Better Kid Care

Keep the standard high every single day so you're always ready for whatever comes your way! 🌟 As Shae White reminds us, staying prepared means never having to scramble when inspection day arrives.

Summer time is camping time! ⛺🌲

Even if it’s in your backyard, even if it’s inside, tents and forts can lead to summertime FUN!

Building a fort with sheets and chairs takes lots of planning and gross motor skills, and it leads to a wonderland of imagination and mysterious conversations.

How can you invite this sort of play today?

When early childhood education (ECE) and out-of-school-time (OST) providers use social media to communicate with families and communities and share information about their programs, accessibility matters!

Did you know you can make your posts even more inclusive by using "Camel Case" hashtags (e.g., )? 🐪 Capitalizing the first letter of each word improves readability for everyone and helps screen readers pronounce them correctly.

Learn five tips from CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology) to ensure more people can engage with your social media posts:
[Link: https://www.cast.org/resources/how-to-create-accessible-social-media-posts/]

📚 We love a good book list, especially one that supports children, family literacy, and includes activities to try! Pennsylvania Center for the Book's 23rd annual "A Baker’s Dozen: Thirteen Best Children’s Books for Family Literacy," for 2026, is accompanied by activities tailored to each book on the list (available free, online) to assist parents, caregivers, and educators with enhancing the reading experience of young learners while advancing reading comprehension.

Access the book list and tailored activities on the Bakers Dozen Website: [Link: https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/awards-contests/bakers-dozen]

Learn more about Pennsylvania Center for the Book here: [Link: https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/]

New! ✨ An "Early Childhood Weather Guide " was developed by the Natural Start Alliance in partnership with Dr. Aliza Yair. This two-page resource was designed to help early childhood programs make confident and safe decisions about outdoor time year-round. The Outdoor Weather Guide includes:

- Quick reference guide for temperature-related illness and first aid

- Key practices for keeping young children safe, healthy, and comfortable in the sun, rain, and snow

- Breakdown of various weather conditions and terms

Access the guide here:
[Link: bit.ly/ECWeatherGuide]

SUN & HEAT SAFETY 🔥🌤

Beat the summer heat with these cool strategies:

- Schedule outdoor time in the morning or late afternoon when the sun is less intense

- Provide shade and cool-down breaks throughout the day

- Encourage students to wear lightweight clothing & hats

- Watch for signs of heat exhaustion

- Make hydration part of your routine - offer water frequently, don’t wait for thirst!

WATER PLAY SAFETY 💦

Use the tips below to make a SPLASH this summer - safely!

💧 When near water, always provide active, close supervision.

💧 Ensure you are using proper child-to-staff ratios.

💧 Empty water tables & small pools immediately after use; no standing water means no surprises!

💧 For deeper water, ensure that properly trained lifeguards are present for all swimming and wading activities.

Happy June! Are you ready for safe summer fun? This week, we will remind you of some special health and safety considerations for summertime.

☀️ FUN IN THE SUN ☀️

Hopefully you will be spending lots of time outside, so make sure you are safe from harmful UV rays by:

- Checking sunscreens for expiration and requesting more from parents as needed

- Getting parent permission to apply sunscreen and insect repellent

- Applying sunscreen BEFORE outdoor play

- Reapplying sunscreen every 2 hours (or after water play)

With a little preparation, you'll be safe in the sunshine all day long! 😎

Books can help children dig even deeper into gardening and nature exploration. Stories about seeds, gardens, flowers, and growing things can spark curiosity, introduce new vocabulary, and inspire hands-on outdoor learning experiences.

Looking for ideas? Check out this list! 📖🌱
[Link] https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1497890799/1652309710

Want to learn more about gardening with young children?

Check out our “Fresh Harvest: Children Grow in the Garden” course for creative ideas to support hands-on learning through gardening. Whether you have a large outdoor space, a few containers, or a windowsill for seedlings, gardening can spark curiosity, exploration, and meaningful learning experiences for young children.

[Link] https://extension.psu.edu/programs/betterkidcare/lessons/fresh-harvest