Thanksgiving is celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday of November to commemorate a feast in 1621 that the Pilgrims shared with Native Americans. Thanksgiving is also celebrated in Canada on the second Monday in October in order to give thanks for a bountiful harvest.

Celebrate Thanksgiving in your daycare center by reading age appropriate stories that focus on the symbols of Thanksgiving and by implementing Thanksgiving themed activities.

Consider the following reading lists and resources for free Thanksgiving worksheets, coloring pages, and handwriting practice sheets for your child care center:

Reading List

Thanksgiving Board and Picture Books Baby-Age 3

Happy Thanksgiving, Emily by Claire Mauserel and Susan Calitri [Puffin, 2004]

Turkeys Never Gobble by Joan Holub and Jennifer Beck Harris [HarperFestival, 2002]

Happy Thanksgiving (Wee Board Book) by Wendy Cheyette Lewison [Grosset & Dunlap, 1993]

My First Thanksgiving Tomie dePaola [Grosset & Dunlap, 2008] (more…)

Through storytelling and activities, celebrate and teach young children in your daycare center about  the season autumn (or fall).  This resource list will provide you with a fall themed reading list and free autumn themed  printable worksheets and activities for young children in child daycare centers.

Reading List

Autumn Board Books and Picture Books (Baby – Age 3)

Dappled Apples by Jan Carr and Dorothy Donohue [Holiday House, 2001]

Leaf Baby: Baby Seasons Board Books by Mary Bridgid Barrett and Eve Chwast [Red Wagon Books, 1998]

Autumn by Gerda Muller [Floris Books, 1994]

Fall: Seasons Board Books by Chris L. Demarest [Red Wagon Books, 1996]

5 Little Pumpkins by Michael Scott [Hyperion Books, 2003]

One Fall Day by Molly Bang [Greenwillow books, 1994]

Pumpkin Baby by Jane Yollen and Susan Mitchell [Key Porter Books, 2009] (more…)

Inspire children’s love of reading by providing a well rounded library of fascination, age appropriate books in your daycare center. Classic books make a great foundation for lifelong reading.  This article will focus on helping licensed daycare providers set up a daycare library for preschool aged children.

Children’s books are usually categorized by genre and reading level. First books are divided into three categories: Fiction, folklore or poetry, nonfiction. Nonfiction books are books of information.  Folklore and poetry include folktales, mythology, tall tales, nursery rhymes, verse and epic literature.

Fiction books for children are then divided further into categories by reading level: Board books, picture books, easy readers, transitional books, and chapter books.  Infants and toddlers and preschoolers in child care centers are interested in board books, picture books, and easy readers. (more…)

When teaching  young, preschool aged children about Halloween, keep lesson plans simple.  It is not necessary to discuss the historical background of Halloween at this time. Instead, young children in daycare centers can celebrate Halloween by having costume parties and playing special games like bobbing for apples.  Halloween can be fun and educational when you incorporate the following activities:
(more…)

As a parent, you would always want to ensure that your child develops in the right stages. One of these developments include reading and language skills. Most parents would be proud if their children learned to read and speak earlier than most children but there is really no right age that a child must know when to do these.
(more…)