Play, Grow, and Glow

We had so much fun using our hand- eye coordination to roll the golf ball to make stripes for our candy canes. The patterns that we created were amazing!

Our playgroup students had such much fun engaging in a sensory exploration using shaving cream and glitter to decorate their holiday garland.

We also discussed the shape of each decoration that we used in our creation.

Each playgroup session had the opportunity to engage in snack time with their family and friends. We enjoyed talking with one another and sharing our holiday traditions.

Working together was so much fun! We used our creativity to build a variety of structures and enjoyed sharing our accomplishments with our friends. After each design, we knocked it down and built a new structure.

We were so excited to hear that we would be making a variety of playdough creations throughout January! It was so much fun creating our own snow sculptures, whether in 3D or flat.

Create a snow scene from nontoxic material ( fine motor skills, communication skills). With these materials, children can safely finger paint on a tray without making too much of a mess. As your observe your child finger painting, describe the shifting pattern you see and encourage them to do the same. For example, here comes a bunny hoping through the snow or whose footprints are these?

Make a winter mobile (fine motor skills, communication skills). Help the child cut winter themed pictures. Supervise pasting them onto construction paper or index cards. Then use string or ribbon to hang the cards from a coat hanger. Talk with your child about the pictures that they selected and assist them with finding others that they would like to add. Hang the mobile in a special spot.

Invent your own board game ( motor skills, problem solving skills, early math skills). Begin by asking your child to choose a theme. Sketch out a path and divide it into squares. Label start and finish. Your child can then illustrate the rest of the board and label a few of the squares as special theme- related places. You can also write directions; go ahead 2, go back one, pick a card, etc... Make a deck of index cards with theme related direction such as "take a ride on the sled" or "you got lost in the woods." Players can use a die or spinner to move around the board.

Set up an indoor snowball game ( gross motor skills). Cut a few 8 to 9 inch holes in a big piece of cardboard and decorate the cardboard to look like a tree or a snowman. Give your child some "indoor snowballs" and encourage your child to throw the snowballs through the holes on the target. Have your child start very close to the target and then move back a few feet to make it a little bit more challenging. Show your child how to throw both underhand and overhand.

Write a winter storybook together ( early literacy skills, fine motor skills). Invite your child to make their own book about a favorite winter activity or memory. Ask your child to draw pictures or paste photos to illustrate their story. Encourage them to tell you in their own words about the event they remember or enjoy .Help them write the words on each page.

Have an outdoor adventure day ( motor skills). Bundle up for activities that involve both gross motor skills ( running, hopping, sledding, throwing , and catching snowballs) and fine motor skills ( grasping tools, digging in snow, or small snowballs). You might try making an outdoor adventure path or obstacle course for children to follow, or going on a neighborhood nature walk or scavenger hunt.

Don't forget to snuggle up to read with your child each night! It is a wonderful way to bond and relax together, it also strengthens your child's communication and language skills while setting the stage for early literacy development.

Have you had the opportunity to download the free Sparkler app yet? If not please download it and use our unique code of MILFORDFRC to begin completing Play card activities with your child.

Here is one Play card activity called New Years Dream:

Instructions

1. Let’s imagine the coming year. What are we dreaming for each other?

2. I’ll write a letter to you about my hopes and dreams for YOU in the coming year: “Dear Your child, I have so many hopes and dreams for you! I can imagine who you will be this time next year...” I’ll include a list of hopes and dreams for you in the coming year: What will you learn? What kind of person will you be? What will our

relationship be like? You can write or draw a letter to me about your new year’s hopes and dreams for me!

3. How can we achieve our dreams in the next year? Let’s resolve to take action every day!

Simplify

Imagine Your child at this time next year. Share your vision with him/her/them and with others.

Stretch

Write letters to share with each other in five years. Tell each other about your hopes and dreams for the coming years.

Words To Use

Dream - a hope for the future;

Goal - an aim or desired result; Achieve - to gain by effort

Why

Having and sharing your dreams helps YOU and Your child stay focused on your goals every day, and will help your relationship grow.

What You Can Do

Make time to give Your child your undivided attention every day.

Do you have a child who will turn three or four year olds on or before Sept. 1st? Are you interested in enrolling them in preschool?

The Milford Public Schools provides several preschool options:

Integrated preschool programs

Three year old students attend the morning session from 8:30-11:30 and four year old students attend the afternoon session from 12:30-3:30. Children must attend five days per week. Our integrated preschool programs are inclusive environments with typical peers and peers with special needs. There is a tuition fee associated with attending our integrated preschools.For more information please contact the Milford Public Schools Office of Pupil Personnel (203) 783- 3454.

Ready to Learn

Children must turn three or four years old on or before Sept. 1st.

Our full day preschool programs located at Live Oaks, Pumpkin Delight, and Orange Ave. Families interested in enrolling their child must need a full year preschool program ( end of August 2025- mid August 2026).

Ready to Learn preschools follow a typical school day with opportunities for intentional play aligned to standards, specialty subject areas ( music, art, library media, physical education, etc.), recess, lunch, nap and afternoon learning experiences.

There is an annual fee associated with attending Ready to Learn.

Interested families must complete the online pre-enrollment application which is available on the Milford Public Schools website https://www.milforded.org/ during the month of January.

Completing the pre-enrollment application does not guarantee entry into Ready to Learn as it is based on the number of available seats at Pumpkin Delight, Orange Ave , and Live Oaks and in accordance with our School Readiness grant requirements.

Foran Child Learning Center Lab

Children must turn three or four years old by Sept.1st and be a resident of Milford.

Our preschool program is a half day program from 8:30-12:30. Preschoolers engaged in a play based curriculum aligned to standards. High School students enrolled in early childhood courses are present in the classroom to assist children. High School work under the support and guidance of the director and the certified classroom teacher.

For more information about the Foran Child Learning Center Lab, please contact Rachel Pangu ( director) rpangu@milforded.org

Milford Public Schools invites families of children born on or before September 1st, 2020 to register for Kindergarten.

Register your child today at https://milforded.org/page/registration

If your child is not age eligible ;( born September 2nd. 2022 through December 31st, 2020) , please use the online registration form to request a waiver.