APRIL 2019
Recipe:
EARTH DAY POPCORN
Celebrating
Reducing,
REUSING,
AND RECYCLING
Week of the Young Child
This Month at Playworks… Throughout April, Playworks will focus on childhood development and the well-being of children. This month, we will celebrate Week of the Young Child from April 8-12, while also raising awareness to help recognize childhood abuse and neglect throughout National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Children are the future and ensuring that they are learning, developing, and being cared for properly is of the utmost importance. At Playworks, we strive to provide child care that goes above and beyond for the many families that we serve. We are thankful that you and your child are part of our Playworks family. Please join us for events and giveaways throughout April for Week of the Young Child and National Child Abuse Prevention Month, which you can learn more about on page 4 and to the right.
important dates April 8-12:
Week of the Young Child
April 21:
Easter, Playworks Closed
April 22:
Xtreme Summer Camp Open House & Orientation 5-7pm • Playworks
Playworks conferences will take place this April!
Infant/Toddler (A) • April 1-5 Infant/Toddler (B) • April 15-19 Young Preschool/Preschool/Pre-K (A) • April 16-19 Young Preschool/Preschool/Pre-K (B) • April 23-26
Raise Awareness for Child Abuse Prevention Month
BUILDING CONNECTIONS:
Hello, Toes Goodbye, Toes For this month’s Conscious Discipline activity, we encourage you to play this fun game with your child when they take off and put on their shoes and socks.
THE GAME:
Once your child’s shoes and socks are off, bring one of their feet close to your face and say, “Hello, toes!” Look at the toes, blow on them, count them, touch them, or even nibble at them. Quickly say, “Goodbye, toes!” and hide the toes from your sight. Say, “Where did those toes go? I just had them in my hand and now I’ve lost them. Oh dear, what will I do? Maybe I put them here.” Search for the feet all over the child. This game can also be played with hands, knees, elbows, shoulders, or other body parts.
In honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month, Playworks will be hosting events and giveaways throughout April. National Child Abuse Prevention Month’s purpose is to recognize and prevent child abuse and neglect, and Playworks encourages all families to work together to bring attention to this extremely important topic.
This month’s activities include: April 1
Blue Pinwheel Giveaway
April 8
Blue Ribbon Giveaway
April 15
Wear Blue Day
April 22
Bookmark Giveaway
April 29
Blueberry Bar Giveaway
Suggested Reading
The Adventures of a Plastic Bottle: A Story About Recycling by Alison Inches
Not a Box
by Antoinette Portis
Trashy Town
by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha
Why Should I Recycle? by Jen Green
The Paper Bag Prince by Colin Thompson
Educare Early Learning Classrooms
Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling + Food For nearly 50 years, people around the world have celebrated Earth Day on April 22. Earth Day has effectively raised awareness and encouraged environmental stewardship across communities. In the spirit of Earth Day, Playworks classrooms will focus on the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling this month. In April, Playworks students will learn about garbage. Because children often pick up trash against their parents’ wishes, their natural curiosity of garbage is a good starting point for learning about what happens to waste after it’s thrown out. Playworks teachers will also introduce students to the concepts of reducing, reusing, and recycling. Studying reducing, reusing, and recycling offers children
the opportunity to become more aware of the world around them. Children will learn to observe, gather data, and propose solutions to problems. This month’s topic will also provide students with information that will encourage them to be good stewards of the earth throughout their lives. While the early learning classrooms discuss reducing, reusing, and recycling, the infant and toddler classrooms will study food. Students will learn about preparing and tasting food, and they will have the opportunity to develop their social-emotional, physical, cognitive, and language skills. When you’re cooking this month, encourage your child to help you in the kitchen, then show them how boxes, cans, and bottles can be recycled throughout the cooking process.
P l ay works Cel ebr at es
Week of the Young Child
Celebrate young learners throughout Week of the Young Child! The second week of April will play host to five fun-filled days at Playworks, with different activities taking place throughout the week. This year’s Week of the Young Child will explore five themes—music, food, teamwork, art, and family. Learn how these themes can encourage your child’s development below!
Music
Food
Singing, dancing, and listening to music helps children develop language skills and encourages them to be active.
Teamwork
Cooking uses and encourages math, literacy, and science skills, while eating healthy foods encourages fitness and nutrition.
Art
Creating art fosters fine motor skills and creativity, especially when working on open-ended projects.
Working together helps children develop their communication and social skills, as well as their imaginations.
Family
Family is a child’s first teacher and the heart of a young learner’s support system.
Mond ay, A p r il 8
T hur sd ay, A p r il 11
Dance Party and Zumba Class in the Playworks LINK Event Center at 10am Featured Book: Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae
Art Gallery and Grandparents Day in the Playworks LINK Event Center from 3:30-4:30pm Refreshments Will Be Provided Featured Book: Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
Music Monday
T ue sd ay, A p r il 9 Tasty Tuesday
Classroom Taco Bar for Lunch Featured Book: Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin
W edne sd ay, A p r il 10
Work Together Wednesday
Students Create Something Together with Their Imaginations Featured Book: Not a Box by Antoinette Portis
Artsy Thursday
F r id ay, A p r il 12 Family Friday
Educare Family Pizza Party in the Playworks Atrium from 4:30-6:30pm Featured Book: The Family Book by Todd Parr
Playworks Staff Spotlight: Anh Hudspeth How long have you worked at Playworks?
Describe yourself in one word:
What is your position at Playworks?
Favorite board game:
Favorite part of working at Playworks:
Favorite food:
21 years
Infant Lead Teacher
Seeing the children’s smiles and their unique personalities every day
Favorite children’s book:
The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
Caring
Monopoly
Vietnamese and Chinese food
Favorite color: Red
Favorite animal: Panda
Highlighted Learning Objective:
Number Concepts and Operations Counting is an extremely important skill for children to learn. Numbers are the foundation of mathematics, and learning to count is one of the first steps a child takes on their journey of understanding math. See what this skill looks like and how you can support your child’s development below!
What this may look like: Verbally counts (may not always be in the correct order) Counts to 10 when playing hide-and-seek When asked what comes after a number, they count to it and continue counting
Ways to support these skills: Recite finger plays and sing songs about numbers; read stories that include numerals and items to count Use everyday activities as opportunities to count Teach counting strategies, such as touching or pointing to objects as you count slowly
Recipe:
Celebrate Sustainability with Earth Day Popcorn
Pop up this candied, colorful popcorn on Monday, April 22, in honor of Earth Day! Help your kids understand the importance of taking care of the earth while enjoying this easy, earth-themed snack.
Ingredients:
10 cups of plain popped popcorn 4 tablespoons agave nectar Blue and green gel food coloring
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350ËšF. 2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 3. In a large bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of agave nectar with a few drops of the blue food coloring. 4. Add half of your popped popcorn to the bowl and gently toss or stir to combine. 5. Pour the popcorn onto one of your prepared baking sheets. 6. Repeat the process with the remaining popcorn, agave nectar, and green food coloring. 7. Place both pans in the oven and bake for 5-7 minutes. 8. Remove, let cool, combine, and enjoy!
FOCUSED EXPERIENCE:
TASTING AND PREPARING FOOD Throughout April, Playworks infants, toddlers, and young preschoolers will be tasting and preparing food, while strengthening their social-emotional, physical, cognitive, and language skills. They will also develop other personal care skills, such as washing their hands, serving themselves, and cleaning up after themselves. See below how children learn through tasting and preparing food!
Children will learn about themselves and others.
Children will learn about the world.
Infants are eager to practice the skills that enable them to feed themselves. Toddlers learn how to work cooperatively with others in preparing simple foods.
Children build a foundation for mathematical thinking when they sort fruit by color and fill a pitcher with cups of water. They learn problem-solving skills when they fill a muffin tin only halfway so the batter does not overflow when baking.
Children will learn about moving. Children strengthen their small muscles through activities like tearing lettuce for a salad or scrubbing vegetables. They coordinate their hand-eye movements when they pour water into a cup or spread apple butter on a cracker.
Children will learn to communicate. Children learn vocabulary associated with cooking when they knead dough, chop pieces of fruit, or stir pancake batter.
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, e l p m i s Family-Friendly healt hy t a t april 26-27 n e i d re April 5-7
EVENTS
Lifeguard Certification Class
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Spring Festival: An Arts and Crafts Affair
11am-9pm (Fri), 9am-6pm (Sat) & 10am-5pm (Sun) $9-$10 (Children under the age of 10 are free) Canterbury Park (1100 Canterbury Road, Shakopee)
Enjoy the work of hundreds of the nation’s finest artists and crafters at the Spring Festival: An Arts and Crafts Affair at Canterbury Park. The event will feature hourly gift certificate drawings, food and drink, free parking, and plenty of family fun.
Fridays 5-10pm & Saturdays 10am-8pm
(Must attend all sessions)
$200 members | $225 non-members
Includes textbook and pool time | Minimum age: 15
Call 952.496.6891 for more information
dakotahsport.com
5-7pm Playworks (2200 Trail of Dreams, Prior Lake)
Join Playworks for the Xtreme Summer Camp Open House and Orientation on April 22. Summer campers will meet their teachers, go over a calendar of events, sign field trip permission forms, and participate in a fun scavenger hunt. Questions about Summer Camp? Contact Educare/ Enrollment Manager Shannon Zila at 952.496.6803 or shannon.zila@playworksfun.com.
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Xtreme Summer Camp Open House & orientation
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CLOSED APRIL 21
952.233.9191 • smscorf.com 1905 Mystic Lake Drive S, Shakopee, MN
says recycling can’t be fun? Craft: Plastic Bottle Piggy Banks Who Transform an empty plastic bottle into an enjoyable way to save up your spare change!
Materials:
Plastic bottle Scissors Construction paper in various colors
Directions: 1. 2. 3.
Glue Googly eyes Pom-poms
Before you begin, make sure the bottle is empty and dry and labels are removed. With an adult’s help, cut a coin-sized opening about mid-way down on one side of the bottle. Decorate your piggy bank with construction paper or googly eyes. Be creative—give it ears, eyes, or a tail!
4. For feet, glue four pom-poms on the opposite side of the bottle as the coin opening. 5. Start saving your coins and make your first piggy bank deposit!
educational programs
FIELDTrips
hands-on experiences
atrium play
STARTs June 10
Daily meals included
summer camp experience Valued up to $2,892
restrictions apply. visit playworksfun.com for more information.
time fullwith er camp summ llment! Enro
open house & orientation
APRIL 22
REGISTER TODAY!
5-7pm | playworks link event center *ENDS APRIL 22
Contact Educare/Enrollment Manager Shannon Zila at 952.496.6803 or shannon.zila@playworksfun.com
952.445.PLAY (7529) • playworksfun.com 2200 trail of dreams, PRIOR LAKE, MN enterprises owned and operated by the shakopee mdewakanton sioux community