letter

You can download all of the resources at: https://fitandhealthykids.unl.edu/learning-in-the-heartland

LISA POPPE, EARLY CHILDHOOD EXTENSION EDUCATOR | UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA

Peer Reviewed by LaDonna Werth, Sarah Roberts, and Lynn DeVries, Early Childhood Extension Educators

Make sure to follow The Learning Child on social media for more research-based early childhood education resources!

Celebrating National Kindergarten Day

Activities like visiting apple orchards provide kindergartners with space and time to explore interesting environments that cultivate an excitement for learning.
 Image source: Sara Wangler

April 21^st is National Kindergarten Day. Kindergarten is a German word meaning “children’s garden.” The name was coined by the German educator Friedrich Wilhelm August Froebel who created the first kindergarten in 1837. Froebel admired Jean-Jacques Rousseau who held to the idea that all children are inherently good. Rousseau also stressed that frequent opportunities for natural expression would allow children to develop into well-balanced and free-thinking individuals. Building upon Rousseau’s ideas, Froebel designed his kindergarten to be a place for children to explore music, nature, stories, and play to enhance their development and help them transition to school.

Margarethe Schurz opened the first kindergarten in the United States in 1856. It was a German-speaking kindergarten in Watertown, Wisconsin. The first English-speaking American kindergarten was opened by Elizabeth Peabody in Boston in 1860.

At the Thirteenth Annual Session of The National Conference of Charities and Correction in 1886, Constance Mackenzie presented on the expansion and impact of free kindergarten in the United States. She shared responses to the question, “In what direction is the influence of the kindergarten most potent?” A summary of the responses in 1886 includes developing will power, training children to think, developing self-control, establishing habits, and teaching obedience. In short: building character.

Although kindergarten has changed since those first programs in the 19^th century, the importance of nurturing children’s development through play has not. The developmental skills impacted by kindergarten, such as developing will power, creative thinking, and self-control remain relevant. Children learn these skills by engaging in play and open-ended exploration of materials and environments with teachers and classmates.

Ideas for celebrating National Kindergarten Day

We celebrate National Kindergarten Day on April 21, which was Froebel’s birthday. You can celebrate National Kindergarten Day in simple ways by providing opportunities, time, and materials for activities that promote play and exploration.

• Read books with children. Reading supports children’s learning and development on multiple levels. Try a book about kindergarten such as Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate and Ashley Wolf.
• Spend time outside exploring what you see. Do not worry about a set plan for what you will do outside. Instead, be guided by what catches a child’s interest, whether that is a game or sport, a puddle of water, or finding shapes in the clouds.
• Sing songs or dance to music. Do you play an instrument? Invite children to move to a tune you play yourself.
• Act out stories with children, either from books or your own made-up scenarios.
• Thank a kindergarten teacher! Kindergarten teachers balance requirements around academic standards while nurturing an environment of play and wonder so that young children become creative thinkers, problem solvers, and socially competent citizens.

Do you know what school your child will attend?

If you have a child who has not yet attended kindergarten, contact your local school to confirm you are on their contact list. Ask if there is a kindergarten readiness event you and your child can attend. These events usually offer tours of the school, describe what children can expect, and facilitate time for children to meet future classmates. Learn more about kindergarten readiness by following the link below:

Is My Child Ready for Kindergarten?

Kindergarten may be a child’s first experience with school. The play-centered learning that happens in early childhood sets the stage for children’s ongoing enthusiasm for learning—so let’s celebrate kindergarten!

Sources

Brown, C.P. (2020, April 20). National kindergarten day: A day to celebrate the joy and value of play. Texas Education. https://education.utexas.edu/news/2020/04/15/national-kindergarten-day-day-celebrate-joy-value-play

Gershon, L. (2015, June 3). Why did kindergarten become just another grade? J Stor Daily. https://daily.jstor.org/kindergarten-become-just-another-grade/

Mackenzie, C. (1886, July). Free kindergartens. Social Welfare History Project. Retrieved from: https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/programs/education/kindergartens-a-history-1886/

Russell, J.L. (2011). From child’s garden to academic press: The role of shifting institutional logics in redefining kindergarten education. American Educational Research Journal, 48(2), 236-267. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27975289

ERIN KAMPBELL, EARLY CHILDHOOD EXTENSION EDUCATOR | UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA

Peer Reviewed by Jaci Foged, Lisa Poppe, and Lynn DeVries, Early Childhood Extension Educators

Make sure to follow The Learning Child on social media for more research-based early childhood education resources!