Rachael’s Rascals Childcare & Early Learning

🧡 Sick Season Reminder 🧡

To help keep everyone healthy, please keep your child home if they are showing any signs of illness, including:

• Fever
• Vomiting or diarrhea
• Cough
• Runny nose with colored mucus
• Sore throat
• Pink eye
• Rash of unknown cause
• Excessive fatigue
• Not acting like themselves

Children must remain home until they have been symptom-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing or symptom-masking medications before returning to daycare.

Thank you for helping us keep our little rascals healthy and preventing the spread of illness. We appreciate your partnership! 🩵💛🧡

🍕 Pita Pizza Lunch 🍕or 🌭 Hot Dog Lunch 🌭

Today’s lunch was 100% kid-made! 🥪🍓🫑

I set out the ingredients and stepped back. The kiddos cut up their own toppings, spread the peanut butter and jelly, built their own sandwiches, and created lunches that were uniquely theirs.

Were there rules? Not really. 😂

If someone wanted cheese balls with bell peppers, that’s exactly what they had. The goal wasn’t a picture-perfect plate, it was building confidence, independence, fine motor skills, decision making, and a willingness to try new things, or the choice not to try something this time.

Sometimes the best learning happens when we simply give children the tools… and let them lead. ❤️💚💛

Sometimes the most meaningful books on our shelves aren’t the ones we reach for the most. ❤️ Most of the time I reach for something completely different.

Rosie and I found these beautiful books at a pow wow a while back, and they have become such special treasures in our home and daycare. Written and illustrated by Indigenous authors, they opened the door to one of my favorite conversations today.

I asked the kiddos, “What fills your heart with happiness?” Their answers were so sweet:
🍬 Candy
🐶 “My dog!” (in the cutest southern accent)
👦 My brother
🌊 Playing in the water with my sister, Mom & Dad
❤️ Mom and Dad
👵 My grandma
🤝 Holding hands with friends and family
☀️ Outside

There is something so special about hearing the world through a child’s eyes. Their answers are simple, honest, and a beautiful reminder of what matters most. 💛

🍎 Before & After School Care Openings! 🍎

Need dependable childcare that works with your schedule? We’ve got you covered!

☀️ Opens at 5:00 AM
🚌 Bussing to Washington Elementary, Heritage Charter, & Elevate Academy
❤️ Safe, reliable, licensed childcare in a warm, family-focused environment.

✨ Spots are limited for the upcoming school year—message me today to schedule a tour before they’re gone! 💙💛🧡

⚽️ Sometimes the best toys are powered by imagination! 💚

I bought the soccer players… but I didn’t get the soccer field, goals, and even the soccer ball. 🤦‍♀️

Did that stop them? Nope!

They used the LEGO table, built their own soccer field, created goals, found a ball, and got right to playing. 💛❤️💚💙

This is exactly why I love child-led play. A little creativity, a lot of teamwork, and endless imagination can turn “missing pieces” into the best part of the game. 🥰

Breakfast for lunch is always a hit! 🌯🍓🥕🥒
Today’s lunch was homemade ham & egg breakfast burritos with string cheese, yogurt topped with fresh raspberries and blackberries, plus cucumber and carrot sticks.

Simple, balanced, and kid-approved (well… by most of them 😄).

🧚✨ After making our fairy crowns, the magic continued! Brantley used his own money to buy everything we needed to create a fairy garden for the daycare. The kiddos worked together to collect things for the little fairy village, complete with tiny homes, woodland friends, and plenty of imagination. 💚🌿

✨ My favorite gal pals (only missing one) collected all the leaves, flowers, and greenery they could find, and Miss Rachael turned their treasures into beautiful fairy crowns. 🌿🧚‍♀️

We were so excited to finally get back outside! ☀️ We didn’t just go out once—we went out twice, spending over 3 hours outside today! Our happy little rascals made for a wonderful day! 💛🌿