Helping You Keep Young Children Learning — At Home and in Child Care
Today is Earth Day! As we consider our role in protecting the 4-billion-year-old planet that we and Earth’s other living creatures call home, CCRI Early Head Start Family Support Specialist Doreena Marshall encourages families to spend time with nature.
Not only does interacting with our environment help us understand how closely we rely on it for food and other natural resources, but spending time in nature also contributes to our sense of well-being. Try these ideas with your child – and reap the many benefits nature has to offer.
Noodles aren't just fun to eat — they're fun to play with, too!
Dye some pasta and check out these ideas for how your child can use the colorful noodles to practice sorting, counting, and more!
Sensory play is a great way for children to explore the world around them!
Try this Dry Soil vs. Wet Soil activity to teach your child about textures, which builds his sense of touch while strengthening his motor skills.
More Activities from CCRI
Painting with Water (ages 1+)
Hands-On Learning (all ages)
Pancake Skewers (ages 5+)
Fostering Independence in Young Children (all ages)
Mealtime with Infants (ages 0-1)
Feeling Anxious? (all ages)
Cotton Ball Grab (ages 2-3)
A Bright Idea to Ring in the New Year (ages 3+)
Practicing Gratitude (ages 2+)
Nature Painting (ages 4+)
Leaf People (ages 3-4)
Halloween Candy: Sort, Search, and Count (ages 3-6)
Shining a Light on Tummy Time (ages 2+ weeks)
Loose Parts (ages 1+)
Healthy Nut Butter Dip (ages 2+)
Put Your Child in the Driver's Seat (ages 18 months to 7 years)
Sweet Bear Toast (ages 2+)
The Nose Knows Memory Game (ages 4+)
The Ice Cream Census (ages 3-7)
Sensory Play Using Soil (ages 2-5)
Use Your Noodle (ages 2-5)
Blowing Bubbles (ages 2+)
Getting Creative with Toilet Paper Rolls (ages 3+)
Fun Nature Activities for Kids (ages 2+)
Fun Ways to Reconnect With Your Child (all ages)
Hands-On Learning (all ages)
Creating Your Own Creation Station (Toddler, Pre-K, and school-age)
Getting (Back) On Schedule During COVID-19 (all ages)
Curated Learning Resources
Bonding & Learning for Infants, Toddlers, & Twos
- Infants (birth to 12 months)
- Toddlers (ages 12-24 months)
- Twos (ages 24-36 months)
- Raise A Reader (birth to 3)
- Browse all resources from Zero To Three
- Make the Most of Playtime (birth to 3)
Play & Active Learning for Preschoolers
Activities and play-based lessons by theme:
Interactions with Young Children
- Teachstone is providing some free myTeachstone resources for parents, teachers, and coaches. Click on activate a product key and enter 5LMQ6ZQV23FNM56S
- Conscious Discipline has released free resources to help you manage children's big feelings during these intense times.
Reading & Math
- Bedtime Math (ages 3 to 9) and Mini Math (ages 4 and 5) help kids access a fun story that can be used as a routine at bedtime, bathtime, or anytime.
Listen to authors read their books live. (Toddler, Pre-K, and school-age)
Khan Academy Kids offers a free app to get young children excited about learning. (Pre-K to 2nd grade)
Check out Read Charlotte’s Home Reading Helper for children and families. (Pre-K to 3rd grade)
Scholastic is offering day-by-day projects to keep kids reading, thinking, and growing. (Pre-K to 5th grade)
- The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library offers video Storytime for children via their digital branch. You can sign up for a library card for instant access to digital books and TumbleBooks, a collection of animated, talking picture books. (Pre-K to 5th grade). Also try Ms. Humblebee’s Academy (ages 3 to 6) and Overdrive e-Reading Room: Kids Collection (all ages).
United for Literacy's digital books provide audio narrations in more than 40 languages, spoken by native speakers. (Pre-K to 5th grade)
ABCya offers 400 free educational games that will keep kids engaged and having fun. (Pre-K to 5th grade)
Listen to astronauts read children's books in Story Time From Space. (School-age)
Start With A Book compiled a list of cooking-related books for budding chefs. (School-age)
Science & Discovery
- PBS Kids offers an app that focuses on building science inquiry skills and learning core science concepts. (Pre-K to 2nd grade)
- Learn all about animals from National Geographic Kids. (Pre-K and school-age)
- Check out games, activities, and videos from the National Ocean Service. (School-age)
- Join the fun with Disney's "Imagineering in a Box." (School-age)
Arts & History
- Tune in every day at 1 p.m. for Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems. (Pre-K and school-age)
- Learn something new from Google Arts & Culture (Preschool and school-age)
- Watch and listen to performances from the Chamber Music Society. (Preschool and school-age)
- Take a tour of the Guggenheim Museum. (Preschool and school-age)
- Watch extraordinary performances from the Kennedy Center's stages and beyond. (Preschool and school-age)
- Take an interactive tour of Ellis Island. (School-age)
Travel the World
- Here are 20 virtual field trips to take with your child. Check out these virtual field trips from Discovery Education too. (Pre-K and school-age)
- Take a tour of Buckingham Palace. (Pre-K and school-age)
- View panoramic images of cities across the world. (Pre-K and school-age)
- Go on a safari with live webcams from Africa. (Pre-K and school-age)
- Take an expedition to the Pyramids of Egypt. (Pre-K and school-age)
Parent Resources
Family & Home
- Teach your children about all the people helping to keep us safe with the free e-book "COVID-19 Helpers."
- Help your children understand the pandemic with a free download of "Coronavirus: A Book for Children."
- Talk to your children about the importance of masks with "Wearing a Mask: A Social Narrative for Children."
- Read "Why Is My School Closed?" with your children, and use this printable book to let little ones illustrate their own story.
- Tips to practice mindfulness for parents of young children.
- Take a look at these social distance support groups from Mind, Body, Baby.
- The CDC shares tips for talking to your children about coronavirus. The Mayo Clinic also has advice on helping kids cope with COVID-19.
- Read about working and learning from home during a pandemic.
- Learn about how to care for your family in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak.
- Scholastic offers resources for teaching children of all ages at home.
Taking Care of You
- This COVID-19 Parent and Caregiver Guide offers tips to keep families strong and children safe during a crisis.
- Mental Health America offers a Self-Help Tool, as well as information regarding Coronavirus and Mental Health.
- Read some Poetry for Tumultuous Times
- Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks share their Quarantunes Spotify playlist
- Resources for the exhausted and overwhelmed
- The Hope4NC Helpline (1-855-587-3463) connects North Carolinians to additional mental health and resilience supports that help them cope and build resilience during times of crisis. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- The Hope4Healers Helpline (919-226-2002) provides mental health and resilience supports for child care staff, health care professionals, emergency medical specialists, first responders, other staff who work in health care settings and their families who are experiencing stress from being on the front lines of the state’s COVID-19 response. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Flyers available in English and Spanish.
- Child care providers can become a founding member in HSB’s online ECE Community, Social Emotional Connections.
- Sign Up for Our Taking Care e-BlastStay up-to-date on the latest tips and activities to help keep young children learning!
Where We Serve
Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Union,
Rowan, and Stanly counties
Training Catalog
© 2021 Child Care Resources Inc.