Vermilion County Pre-K

Screenings start again in August. Reminder: Scheduling begins August 3, 2026.

The OSF HealthCare Care-A-Van will be at the library on Tuesday, May 5th!

The OSF Care-A-Van travels around Vermilion County to bring health care to residents where they are, including workplaces, schools and churches, to make sure transportation doesn't stop you from getting high-quality health care.

Services offered by the mobile health clinic:

Advanced care planning
Adult well-visit physicals
Establish care with a pediatrician
Free blood pressure checks
Health coverage registration
Health education
School and sports physicals
Sick visits (child or adult)
Vaccinations (child or adult)

💙 **Happy Family Friday!** 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

We’ve reached the final day of **Week of the Young Child**, and we’re wrapping it up with the most important piece of the puzzle: **YOU!**

Family Friday is all about celebrating the unique bond between children and their families. You are your child’s first and most influential teacher. Today is about slowing down, unplugging, and making memories that build a foundation of love and security. ✨

# # # 🏠 5 Ways to Celebrate Family Friday:

* **🏰 The Living Room Fort:** Grab every blanket and pillow in the house! Build a giant fort together and spend the afternoon inside reading books by flashlight or telling silly stories.
* **🌳 Family "Follow the Leader" Walk:** Head to a local park or just around the block. Take turns being the leader—if the leader hops like a frog or spins in a circle, everyone else has to do it too!
* **📖 The "When I Was Little" Storytime:** Pull out some old photo albums or digital pictures. Preschoolers *love* hearing stories about when they were babies, or even better, stories about when **you** were a kid!
* **🍿 Backyard (or Living Room) Picnic:** Spread out a blanket and have dinner on the floor. Let your preschooler "host" the picnic by handing out the napkins and choosing the music.
* **🎨 The Family Handprint Poster:** Get a big piece of paper and have every family member add their handprint using different colors. It’s a beautiful visual of how you all fit together.

# # # ❤️ A Note of Appreciation
Raising a young child is a big job, and today we celebrate your hard work, patience, and love. Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or guardian—thank you for everything you do to support our youngest learners!

# # # 📸 Capture the Moment!
How are you spending your ** **? Whether it’s a quiet cuddle on the couch or a big outdoor adventure, we’d love to see it! Post your family photos in the comments below. 👇

🎨 **It’s Artsy Thursday!** 🖌️

Get ready to get a little messy and a lot creative! Today for **Week of the Young Child**, we are celebrating the joy of process art. For preschoolers, art isn't about the final masterpiece—it’s about the squish of the paint, the stroke of the brush, and the "I made this!" feeling of discovery. 🌈✨

When children create, they are developing fine motor skills, spatial awareness, and a unique way to express their feelings.

# # # 🎨 5 Ways to Explore Art at Home:

* **👣 Sensory Finger (or Toe!) Painting:** Put some washable paint on a tray and let them explore textures. Try adding a little salt or sand to the paint to change how it feels!
* **📦 The "Box" Transformation:** Give a child a large cardboard box and some markers or crayons. Is it a spaceship? A castle? A submarine? It’s the ultimate canvas for open-ended play.
* **🍃 Nature Collages:** Head outside for a "treasure hunt" to find leaves, sticks, and petals. Glue them onto paper to create a natural masterpiece. It’s art and science combined!
* **🧊 Ice Cube Painting:** Freeze water with a few drops of food coloring in an ice tray (insert a popsicle stick for a handle!). As the ice melts on paper, it creates beautiful, swirling watercolor effects.
* **Tape Reveal Art:** Use painter’s tape to make shapes or letters on a piece of paper. Let your child paint over the whole thing, then peel the tape away to reveal the "hidden" white lines underneath!

# # # 💡 Pro-Tip for Parents:

Instead of asking "What is it?", try saying **"Tell me about your painting!"** or **"I see you used a lot of bright yellow over here."** This encourages them to describe their process and builds their vocabulary!

# # # 📸 Show Us Your Masterpieces!
We want to turn this comment section into a virtual art gallery! Post a photo of your child’s ** ** creation below. Let’s celebrate our mini Monets and tiny Picassos! 🖼️👇

🤝 **It’s Work Together Wednesday!** 🤝

The theme for day three of **Week of the Young Child** is all about cooperation! When children work together with their families, they build social skills, learn the value of helping others, and develop a sense of "belonging" in their home community.

Big tasks become small when we have little helpers! Today is about celebrating teamwork and the "can-do" spirit of our preschoolers. 🏗️✨

# # # 🏠 Ways to Work Together at Home:

* **🧩 The Big Clean-Up Challenge:** Turn tidying up into a team sport! Set a timer and see how fast you can work together to get toys back in their bins. "I’ll get the blocks, you get the trucks—go!"
* **🧺 Laundry Match-Up:** Working together doesn't have to be a chore! Sit on the floor and have your child help you find matching pairs of socks. It’s a great way to practice visual discrimination and sorting.
* **🌳 Neighborhood Beauty Crew:** Grab some gloves and a bag and go for a walk together. Work as a team to pick up litter or pull a few weeds in the garden. It teaches them that even small hands can take care of the Earth.
* **🧸 Toy "Wash":** Set up a bucket of soapy water outside or in the tub. Work together to give the plastic dinosaurs or cars a "spa day." One person soaps, the other rinses!
* **🥘 Family Meal Assembly Line:** Setting the table is the ultimate teamwork task. One person handles the napkins, another the forks, and another the cups.

# # # 🌟 Why it Matters:
When we encourage our kids to "help," we aren't just getting things done—we are building their confidence. Even if the socks aren't folded perfectly or the table is a little crooked, the **pride** they feel is what counts!

# # # 📸 Teamwork Makes the Dream Work!
What "job" does your preschooler love to help with? Post a photo or a shout-out to your favorite little helper in the comments below! 👇