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Healthy Harvest Plans & Activities |
Fall in NC is a great time to learn about all the foods we can grow and harvest here! Our climate is warm and pleasant for much of the year, creating a longer growing season than places further north. Take advantage of our location to teach your class all about a healthy harvest!
Roots & Shoots is a great Pre-K lesson plan for learning about different kinds of vegetables that grow above and below ground. Plus, it was created by Growing Minds right here in NC.
Harvest of the Month has a loooong list of resources for just about any fruit or vegetable you can think of. They are organized by season, with different activities and ideas for classrooms, parents, and community, and they are available in English and Spanish.
Besides apples (check out NC Crunch!), what else is part of a healthy harvest in October?
- Beets
- Cabbage
- Collards, kale, lettuce and other greens
- Peanuts
- Persimmons
- Pumpkins
- Radishes
- Sweet potatoes
- Turnips
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For the home - content provided by our partner: |
Tips for Preparing Meals with Children |
It is never too early to engage children in preparing meals. Not only are you helping to build healthy eating habits, you can work on language, motor, and early learning skills in your everyday routine.
Babies:
- Talk about what you're doing as you prepare a meal. Narrate your actions and describe tastes, smells, and colors. Let your baby explore the kitchen by banging pots and pans, nesting measuring cups and spoons, or finger painting with pureed vegetables.
Toddlers:
- Engage your toddler in preparing their own meal to build buy-in at mealtime. Actions as simple as spreading the sunbutter on their sandwich, adding or stirring ingredients, or allowing them to select a new fruit or vegetable at the grocery store to try each week promotes ownership.
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Preschool:
- Make a simple recipe with your child. Counting or measuring ingredients, following multi-step commands, and remembering the sequence of instructions all build math concepts and working memory.
Whatever food traditions are a part of your family, get little ones involved and build memories together!
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Wake Connections is a one-stop coordinated intake system for families in Wake County. One click gets you connected to ALL Wake Connections programs. |
Recruiting for High School Class of 2033! |
Did your child turn 4 by August 31, 2019?
Apply for Pre-K now! WCSS hosts events at our office every Thursday from 2 - 4pm to walk you through the application process. One application allows your child to be considered for NC Pre-K and Head Start, which are both FREE and prepare children for Kindergarten in a high quality classroom setting.
Click here to print the application and for more information.
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Featured Book: Pizza Day
Written & Illustrated by: Melissa Iwai
Highlights: A father and son spend a hot summer day together gathering vegetables and herbs, making pizza dough and sauce, and playing while their pizza bakes in the oven. Includes a recipe for Garden Pizza!
Best for: Pre-K, ages 3-5
Wake County Public Library Programming: Wake County Public Libraries, between October 25 - 31, will offer holiday themed programs. Check out the events calendar to find dates and times for Halloween Hoot programs at your local library!
Literacy Tip: Make meal preparation a family event. Work together to write out shopping lists, recipes, or menus.
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Want FREE books for your child under 5? Join the Imagination Library today! |
Each month we celebrate the child care facilities that have recently obtained or retained a five star rating!
Congratulations to:
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Looking for an interesting way to serve your child seasonal veggies? Try making your food the bowl!
Acorn squash is sweet and can be scooped out from the hull. Use your oven or microwave to cook the squash, then have some fun mixing in fruit and nuts for a fall treat!
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Go apple picking this fall to take advantage of the nice, cool weather!
Can't make it to a real orchard? Create your own! You can use squishy balls or even rolled up socks as apples. Give your children directions for how to "pick" them - make it harder by saying they can't use their hands! Check out the game online for full instructions.
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Did you know WCSS is a nonprofit and relies on support from members of our community like you? Visit our website today to see how you can make a difference for each child, in every community in Wake County. |
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