Lafayette Ready Start

10/05/2026

❤💛💙It's Milestone Monday!

Big moves for little bodies! 🏃‍♂️✨ Two-year-olds are suddenly on the go, testing their limits, and building the essential large muscle groups needed for a lifetime of movement.

Gross motor skills involve using the arms, legs, and core. At age two, development shifts from just walking to mastering coordination, balance, and power.

🎯 2-Year-Old Milestones
➡Running confidently
➡Kicking a ball forward
➡Jumping off low steps
➡Walking backward safely
➡Balancing on one foot briefly

🎈 Easy Indoor Games
🌄The Floor is Lava: Place pillows on the carpet to build balance and spatial awareness.
🐘Animal Walks: Have them frog-jump, bear-crawl, or waddle like a duck to engage core muscles.
🎈Balloon Keep-Uppy: Toss a balloon in the air to challenge their hand-eye coordination.
〰️Streamer Jumps: Tape crepe paper across a hallway at different low heights to practice jumping over or crawling under.

Every child develops at their own beautiful pace. Provide them space to explore, climb safely, and move every single day!

💾 Save this post for your next rainy day play session!

👇 What is your toddler's absolute favorite way to stay active? Let us know in the comments!

10/02/2026

❤️💛💙 Follow Us Friday!!

Help us grow!

Do you know someone who has a young child? 👶🏾👶🏼👶🏿

Do you know someone who teaches and cares for young children? 🏫🍎✏️

Are you looking for information on early childhood education programs?💞🏫🧩

Invite them to follow our page! We will continue sharing developmental information, local resources, and enjoyable activities!

10/01/2026

Come join us for these FREE family events!

Update: Limited Seats have been added to our event at Children’s Museum. All other events are SOLD OUT. Stay tuned for more events in the future!

🎈 LPSS Early Childhood Presents: FREE FAMILY DAYS! 🎈

Join the Early Childhood Department of Lafayette Parish School System for our upcoming "Play & Grow on the Go" events!

We cover entry fees for all registered attendees, and every family in attendance will receive a Family Kit to continue learning and engaging at home with their infants, toddlers, and preschoolers!

🗓 MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
1️⃣ Friday, Oct 16 (3–5 PM):We Rock the Spectrum - Lafayette

2️⃣ Friday, Oct 23 (6–8 PM)Children's Museum of Acadiana

3️⃣ Sunday, Nov 8 (3–5 PMWe Rock the Spectrum - Lafayette

🚨 IMPORTANT DETAILS:
* Seats/spots are limited for each event!
* Pre-registration is REQUIRED for free entry.
* Open to Lafayette Parish families with children under the age of 5.

📲 Scan the QR code or RSVP today: tinyurl.com/lpssplaygrow

09/30/2026

Today, members of our Early Childhood team attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Gulf Coast Social Services! We’re proud to celebrate this exciting milestone and support organizations that are making a difference in our community.

𝑃𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝐿𝑒𝑓𝑡 - 𝑅𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡:
𝐾𝑎𝑡𝑦 𝑅𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑟, 𝐿𝑃𝑆𝑆 𝐸𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑦 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝐿𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝐴𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 𝐶𝑜𝑎𝑐ℎ;
𝐷𝑟. 𝐿𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑎 𝑀𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑟-𝐻𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑛, 𝐺𝑢𝑙𝑓 𝐶𝑜𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑆𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑆𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝐿𝑎𝑓𝑎𝑦𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒 & 𝐿𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑅𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝐷𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟;
𝑀𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒 𝐻𝑢𝑛𝑡, 𝐿𝑃𝑆𝑆 𝐸𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑦 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑀𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 & 𝐷𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝐶𝑜𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟;
𝑆𝑎𝑟𝑎ℎ 𝐷𝑜𝑤𝑛s, 𝐿𝑃𝑆𝑆 𝐸𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑦 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝐺𝑢𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝐹𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟

09/28/2026

❤💛💙 It's Milestone Monday!

🏃‍♂️ From toddling to running! 🏃‍♀️

Between 18 and 24 months, your little one’s gross motor skills are exploding. They aren't just getting from point A to point B anymore—they are testing their strength, balance, and coordination every single day!

Here are the big gross motor milestones to look out for during this stage:
Running & Walking: Starts to run and can walk backward.
Jumping: Can jump up or forward a few inches, and jump down off low objects.
Stairs: Walks up and down stairs while holding your hand or a rail.
Ball Skills: Kicks a ball forward and attempts overhand or underhand throwing.
Ride-On Toys: Moves around on a ride-on toy using their feet (no pedals needed).

💡 Fun ways to practice at home:
Create a living room obstacle course: Use couch cushions to climb over and painter's tape lines to jump over.
Play animal charades: Tumble in the grass and pretend to hop like frogs or march like bears.
Head to the playground: Let them practice climbing up small ladders and sliding down.

✨ Reminder: Every child develops on their own unique timeline. Milestones are just helpful guides, not deadlines!

👇 What is your toddler’s favorite way to stay active right now? Let us know in the comments!

09/25/2026

🦸‍♂️ Pow! Bam! It’s National Comic Book Day and Lafayette Ready Start is celebrating! 💥

Looking for a fun way to power up storytime today? Reading comic books and graphic novels isn’t just super fun—it’s actually an incredible way to build early literacy skills for young kids! 📚✨

The vibrant pictures help little ones follow along with the plot, while short, punchy speech bubbles make reading feel way less intimidating for emerging readers. Plus, who doesn't love a great hero story?

Here are 3 quick ways to celebrate as a family today:

Visit Your Local Library or Comic Shop: Let your kids pick out a beginner-friendly graphic novel (think Elephant & Piggie, Dog Man, or Spidey and His Amazing Friends).

Create Your Own Superhero: Grab some paper and crayons! Have your kids draw themselves with a cape and invent their own silly superpower.

Act Out the Onomatopoeias: Read a comic together and practice making all the sound effects out loud—ZAP! WHOOSH! CRUNCH!

What is your child’s absolute favorite hero or comic character right now? Let us know in the comments below! 👇👇

09/22/2026

🚨 LOUISIANA BUSINESSES, THIS OPPORTUNITY IS FOR YOU! 🚨

Did you know your business can support local early childhood education while potentially receiving a dollar-for-dollar refundable Louisiana state tax credit? Through the 2026 Workforce Child Care Tax Credit (WCCTC), businesses can donate up to $5,000 and receive up to a $5,000 refundable state tax credit.

Join the many busineses who have already given their committment to invest in Early Childhood!

Your investment helps:
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Support working families
📚 Strengthen early childhood education
💼 Build a stronger, more reliable workforce
🌱 Invest in a brighter future for our community

When you invest in child care, you invest in the future of Louisiana!
📨Don't wait! Donations must be postmarked by December 31, 2026.

📞 Want to learn more about how your business can benefit?
Contact Michelle Hunt
📲 (337) 521-7209
📧 [email protected]
👉 Let's keep our community ON TRACK BY 5!

09/21/2026

❤💛💙It's Milestone Monday!

🚀 12-18 MONTHS: It’s More Than Just Walking! 👣

When your baby hits 12 months, gross motor development shifts into high gear. But guess what? It is not just about taking those first independent steps. It is about balance, spatial awareness, and building total body confidence!

Every toddler moves on their own unique timeline. Here is what they are usually working on right now:
Cruising & Walking: Moving from holding furniture to balancing alone.
Climbing: Trying to scale cushions, low steps, or couches.
Squatting: Bending down to grab a toy and standing back up without falling.
Pushing & Pulling: Shoving heavy boxes or pulling toys behind them.

✨ 3 Easy Ways to Support Them at Home:
Ditch the Containers: Maximize floor time and limit high chairs or strollers.
Build a Couch-Cushion Obstacle Course: Let them climb safely over soft obstacles to build core strength.
Play Chase with Bubbles: Encourages sudden direction changes, reaching, and hurried walking.

Tag a fellow toddler parent who needs to hear this today! 👇❤️

09/19/2026

Hear ye, hear ye!! National Talk Like a Pirate Day is here!

It’s time to set sail for a day full of giggles, imaginative play, and plenty of “Ahoy!”s around the dinner table. You don't need a full costume or a ship to join the fun—just a little pirate lingo and a lot of imagination!

Try These Pirate Phrase Swaps Today:

Hello ➔ "Ahoy, matey!"

Yes ➔ "Aye, Aye!"

Friends/Family ➔ "Me Hearties"

Food/Snacks ➔ "Grub"

Bedtime ➔ "Time to hit the bunk!"

3 Easy Ways to Celebrate at Home:

🦜 Name Your Pet: Turn your dog or cat into your trusty parrot or First Mate.

🗺️ Living Room Treasure Hunt: Hide a small toy or snack, draw a quick map on a piece of paper, and put an X where the loot is!

👁️ DIY Eye Patches: Cut a quick circle out of black construction paper and tape a piece of yarn to it. Instant pirate transformation!

What's your kiddo’s official pirate name? Combine their favorite color + favorite fruit (e.g., Captain Red Banana) and drop it in the comments below! 👇🏴‍☠️