Parenting Ideas and Resources

Spring and Summer Activity Ideas

• Fun places to visit with your little ones

Recipes and Songs

• Family Fun Recipes
• ECFE SINGS CD Lyrics
  
  

Parenting Ideas

Babies:

• Music for Baby and You, by Nancy Peterka
• Infant Nutrition and Feeding, by Kathy Hansen
• Infant Sleep and Popular Advice, by Kathy Hansen
• Sibling Preparation for the New Baby, by Kathy Hansen
• Transforming Into Parenthood, by Kathy Hansen
• Tips for Traveling by Car with an Infant, by Smokey Nielsen

Ones/Toddlers:

• "Good Job!": Alternatives Especially for Tiny Toddlers, by Marietta Rice
• Setting Limits for Tiny Toddlers, by Marietta Rice
• Decoding Toddler Behavior, by Kristi Hanson
  

Twos:

• Developmental Characteristics of Two-Year-Olds, by Brenda Zirbel
• Nursery Rhymes, by Sandy Moline
• Toilet Learning for Twos, by Brenda Zirbel
• Toilet Learning, by Kathy Adams
• Toilet Training Basics, by Kristi Hanson
• Two-Year-Olds: Mealtime Issues, by Brenda Zirbel
• Two-Year-Olds: Social and Emotional Development, by Brenda Zirbel

Preschoolers:

• Environmental Print, by Sandy Moline
• Fine Motor Skills, by Sandy Moline
• Learning to Cut with Scissors, by Sandy Moline
• Tips for a Successful Playdate, by Kathy Adams
• Gross Motor Activities, by Mary Whitfield
• How Preschoolers See Color and Race, by Mary Whitfield
• Kindergarten Readiness, by Barb Dopp
• Homespun Science, by Mary Whitfield
• Fun with Science, by Susan Elsass
• Smart Snacks: Make It a Habit, by Susan Elsass
• Fun with Food, by Beth Hersman
• Cooking with Your Child, by Mary Whitfield
• Healthy Eating for Young Children, by Kathy Adams
• Tips for Traveling by Car with Young Children, by Smokey Nielsen
• Choosing a Preschool, by Kay Sikich

Birth to Kindergarten:

• Children and Technology, by Nancy Peterka
• Chores, by Kathy Adams
• Connecting with Kids, by Kristi Hanson
• What Every Child Needs, by Nancy Peterka
• Promote Reading in Your Home, by Marietta Rice
• Reading to Babies, Toddlers, and Young Children, by Smokey Nielsen
• Car Seat Safety, by Barb Dopp
• What Makes Raising a Boy So Challenging?, by Barb Dopp
• Sibling Relationships, by Barb Dopp
• Activities to Do at Home, by Beth Hersman
• Things to Do Instead of Watching T.V., by Beth Hersman
• Ways to Promote Sibling Closeness, by Kristi Hanson
• Benefits of Playing Outdoors, by Marietta Rice
• Children and Nature, by Smokey Nielsen
• The Importance of Play, by Kay Sikich
• The Four Stages of Play, by Kay Sikich

Kindergarten Readiness:

• Getting Ready for Today's Kindergarten
• How to Pick Your Child's School
• Important Skills for Kindergarten
• Tips for Parents, from the Parents and Reading Committee, Minnesota Reading Association

Coordinator's Columns

• Raising Readers Today!
• What to Do When Siblings Fight
  
• Married with Children
  
• Making the Most of Communication
  
• Children and Divorce or Separation
• Keeping Our Children Safe: Health Guidelines
  
• Raising Happy Children
  
• Math and Young Children
  
• Technology as a Learning Tool for Young Children
  District 196 is Ready for ALL Kindergarteners
  
• Can You Spoil a Baby?
  

Parenting Resources

• Center for Media Literacy
• U.S. Department of Education
• Parent Further
  
• NAEYC for Families
• The National Parenting Center
• Youth and Family Consortium, University of MN
• Service for Families, University of MN Extension
• Minnesota Parents Know
• Community Preschools

ECFE Programs in Other School Districts

• Burnsville
  952.707.4150
  
  
• Farmington
  651.463.5035
  
  
• Hastings
  651.437.3724
  
  
• Lakeville
  952.469.7129
  
  
• Mendota Heights/West St. Paul
  651.403.8353