The Institute for Education and Professional Development, Inc.

08/19/2026

🌿 Notice & Wonder Wednesday: Outdoor Art Everywhere

Nature offers endless invitations for creativity.

This week, bring art outdoors!

Try:
🎨 Painting with water on sidewalks or fences
🖍 Drawing with sidewalk chalk
🍃 Creating leaf rubbings
🌼 Arranging natural materials into designs
📸 Taking photos of colors, shapes, and patterns found outdoors

For infants and toddlers:
Explore colors, textures, and simple mark-making.

For preschoolers and school-age children:
Create collaborative art, nature mandalas, or outdoor galleries.

Art doesn't always need paper and crayons. Sometimes the best materials are already waiting outside.

08/13/2026

Please see below and ACT today!

Call on your elected leaders to protect babies' access to Head Start and Early Head Start

08/13/2026

Please advocate for Head Start - here is one way to do so as shared on the "9:30 Call from Strategies for Children" -MomsRising’s Protect Head Start Call-In Line Toolkit:

MomsRising’s Protect Head Start Call-In Line Toolkit U.S. Department Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F Kennedy Jr. is attacking Head Start, proposing to eliminate most of the program's standards and rollback regulatory rules. If enacted, this move will further exacerbate our natio...

08/12/2026

🌿 Notice & Wonder Wednesday: Looking Closely

Young children learn by observing, exploring, and asking questions.

Today, encourage children to slow down and look closely.

What can they discover on a playground, sidewalk, or grassy area?

🔍 Patterns on leaves
🐜 Ants carrying food
🕷 Spider webs
🌼 Flower petals
☁️ Shapes in the clouds

Wonder together:

💭 What do you see?
💭 What do you think is happening?
💭 What else would you like to know?

There is no right answer—just opportunities to observe, think, and learn.

The world looks different when we take time to notice.

08/05/2026

Let's further explore nature & the outdoors as we move into August!!

🌿 Notice & Wonder Wednesday: Nature's Treasures

Children are natural scientists. They notice details, ask questions, and make discoveries every day.

This week, invite children to become nature explorers!

Look for:
🍃 Leaves of different shapes and sizes
🌼 Flowers and grasses
🪨 Interesting rocks
🪵 Sticks
🐦 Birds, insects, and other living things

Try asking:
💭 What do you notice?
💭 What is the same?
💭 What is different?
💭 What surprises you?

For infants: With help, encourage infants to touch and explore natural objects together.

For toddlers: Sort treasures by color, size, or texture.

For preschoolers and school-age children: Create collections, design graphs, use for an art project or include in a nature journal.

Sometimes the most meaningful learning begins with a simple walk outside and noticing what is around you. Use your senses and encourage children to do the same!

07/29/2026

🌳 Moments that Matter Wednesday: Take Learning Outside
July 29

Some of the richest learning happens when children explore the world around them.

Nature provides endless opportunities for curiosity, creativity, and connection.

Try a simple outdoor investigation:

🔎 What can we find?
🍃 What textures do we notice?
🐜 What tiny creatures share our space?
☁️ What shapes do we see in the clouds?

Outdoor play supports problem-solving, language, friendships, and wonder.

Sometimes the best classroom has sunshine (perhaps rain & clouds), creatures to observe, and grass to run on! ☀️

07/22/2026

🌿 Moments that Matter Wednesday: A Mindful Minute

Early childhood days are full — full of joy, energy, questions, transitions, and big emotions.

Today’s reminder: taking one mindful minute can help us reset.

Try this simple practice:

🌬 Take 3 slow breaths
👀 Notice 3 things you see
👂 Notice 2 sounds you hear
💛 Think of 1 thing you appreciate today

Mindfulness doesn’t need to be complicated. Small pauses help us respond with patience, connection, and intention.

Children learn calm from the calm we create around them.

Take your moment today. You deserve it. ☀️

07/15/2026

📚 Moments that Matter Wednesday: Stories Bring Us Together

Some of the most meaningful moments with children happen while sharing a story. 💛

This week’s summer book spotlight:

📖 Stick and Stone by Beth Ferry

A simple, powerful story about friendship, kindness, inclusion, and standing up for others. [Note: We just developed curriculum ideas based upon this story aligned with the Early Learning Guidelines!]

Try this:
🌿 Take the story outdoors
🪨 Collect safe natural materials like sticks, stones, or leaves
🎨 Create friendship art
💬 Talk with children: “What does it mean to be a good friend?”

Books create moments to connect, wonder, and build relationships.

What is your favorite summer read-aloud? Share below! ☀️