New at ESLC

We have just one special event planned at Early Steps Learning Center for this month, and that would be our hiring event on Monday, October 14th from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm! At this event we want to welcome childcare professionals of every experience level our team at Early Steps Learning Center, Richmond Heights and Wickliffe locations. Candidates should come prepared with a copy of their resume.

Although that’s the only event for this month, there are two special days coming up in November to keep in mind. The first of which is Parent Curriculum night on November 4th. Also coming up next month are conferences, where parents are invited to come speak with staff about their child’s learning plan and their day to day activities. More information about both of these events will be coming to parents soon.

Autumn arts & crafts

Looking for some fall-themed fun to have with your kids this season? Take some autumn arts and crafts tips from us!

Carving pumpkins is a classic Halloween tradition, but sharp knives make this activity less inclusive to younger ghouls and gals. This year try a paint set instead of a carving kit! Funny faces and crazy characters can easily be brushed or finger painted onto a few small pumpkins while older siblings and parents are carving away at larger gourds. Another safety tip for jack-o-lanters is to use glow sticks to light up the inside instead of candles. This eliminates fire safety risks and kids get to pick which color they want.

Another fun fall craft is to make some crayon leaf rubbings from leaves around your neighborhood. To do this, you will need to gather a few leaves from your yard that aren’t too dry and crumbly, we want the outline of the leaf to be still intact. Then, take your leaves inside and lay a sheet of paper over them. Next, peel the paper wrapping off a crayon and rub the long side across the paper with gentle pressure. After just a few passes with the crayon you can see the shape and details of the leaf below! This is a fun and easy way to teach youngsters about the changing of seasons, and you can even look up and identify what kind of leaves you’ve found and talk about different tree species.

Outdoor activities

Lastly, we know that this time of year has some folks elbow-deep in yard work to prepare for the winter. And while jumping into a great big pile of leaves with your kids sounds like a lot of fun, it doesn’t exactly help clean up the yard… So instead of raking duty, maybe assign your toddler some quicker, simpler tasks that they can feel proud of when they are completed. For example, weeding a small section of flower bed can be a fun activity for a kids who like to play in the dirt. Or perhaps you are spreading mulch or straw over your flower beds and tree roots. Pouring and spreading the mulch is a great opportunity for kids to make a mess in a helpful way!

Whatever your family does to celebrate this season, we hope to hear all about it when they come back to day care the next day. Stay tuned next month for more announcements and kid-friendly activities!