Parent Connections
NKC Schools Parents as Teachers - October 2025
National Parents as Teachers Day is Saturday, November 8th!
We're getting a head start on making our Parent Educators feel extra special. If you have a testimonial to share, captured a sweet moment with your Parent Educator, or simply want to give a shout out to the team, we'd love to hear from you!
Please send your messages or photos to us by the end of October so we can compile them into a meaningful celebration. You can send them to: ParentsAsTeachers@nkcschools.org. Let’s show our appreciation for the incredible work they do every day!
Outdoor Play Benefits
It doesn't feel like it today, but the cooler weather IS coming! Though we may need to layer up, providing opportunities for your child to be outdoors in the cooler weather has multiple benefits including:
- Boosting their immune system: Children who engage in regular outdoor play experience fewer illness-related absences from childcare settings.
- Promoting better sleep: In a study with children ages 2-5, increased outdoor play was associated with longer nighttime sleep, earlier bedtimes, fewer night awakenings, and shorter time to fall asleep.
- Enhancing emotional well-being: Outdoor play significantly enhance's children's emotional development by helping them manage stress by tacking fears and overcoming physical challenges.
Engaging in Outdoor Play
Short bursts of outdoor play still offer big benefits even when it's chilly. Use this as an opportunity to optimize the benefits above with these activity ideas:
- Practice balancing and coordination with sticks, logs, and other nature items found outside.
- Give your child a simple checklist for a Nature Scavenger Hunt.
- Take advantage of the early sunset for shadow tag or flashlight play.
- Collect leaves, acorns, or pinecones to sort by size, color, or shape.
Leaf Man
Leaf Man is an engaging story that follows a leaf man as he is carried by the wind through fields, rivers, and towns. The book encourages children to explore the shapes, colors, and textures of leaves while sparking imagination and storytelling.
Planting a Rainbow
Planting a Rainbow is a picture book that introduces children to colors, flowers, and the process of planting a garden. Through simple text and bold illustrations, children learn how seeds grow into a colorful rainbow of blooms.
Owl Babies
Owl Babies story about three young owls who wake up to find their mother gone and anxiously wait for her return. The book helps children explore feelings of separation, worry, and reassurance in a gentle, relatable way.
Healthy Carmel Apple Dip
- Yogurt
- Maple Syrup (or honey)
- Cinnamon.
- For extra fun, sprinkle mini chocolate chips or crushed graham crackers on top for texture.
Serve immediately with sliced apples for dipping.
Date: Tuesday, October 7, 2025
Time: 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Location: NKC Early Education Center, 6479 N. Prospect Avenue, Gladstone, MO 64119
Celebrate the beauty of fall and the wonders of nature at our Books & Beyond event, inspired by Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert. Families with young children are invited to explore the life of a tree through engaging storytelling, hands-on art, and outdoor discovery. Following a read-aloud of the book, participants will take part in themed activities that bring the story to life. RSVPs are required—please sign up using the Sign-Up Genius link provided. This event is exclusively for families enrolled in the North Kansas City Schools Parents as Teachers program.
Date: Tuesday, November 4th, 2025
Time: 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Location: NKC Early Education Center, 6479 N. Prospect Avenue, Gladstone, MO 64119
Join us for a Parent Education Night focused on screen time. We’ll explore how screen use impacts early learning and development, share recommendations for healthy limits, and provide practical strategies to create balance at home. Come gain tips and tools to support your child’s growth in today’s digital world.
This is a Parent Information Night - No childcare is provided for this event.
Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2025
Time: 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Location: NKC Early Education Center, 6479 N. Prospect Avenue, Gladstone, MO 64119
Join us for the next series in for Books & Beyond where we’ll explore The Family Book by Todd Parr with fun, hands-on activities for children ages 0–5. Families will enjoy interactive play that celebrates all kinds of families while building early literacy and social-emotional skills. This special evening is a chance to read, play, and learn together!
Date: Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Time: 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Location: NKC Early Education Center, 6479 N. Prospect Avenue, Gladstone, MO 64119
Join us for Snow Much Fun: Winterfest, a family evening filled with hands-on activities, crafts, and play for families in Parents as Teachers. Families will enjoy winter-themed experiences that support learning and connection while making memories together.
Date(s): October 13, December 1
Time: 9:30 am - 10:30 am
Location: Mid-Continent Public Library, Antioch Branch - 6060 N. Chestnut Avenue, Gladstone, MO 64119
Our Infant Playgroups are back! This year, we will hold our (almost) monthly infant group connections at Mid-Continent Public Library - Antioch Branch. Our infant-toddler playgroups are intended for families with children under 18 months old. It will be a time for families to connect with one another and babies to interact with each other. All while talking about parenting! Sign up for the dates that work best for your family. We hope to see you there!
Our Toddler Playgroups were made for families with children ages 18 months to 3 years. Join us for an opportunity for families to meet each other, children to start forming friendships, and discover different parenting topics each month.
Dates: Wednesday, October 15, November 19, December 10.
Time: 9:30 am - 10:30 am
Location: Macken Park, 1002 Clark Ferguson Drive, North Kansas City, MO 64116.
Please note: Families should meet at the play structure off of Howell Street.
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
Thank you to Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education, all children under the age of 5 in Missouri are eligable for a free monthly book to the child each month. Sign up for your free books today!
Clay County Mobile Food Pantry
Clay County Health Department offers a monthly mobile food pantry with free, fresh and healty food. The pantry is the first Wednesday of every month from 3:00-4:30 PM, while supplies last. While the purpose of the event is to provide fresh and healthy foods to those in our community who might otherwise not be able to afford all the nutritious food their family needs that week, anyone is welcome to get food at our events. No proof of need is required. You can also pick up food for other people.
Pickup is at
Clay County Health Department
800 Haines Drive, Liberty, MO 64068
WIC Approved Food List changes start October 1, 2025. All participants will receive the same amount of food with the same nutritional value each month! Participants will continue to receive the higher dollar amount for fruit and vegetable purchases each month! Check out the Clay County Health Department's website for more information!
About Us
Email: parentsasteachers@nkcschools.org
Website: https://www.nkcschools.org
Location: 6479 North Prospect Avenue, Gladstone, MO, USA
Phone: (816)321-5453
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/NKCParentsAsTeachers/photos/?ref=page_internal
Twitter: @NKCPAT