Arkansas Children's Week 2019 Planning Toolkit - Hands-In Learning: Sand, Water, Mud, and More! April 8 - 12, 2019
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Arkansas
Children’s Week
2019
Planning Toolkit
Hands-In Learning: Sand, Water, Mud, and More!
April 8 – 12, 2019
Arkansas State University Childhood Services - Arkansas Children's Week Planning Toolkit - 2019
Welcome to the Arkansas Children’sWeek PlanningToolkit!
Toolkit Contents: This toolkit was developed to help children’s programs
across the state celebrate Arkansas Children’s Week.
Planning an
Arkansas Children’s Use the materials in this booklet to guide your planning and
Week Family Event to inform your families, the media, and community about
Contacting Local your events and the value of this type of messy play. You
Media will find explanations and samples that you can either copy
Social Media or customize to fit your needs.
Supporting Families Let us know about the special events you conduct during
in Creating a Sand Arkansas Children’sWeek and any additional events you
Kitchen plan that was inspired by Arkansas Children’s Week! A link
T-Shirt design and to an electronic form is available at the end of this toolkit.
T-Shirt day Use it to share with us the amazing events you hosted for
“Tell Us!” Link your program, your families, and community!
Arkansas State University Childhood Services - Arkansas Children's Week Planning Toolkit - 2019
Each county/community in our state is unique.
The celebration of Arkansas Children’s Week will
differ from community to community. In some
areas there will be big events hosted by a
collaboration of organizations. In some parts of
Planning and our state, the celebration will be in an individual
child care program, family child care home, or
Conducting an school. No matter the size of the celebration,
we are celebrating our children!
Arkansas Be sure to congratulate and to celebrate those
Children’s who work with children in your area – give them a
bonus, send flowers, order lunch, have a surprise
Week Family party including your families, do something special
and fun for your program staff!
Event Reach out to colleagues and others in your
community and encourage them to become part
of Arkansas Children’s Week!
Hands-In Learning: Exploring Sand, Water, Mud, and More!
Arkansas State University Childhood Services - Arkansas Children's Week Planning Toolkit - 2019
How to pull together collaborative
groups within your region or community
Planning and Identify several key people in your region or
community with contacts/influence; people that
you know will support the project; and people
Conducting an who are in-the-know about what’s going on in
your community.
Arkansas Include representation from a variety of early
education programs: private, Head Start, ABC,
faith-based, school-age, family child care, public
Children’s school, etc.
Schedule an initial planning meeting with only
Week Family a few key people (6 to 10 at the most)
Develop an outline for the event
Event – Brainstorm ideas for partners –
individuals, agencies, organizations,
groups
Brainstorm locations for the event
Identify possible dates
Who? Develop a timeline of what needs to be
done by when
Develop a projected budget for the event
Decide on person(s) to coordinate the
event
Arkansas State University Childhood Services - Arkansas Children's Week Planning Toolkit - 2019
How to pull together collaborative groups
within your region or community
Planning and Schedule an expanded meeting, inviting
representatives from the identified partners. Be
Conducting an specific as to the purpose of the meeting. Ask for
commitments from those who plan to attend and
send them a reminder email.
Arkansas Have an agenda for the meeting, including the
Children’s event outline, possible locations, dates, timeline,
major tasks/sub-committees.
Week Family Solicit additional ideas from those in attendance.
Identify sources of support, financial and other, for
Event – the event.
Identify persons who are willing to be responsible
for each major task/sub-committee.
Who? Additional meetings will be necessary. However
schedule only if there are specific things to
discuss/decide. You may decide to have the
leadership team meet and communicate with
partners via email.
Arkansas State University Childhood Services - Arkansas Children's Week Planning Toolkit - 2019
Selecting a site and date
Find out what is going on in your community
Planning and that might conflict with the event.
Explore planned events with which you might
Conducting an piggyback: kindergarten roundup, hospital
health screenings, or a community festival, for
example.
Arkansas Look at the spaces available in your community
and consider the benefits or drawbacks of each.
Children’s Consider the size of the space thinking of how
many people it will accommodate. Consider the
Week Family
location – do people know how to get there?
Think of the parking availability. Investigate the
set-up and clean-up hours and what materials
Event – the site would provide.
Be sure to ask about restrictions for the space
you are considering, as in what can be displayed
or sold/not sold, food allowed/not allowed,
handicap accessibility, liability insurance.
Where? When? Some possible sites include: local parks, church
hall/gym, school gym, YMCA, Boys & Girls Club,
shopping mall, community center, recreation or
event center.
Arkansas State University Childhood Services - Arkansas Children's Week Planning Toolkit - 2019
Insurance and Safety Precautions
Find out from the event site who is the liable party. Is event insurance
required and if so, who is the recommended carrier?
Planning and Is there security at the site? Is your organization responsible fro
providing security and if so, what is required?
Conducting an Individuals from your group should be alert during the event and report
concerns.
Arkansas On all information provided to families, clearly state: KEEP YOUR CHILD
WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES. Stress to workers that they are not to allow
Children’s families to leave their children with them while they shop, etc., and that
they are to encourage family participation in the activities.
Week Family Possible Community Support and Services Stations at Event
Event – Educational programs from local museums, galleries, or parks
Volunteers from a local band, orchestra, or musical group
Health Department or educational outreach from local hospital
Considerations
Police/Sheriff/Fire Department/Ambulance
Screenings – Developmental, Vision, Hearing
Public Library
Area State Park
Arkansas State University Childhood Services - Arkansas Children's Week Planning Toolkit - 2019
Everyone loves free stuff Ideas for Door Prizes during the event:
and door prizes and goodie Gift certificates/passes for a nearby
bags can be a great way to community pool or aquatic center
Planning and get people to attend! Gift certificates from local merchants
However if you choose to
Conducting an distribute goodie bags
Age appropriate games
Arkansas and/or have door prizes, Bubble solution with interesting bubble-
blowers
here are some things to
Children’s Week consider:
Gift cards for downloadable music
Family Event – Make sure door prizes are
Playdough ingredients with instructions
appropriate for children and
families. Ideas for Goodie Bags distributed at the
event:
Door Prizes Avoid having door prized become
the focal point of the event.
Information about local happenings for
and/or
families and children
Focus on having children and
Brochures from your local public library
families playing and learning
Goodie Bags together. Brochures from your local nature or garden
center
Establish in advance how door
Health and safety information for families
prizes are to be awarded and
share the door prize rules. Information from your area state park
Arkansas State University Childhood Services - Arkansas Children's Week Planning Toolkit - 2019
Collaborating with Local Partners
Planning and
Conducting an When collaborating with local partners, a
partnership agreement can be helpful to clarify
Arkansas expectations and to avoid miscommunication.
The partnership agreement should include the
name, date, and site of the event, as well as the
Children’s sponsoring group and the name of the partner.
The agreement should list out what the partner
Week Family will contribute to the event, such as money,
volunteer service, product donation, sponsor a
Event – station, etc. The agreement should also list out
the responsibility of the sponsoring group to the
partner, such as listing partner’s name in the
publicity and acknowledging partnership during
the event. Be sure to include a timeline if
Community applicable. The agreement should state the
address, phone number, and email address for
Partners both partners. Give a copy to each partner so
everyone is on the same page as to what is
expected.
Arkansas State University Childhood Services - Arkansas Children's Week Planning Toolkit - 2019
Planning and Suggested Timeline
Conducting an It is suggested that you begin making
contacts and planning your events for
Arkansas Arkansas Children’s Week well in
advance. Brainstorm everything that
Children’s
you would like to happen during the
week and set a schedule of events.
Include a back-up plan for events –
Week Family have a substitute in mind in case a
special guest cannot make the date or
Event – has to cancel. And don’t forget back-up
locations for events in case of
inclement weather. To insure a
successful event, give adequate notice
Suggested
to special guests, businesses, media,
and families of your plans. Check the
suggested sample timeline and adjust
Timeline it to your own events.
Arkansas State University Childhood Services - Arkansas Children's Week Planning Toolkit - 2019January March
Attend an Arkansas Children’s Week workshop
Planning and
Enlist a planning team
Send out initial communication with families
Set a time for the first meeting of the planning
Conducting an
team Contact local officials regarding proclamations
February Contact local businesses and organizations
Arkansas Meet with the planning team to brainstorm ideas
for Arkansas Children’s Week
regarding their involvement
Meet with planning team for updates on team
Children’s
member responsibilities and additional tasks
Determine responsibilities of team members
Contact the media regarding publicity
Determine budget or funding source
Week Family Keep a record of assignments that team
members volunteer to do
Send letter to the editor regarding awareness
issues
Event – Confirm location for event
Send reminders to staff and parents
Meet with planning team to refine final details for
Contact individuals or groups whom you are
events or projects
inviting to speak or do special presentations
Continue publicity, especially with signs and
Suggested Register to attend one of the Arkansas Children’s
Week workshops offered in various locations
around the state
banners, and social media advertisements
April
Timeline Keep others at your program informed Enjoy your event(s)! Remember we are
celebrating children!
Check community calendar to avoid schedule
conflicts Honor your teachers and parents as well!
Arkansas State University Childhood Services - Arkansas Children's Week Planning Toolkit - 2019Planning and
Conducting an The Week After Your Arkansas
Children’s Week Celebration:
Arkansas Have a get-together of the planning team to
Children’s celebrate and to evaluate
Send certificates to individuals and businesses
Week Family who participated
Event – Pay bills
Keep a file on 2019’s activities for future
reference
Suggested
Tell us how your event went! Type this link
into your browser to access the form.
Timeline
Arkansas State University Childhood Services - Arkansas Children's Week Planning Toolkit - 2019When you have a special event in your
program/community, we suggest you
contact the local media to advertise your
event. Send press releases to all local
newspapers, and invitations to radio stations
and local television stations. Check with local
radio and television programs that will
announce community events. Contact them
Contact several weeks in advance. If they ask for a
Local Media guest to appear on air, send someone
knowledgeable about early childhood as well
as the Arkansas Children’s Week event to
speak on the program. Include special guest
names, especially elected officials and
sponsoring organizations or businesses. Use
the letter to the editor to announce
community events and draw attention to
Arkansas Children’s Week.
Arkansas State University Childhood Services - Arkansas Children's Week Planning Toolkit - 2019Arkansas Children’s Week
Media
Invitation [Name(s) of your Affiliate/Organization(s)] is celebrating Arkansas Children’s Week,
April 8 – 12, 2019! This is an opportunity to show what organizations in [your city] are
doing to help young children here in our community.
[Describe your event, highlighting any visual opportunities the news station can
(To send to your video or the newspaper can photograph. This could include the reading of a
proclamation by a local official or it could be something visually interesting at your
local news or cable event.]
television station to [Name(s) and Title of your Affiliate/Organization’s Leader(s)] will be on hand to
discuss Arkansas Children’s Week and the local impact of important early childhood
cover your education issues, including public child care subsidies and school readiness [or other
Arkansas Children’s issues important to your community].
For more information about covering Arkansas Children’s Week events, please
Week event) contact [Name(s) and Title of your Affiliate/Organization’s Leader(s)] at [email
address] or [phone number].
Arkansas State University Childhood Services - Arkansas Children's Week Planning Toolkit - 2019 Sharing with others on Social Media is a great way to let the
community know all of the fantastic things you are doing in your
program!
Some key considerations:
Make sure you have a media release signed for every child whose
picture you would like to share. And make sure parents or guardians
understand you could be using their child’s photo for social media.
Social Media If you want to use a photo from a website, a blog, or the internet,
ask for permission first. Just because it’s on the internet, doesn’t
make it free to use.
Follow and share from our social media accounts!
Our Facebook page can be found by searching for “Arkansas State
University Childhood Services”.
Our Instagram account can be found by searching for
“astate.childhood.services”.
We will be posting all week long – so look for our posts!
Arkansas State University Childhood Services - Arkansas Children's Week Planning Toolkit - 2019Sensory •Sand and mud play awaken the senses! Children actively investigate through touch,
movement, and more. Sensory experiences can be both soothing and exciting,
Exploration
But what are
promoting concentration and focus.
•When children play with sand, mud, and water, they explore how natural materials
Understanding
children really Our World
can be mixed and changed. This supports science learning. Our authentic kitchen
equipment also encourages children to notice the different properties of wood,
metal, and plastic.
learning when Physical
•Sand and water are heavy, but children are up for the challenge! Children use
muscles and motor planning to lift and carry pans and bowls. They also build hand-
they’re playing in Development eye coordination and fine motor skills as they pour carefully and use utensils such as
spoons and spatulas.
the Sand Math Learning
•Sand kitchen play naturally encourages children to group objects, measure, count,
categorize, and compare quantities. Children are building important math sense
Kitchen?
that will be of benefit to them as learners for years to come.
• Children explore cause and effect and learn to navigate new tools. They use
Logical Reasoning observation and thinking skills to solve real problems and figure out how things
work.
Take a look at
•Children use their imagination as they play. They are learning to think symbolically,
Creative Thinking pretending that soggy sand is delicious bread dough or twigs are pretty candles for a
birthday cake. Adults notice how children improvise as they play.
this list! Communication
•Children are eager to tell about their creative play. Adults can join in to support by:
•Participating in back-and-forth conversations as part of pretend play.
•Wondering aloud with children, asking open-ended questions about the child’s
and Language ideas and what the child thinks might happen next.
Development •Introducing and practicing new and interesting words such as ingredients, whisk,
and batter.
Arkansas State University Childhood Services - Arkansas Children's Week Planning Toolkit - 20191. Pick a perfect place
• Find a quiet corner of the yard where children can get messy and engage in long pretend play games.
• Many families find it helpful to place their play kitchen within easy reach of a water hose.
Some Tips to 2. Furnish the kitchen
• Commercial play kitchens are available, or Pinterest features many ideas for building a kitchen from scratch.
Share with • Other possibilities include a child-sized picnic table, a weatherproof shelf, milk crates, or a kitchen area made of concrete
blocks and boards. A play kitchen doesn’t have to be fancy to be fun!
Families about 3. Add cookware and other kitchen gear
• Begin by thinking about the experiences you would like for the child to have. Instead of buying expensive toys, look for
Setting Sand old, real cookware at garage sales or thrift stores.
• Match the materials to the ages and interests of the children. Avoid items that are rusty or have sharp edges.
• Cookware can be organized on hooks, shelves, or pegboards. You may wish to offer aprons, too.
(or mud) 4. Offer something to scoop and pour
Kitchen at • Provide clean sand or plain dirt (not potting soil) at ground level or in an easy-to-reach container.
• Containers that can be covered – such as a lidded sandbox –can help protect from animal contamination and very bad
weather.
Home… 5. Patiently teach you child about their new kitchen.
• Which natural materials from your yard can be gathered for creative play? Do any kitchen items need to be handled
gently? How can your child go about tidying the space and washing hands when finished playing?
• At first, adults may need to provide special support before and after mud/sand kitchen use, but children will soon
understand the guidelines and exciting possibilities for their play!
Arkansas State University Childhood Services - Arkansas Children's Week Planning Toolkit - 2019…Such as cake pans,
Mixing Baking Bake pizza pans, and
Bowls Racks ware… muffin tins
Potential Items
to Include in Pots and
Tea Kettle
Metal
Camp
Whisks,
spatulas,
Your Sand (or Pans
Mugs and ladles
Mud) Kitchen Measuring
Canisters or
Baskets of
…Such as acorns,
flower petals,
Colanders Natural pebbles, leaves, and
cups
Items… twigs
Arkansas State University Childhood Services - Arkansas Children's Week Planning Toolkit - 2019T-Shirt Day April 11, 2019
With over 66%
of the vote,
the 2019
Arkansas
Children’s
Week T-Shirt
color is
“Splashy
Aquamarine!” Join with others across the state and
wear your ACW shirt with pride!
Arkansas State University Childhood Services - Arkansas Children's Week Planning Toolkit - 2019You may take
this t-shirt
design to any
t-shirt vendor
to have your
ACW t-shirt
made.
Arkansas State University Childhood Services - Arkansas Children's Week Planning Toolkit - 2019We want to
hear from you! Type the link below into your
preferred internet browser. A
Tell us all form will appear where you can
type in your answers.
about your
Arkansas https://goo.gl/forms/ugITxl
Children’s MgGP8GXElj2
Week event!
Arkansas State University Childhood Services - Arkansas Children's Week Planning Toolkit - 2019Arkansas Children’s Week Events are a
time to celebrate your families, to
celebrate the children in your care, and
to celebrate the amazing work you do
each and every day!
So don’t forget to have fun!
Enjoy!
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