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Children 3 to 5 need to be active throughout the day.

Children and adolescents 6 to 17 need to be active for at least 60 minutes every day.

Recommendations

The amount and types of physical activity recommended vary by a child's age.

Children 3 to 5

Should be physically active throughout the day for growth and development.

Adult caregivers should encourage children to be active when they play, for example by jumping or riding a tricycle.

Children and adolescents 6 to 17

This group needs 60 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity each day, including:

Aerobic activity: Most of the daily 60 minutes or more should include activities such as walking, running, or anything that makes their hearts beat faster. At least 3 days a week should include vigorous-intensity activities.

Muscle-strengthening: Includes activities like climbing or doing push-ups, at least 3 days a week.

Bone-strengthening: Includes activities such as jumping or running, at least 3 days a week.

Sixty minutes of activity a day may sound like a lot, but don't worry! Your children may already be meeting the recommended physical activity levels. Learn ways to encourage children to participate in a variety of activities that are age-appropriate and enjoyable.

Want to see what counts? Check out examples of aerobic, muscle-strengthening, and bone-strengthening activities for children and adolescents.

Also, school-based physical activity can help children meet the recommended 60 minutes or more of daily physical activity.

Resource‎

Check out this age chart for a quick snapshot of the recommended amount of weekly activity for children and teens.

Common questions

On a scale of 0 to 10, where sitting is a 0 and the highest level of physical activity is 10, moderate-intensity activity is 5 or 6. Vigorous-intensity activity is 7 or 8.

When children engage in moderate-intensity activity, their hearts beat faster and they breathe much harder than when they are at rest or sitting. When children walk to school with friends each morning, they're probably doing moderate-intensity aerobic activity. But when children run or chase others while playing tag during recess, they're probably doing vigorous-intensity activity.

Some physical activity is better suited for children than adolescents. For example, younger children usually strengthen their muscles when they do gymnastics, play on a jungle gym, or climb trees.

Children do not usually need formal muscle-strengthening programs, such as weightlifting. As children grow older and become adolescents, they may start structured weightlifting programs. They may do these types of programs along with their sports team practices.

There are many ways to make physical activity part of a child or adolescent's life. Learn more here.

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Learn how much physical activity children and adolescents ages 3 to 17 need.

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Eight important benefits of healthy eating for children

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Follow these tips to help children who are picky eaters try new foods.

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Tips to Support Healthy Routines for Children and Teens

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Tips to Support Healthy Routines for Children and Teens

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Tips to Support Healthy Routines for Children and Teens

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Parents, guardians, and teachers can help children and teens develop healthy habits with these tips.

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Toddler Visual Schedule with Movable Icons (Free Printable!)

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Free, printable toddler visual schedule that can also be used as a preschool visual schedule. Use to help reduce tantrums and communicate with your toddler.

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Free Visual Schedule for Toddlers/Preschoolers 

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Free Visual Schedule for Toddlers/Preschoolers 

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Visual schedules are a wonderful way to set your day up for success. They give children a clear idea of what the sequence and expectations of the day are. For young children and children with special needs, this is highly important. I've found that showing my kids the plan for the day helps our day run more smoothly.

Today I'm excited to share with you my brand new visual schedule cards. And it's a free printable! This was designed to use with toddlers, but would also be great for preschoolers, children with autism or SPD, and children with other special needs.

I love how these schedule cards turned out! I hired a friend to create the clip art for these cards so they are unique. There are 22 cards, along with blank cards that you can write or draw on.

Visual schedules are static, meaning they remain present after words are spoken. Children can refer to them to understand what is coming next in the day. Regular routines are learned more easily when it is represented visually.

I'm going to share a few ways to use visual schedules. This is to give you some ideas on how you could use the visual cards for your child. Since these cards are designed for young children, there are cards for things a typical toddler would do. There are blank cards that you can write or draw pictures on if you'd like to add something else to your day.

Visual Schedule on the Fridge

The first way is by placing a small magnet on the back of each card and then putting them on the magnetic surface of a refrigerator. Since they have a magnet, it makes it very easy to move the cards around.

You could place them in a straight line or make a couple rows.

Visual Schedule in a Pocket Chart

The next way is to use a pocket chart. Pocket charts are found in a lot of classrooms, so if you are a parent, you may not have one available to you. The pocket charts are nice because you can set the cards in the plastic pouch and move them around easily. This is one we have in our school room and it's nice to have out so that my 3-year-old can see what we have going on for the day.

This pocket chart is from Apple to Zebra and we love how cute it is!

Visual Schedule in a Binder

I love the idea of using a binder and breaking down the day into 3 parts: morning, afternoon, evening. So for the morning, you would have the cards for what the morning routine looks like. For example, it may look like the following picture.

This type of schedule is helpful for children who get overwhelmed by looking at a complete schedule.

Visual Schedule on a Line

Lastly, I like to place a visual schedule on a line of wire with hooks to hang the cards. This wire line is from Ikea and we have it hung in our school room.

In all honesty, I created this schedule to help my youngest with our routine at home. He can have meltdowns when he doesn't want to do what we have planned. He does much better when he knows what is going on. Since he can't read yet, I decided to make this visual schedule for him. This helps him understand what to expect of the day. He loves to see it all! Most of the days, we have the same things going on, but sometimes we add in an appointment or a play date.

If you are also interested in using a visual schedule, I'd love for you to use my free printable! All you need to do is sign up for my weekly newsletter, and then it will be sent to you right away. Make sure to check your spam folder in case the email got sent there.

I'd love to know...who are you going to use this visual schedule with?

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Visual schedules are a wonderful way to set your day up for success. They give children a clear idea of what the sequence and expectations of the day are. For young children and children with special needs, this is highly important. I've found that showing my kids the plan for the day helps our day run more smoothly.

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Positive Parenting Tips: Preschoolers (3–5 years old)

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Positive parenting tips and resources for preschoolers (3–5 years old)

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There are lots of activities that can increase muscle strength and coordination, preparing children for more advanced skills, from writing with a pencil, using a computer mouse, or playing a musical instrument.

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Sleep is critical to children’s everyday functioning. A good night’s sleep helps prepare children to attend to new experiences, positively engage with others, and build memory and attention skills.

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Communicating with Baby:  Tips and Milestones from Birth-Age 5

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Communicating with Baby:  Tips and Milestones from Birth-Age 5

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Communicating with Baby: Tips and Milestones from Birth to Age 5

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As young children grow, their communication skills become more complex. They learn to understand and use language to express their thoughts and feelings and to connect with others.

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Building Social Emotional Skills at Home

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Building Social Emotional Skills at Home

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Building Social and Emotional Skills at Home

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School classrooms are busy places where young children learn all sorts of things, including social and emotional skills such as how to express feelings and how to work together with friends on a project. Here are some suggestions for helping your child de

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Helping Your Preschooler Gain Self-Control

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Helping Your Preschooler Gain Self-Control

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When asked about school readiness skills, many teachers say children who succeed in kindergarten know when and how to control their impulses. Here are a few ways families can help children learn self-control.

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Understanding and Responding to Children who Bite

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Understanding and Responding to Children who Bite

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Biting is a typical behavior often seen in infants, toddlers, and 2-year olds. As children mature, gain self-control, and develop problem-solving skills, they usually outgrow this behavior. While not uncommon, biting can be an upsetting and potentially harmful behavior. It's best to discourage it from the very first episode. This article will help you to understand the reasons young children bite and give you some ideas and strategies for responding appropriately.
Why do young children bite?
Some children bite instinctively, because they have not developed self-control. For example, when 3-year-old Marcus grabs a doll from his 2-year-old sister Gina, her first response is to bite him and grab the doll. She doesn't stop to think about other ways to act or the result of her actions. But there are many other reasons why children may bite.
A child might bite to

Relieve pain from teething.

Explore cause and effect ("What happens when I bite?").

Experience the sensation of biting.

Satisfy a need for oral-motor stimulation.

Imitate other children and adults.

Feel strong and in control.

Get attention.

Act in self-defense.

Communicate needs and desires, such as hunger or fatigue.

Communicate or express difficult feelings, such as frustration, anger, confusion, or fear ("There are too many people here and I feel cramped").

What can families do to prevent biting?
There are a variety of things that families can do to prevent biting. It helps to

Have age-appropriate expectations for your child's behavior based on his or her current skills and abilities.

Make sure your child's schedule, routines, and transitions are predictable and consistent. At meal and bedtimes, try to do things in the same way and at the same times. Young children thrive when they know what will happen next.

Offer activities and materials that allow your child to relax and release tension. Some children like yoga or deep breathing. Offer playdough, foam balls, bubbles, soft music, and other stress-reducing items.

Use positive guidance strategies to help your child develop self-control. For example, offer gentle reminders, phrased in a way that tells them what behaviors are expected. "Be sure to hang up your coat on the hook." "You can each have a bucket to use in the sandbox." "Put a small dot of toothpaste on your brush. You won't need much to get your teeth clean."

Provide items to bite, such as teething rings or clean, wet, cold washcloths stored in the refrigerator. This helps children learn what they can bite safely, without hurting anyone else.

How should I respond when my child bites?
While every situation is different, here are some general guidelines for responding when a child bites.

Infants
Infants learn about the world around them by exploring it with their hands, eyes, and mouths. But infants often need help to learn what they should and shouldn't bite.

If your infant takes an experimental bite on a mother's breast or grandpa's shoulder, stay calm and use clear signals to communicate that it is not okay for one person to bite another. A firm "no" or "no biting!" is an appropriate response.

Toddlers and Preschoolers
Toddlers have many strong emotions that they are just learning to manage. Toddlers may bite to express anger or frustration or because they lack the language skills needed to express their feelings.

Biting is less common in preschoolers than toddlers. When a preschooler bites, it may be due to something at home or at their child care program that is causing the child to be upset, frustrated, confused, or afraid. A preschooler may also bite to get attention or to act in self-defense.

Follow the steps below with both toddlers and preschoolers.

If you see the biting incident, move quickly to the scene and get down to children's level. Respond to the child who did the biting. In a serious, firm tone make a strong statement: "No biting. Biting hurts. I can't let you hurt Josie or anyone else." Next, offer a choice: "You can help make Josie feel better, or you can sit quietly until I can talk with you." Help the child follow through on the choice if necessary.

Respond to the child who was hurt by offering comfort through words and actions: "I'm sorry you are hurting. Let's get some ice." Perform first aid if necessary. The child who did the biting can help comfort the bitten child-if both parties agree. Help the child who was hurt find something to do.

Finally, talk to the child who did the biting. Maintain eye contact and speak in simple words using a calm, firm tone of voice. Try to find out what happened that led to the incident. Restate the rule, "Biting is not allowed." Model the use of words that describe feelings: "Kim took your ball. You felt angry. You bit Kim. I can't let you hurt Kim. No biting." Discuss how the child can respond in similar situations in the future.

What if biting becomes a habit for my child?
If biting becomes a habit for your child and ongoing positive guidance is not effective, it is time to set up a meeting with your child's teacher(s). Together, you can plan an approach for addressing the behavior that can be applied consistently at home and at the program. Together, you can discuss and define the behavior and find the cause behind it. Next, you and the teacher(s) can develop a plan to address the causes and help your child to replace biting with acceptable behaviors. Try the plan for several weeks, but be patient. It takes time to change behaviors that have become habits. Keep in touch with your child's teacher(s) to share information about changes in behavior. After several weeks, evaluate the plan's effectiveness and make changes as needed.
What strategies can I use to help my child overcome a habit of biting?
Here are some strategies for addressing a child's biting habit.

Observe your child to learn where, when, and in what situations biting occurs. Sometimes an adult may need to stay close to the child to prevent biting.

Pay attention to signals. Stay close and step in if your child seems ready to bite.

Suggest acceptable ways to express strong feelings. Help your child learn to communicate her wants and needs ("Amy, tell your sister you were still playing with the truck").

Use a reminder system to help your child learn to express strong feelings with appropriate words and actions ("Tell Manuel that you don't like it when he gets that close to you").

Reinforce positive behavior by acknowledging child's appropriate words and actions ("You didn't like being tickled so you used your words to ask me to stop").

Provide opportunities for your child to make choices and feel empowered.

Be sure your behavior expectations are age-appropriate and individually appropriate for your child. Expecting a child to do something he or she is not able to do can cause children to feel stress. Stress can lead to biting.

Offer foods with a variety of textures to meet your child's sensory needs.

Teach your child words for setting limits, such as "no," "stop," or "that's mine."

What strategies are not helpful?
These strategies should not be used to address a child's biting habit.

Avoid labeling a child as a "biter." Negative labels can affect how you view your child, and even affect the child's feelings about him- or herself.

Never bite a child back to punish or show him how it feels to be bitten. Biting a child sends the message that using violence is an acceptable behavior that can be used to solve problems.

Avoid getting angry, yelling, or shaming a child.

Avoid giving too much attention to a child who bites after an incident. While this is usually negative attention, it can still reinforce the behavior and cause a child to repeat it.

Do not force a child who bit and the child who was hurt to play together.

Do not punish children who bite. Punishment does not help children to learn discipline and self-control. Instead, it makes children angry, upset, defiant, and embarrassed. It also undermines the relationship between you and your child.

For further reading
Banks, R., & S. Yi. 2007. "Dealing with Biting Behaviors in Young Children." Clearinghouse on Early Education and Parenting. http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/poptopics/biting.html.

The Center on Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL). "Responding to Your Child's Bite." www.vanderbilt.edu/csefel/documents/biting-parenting_tool.pdf.

Crisalli, L. 2008. "All about Biting." Exchange 184: 61-63. http://www.ccie.com/library/5018461.pdf.

University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies. "Ouch! That hurts! - Biting." (Growing ideas tip sheet). http://umaine.edu/ccids/files/2009/12/biting120309.pdf.

Zero to Three. "Why Do Toddlers Bite? Finding the Right Response." www.zerotothree.org/child-development/challenging-behavior/chew-on-this-resources-on-biting.html.

Source: Adapted from D. Koralek, "Understanding and Responding to Biting," In Classroom Strategies to Promote Children's Social and Emotional Development, 135-138. Lewisville, NC: Kaplan Press, 1999. © 1999 The Devereux Foundation, Villanova, Pennsylvania.

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Understanding and Responding to Children Who Bite

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This article will help you to understand the reasons young children bite and give you some ideas and strategies for responding appropriately.

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Parenting at Mealtime and Playtime (5 Year Old)

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Parenting at Mealtime and Playtime (5 Year Old)

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Parenting at Mealtime and Playtime (4 Year Old)

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Parenting at Mealtime and Playtime (4 Year Old)

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Parenting at Mealtime and Playtime (3 Year Old)

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Parenting at Mealtime and Playtime (3 Year Old)

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Helping Your Child Make Successful Transitions: Home to School 

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Helping Your Child Make Successful Transitions: Home to School 

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Updated and effective 7/1/2025

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Preschool Continuum of Services with New Rules 

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_Sherwood Preschool Parent Orientation 2025

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FHSD Inclement Weather Guidelines 2022-2023

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Guided Compliance For Better Cooperation

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Guided Compliance For Better Cooperation

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Guided compliance for better cooperation (1)

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Information Regarding the Early Learning Assessment 

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Information Regarding the Early Learning Assessment 

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Annual Medical Diagnostic Screening Form 

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Annual Medical Diagnostic Screening Form 

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Annual Medical Diagnostic Screening Form

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Child's Medical Statement for Enrollment

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Child's Medical Statement for Enrollment

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Parent Resource Coordinator:  Alycia Champion

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Parent Resource Coordinator:  Alycia Champion

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Departments - Student Services - Parent Resource Coordinator | Forest Hills Schools

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FHSD’s Parent Resource Coordinator, Alycia Champion, provides information on special education processes, laws, and resources to families and the district so both can work collaboratively to help each child be successful. She can attend ETR and IEP meetings as extra parent support. She facilitates Village Connections, a district-wide special education information and support community that meets monthly. She is the parent of a child with autism giving her a shared perspective that helps address questions and concerns with compassion while providing valuable informational assistance to families.
Special Education One-Stop Resource for Families

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Special Education One-Stop Resource for Families

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Special Education One-Stop Resource for Families

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Special Education One Stop Resource for Families

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Water Drop Beginning Letter Sound Activity

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Water Drop Beginning Letter Sound Activity

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A play-based option is to gather a variety of objects that share the same beginning letter sound when you say them out loud (ie: cup/car, boot/bear) Help your child sort them by the beginning letter sound that they hear.  It might be helpful to limit the number of letter sounds that they need to sort between (2-3). If they seem to have a good grasp on beginning letter sounds, feel free to expand their options.

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Every day is a new opportunity for toddlers to ask "Why?" over and over. Tap into that curiosity with these fun and engaging preschool science experiments and activities. They are easy to set up since most require little more than items you likely already have at home. These experiments incorporate many young children's favorite activities like playing with bubbles or water, making arts and crafts, and, of course, making a mess!

(We Are Teachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)

1. Try this "The Floor Is Lava" STEM challenge

While you might not want pre-K kids climbing all over the classroom furniture to play "The Floor Is Lava," they can do the same thing with their toys in this cute STEM challenge!

Learn more: Forward With Fun

2. Surround kids with an oversized bubble

Kids (and let's face it, adults too) will definitely get a kick out of this fun science experiment. While you'll only need a hard-shell kiddie pool, some dish soap, and a Hula-Hoop to make this a reality, the payoff will be big. If you're doing this inside, we recommend a step stool too so kids can avoid getting covered in bubble solution!

Learn more: Make and Takes

3. Watch rice dance in water

There are lots of cool baking-soda-and-vinegar experiments out there ( ever made your own volcano?), but this one is always a favorite with little ones. The acid-base reaction causes the rice to dance and jump around in the water for an effect that is just so cool!

Learn more: Green Kid Crafts

4. Reveal colors with chemical reactions

Preschool science experiments often include a combination of baking-soda-and-vinegar like this one. Fill muffin tins with a drop of food coloring, then top it with baking soda. Finally, let kids squirt in vinegar to reveal fabulous foamy hues!

Learn more: Busy Toddler

5. Build a catapult

Challenge students to build a catapult using just three items: Popsicle sticks, elastics, and a plastic spoon. You'll definitely want to have an extra set of adult hands available as this can prove challenging for pre-K kids. Finally, bring plenty of marshmallows or pom-poms to launch!

Learn more: Education.com

6. Discover strength in shapes

Learn shapes while also practicing some basic science. Fold paper into various shapes to form columns and ask kids to predict which will be able to support the most books.

Learn more: All for the Boys

7. See what sinks and what floats

We love this experiment since kids always enjoy playing around in water. This preschool science activity helps them learn to construct a hypothesis, conduct a simple experiment, and then sort their findings by property.

Learn more: Fun With Mama

8. Grow grass in an eggshell

What's more fun than a preschool science experiment that doubles as a craft? You'll need eggs, soil, grass seeds, water, and a permanent marker to bring this project to life. Kids will especially love personalizing their eggshell. Finally, let kids check on their egg friends every day to see the progress their hair is making!

Learn more: Mother Natured

9. Learn what dissolves in water

Engage in more water play by having kids predict which items will dissolve in water and which ones won't. Have kids keep track of the results so they can see if they have anything in common.

Learn more: Hands On as We Grow

10. Build an aluminum foil boat

Teach kids about buoyancy and physics while having fun in the process. First, give your students some tinfoil and challenge them to build a sturdy boat. Then, challenge them to fill the boat with as many pennies as they can without it sinking.

Learn more: Little Bins for Little Hands

11. Watch hot water rise and cold water sink

This early exploration into the concept of density is always impressive to see in action. Have kids discover how hot water rises and cold water sinks. Explain that the same applies to air, and see if kids can think of a way to observe that in action too.

Learn more: Mombrite

12. Grow a paper towel rainbow

"Capillary action" might be a real mouthful for preschool science students, but they don't need to remember the term to be impressed by this experiment! All you need are markers, a paper towel, and two glasses of water.

Learn more: Mombrite

13. Show why sunscreen is important

This experiment would be best suited for summer, although it could still work other times of the year. First, have your students make four construction-paper people each with varying conditions. Have one wrapped in plastic wrap, another covered in sunscreen, put a hat on one and a set of sunglasses on another. Finally, have students hypothesize what will happen when they are left in the sun.

Learn more: 123Homeschool4me

14. Engage in some shadow science

Despite the cold temperatures, kids will still enjoy getting outside to experiment with shadows. These adorable animal puppets are so cute, and the kids will have a blast putting on a shadow puppet show.

Learn more: Little Bin for Little Hands

15. Mix up some "magic" milk

A drop or two of dish soap will make food coloring dance and swirl across the surface of a shallow bowl of milk. Preschool science experiments often seem like magic, but this one is all about surface tension and chemical reactions.

Learn more: Laughing Kids Learn

16. See how easily germs spread

We love a preschool science experiment that reminds little ones of the importance of good handwashing. Help them see why it's so important with this simple experiment that uses glitter to stand in for germs.

17. Experiment with wax paper

You'll need wax paper, glossy white paper, a spray bottle filled with food coloring, a plastic bin, and also an iron and ironing board to complete this experiment. Equally engaging from an art or science perspective, kids will have fun seeing the ways in which the wax paper creates a pattern when sprayed with color.

Learn more: Housing a Forest

18. Predict and observe what will melt in the sun

You'll need a hot sunny day for this preschool science experiment. Help students choose a variety of items to place into a muffin tin and have them predict which ones will melt. Set the tin out in the sun for an hour or two, then bring it in and record your results.

Learn more: Frugal Fun 4 Boys and Girls

19. Build an apple toothpick tower

Put a healthy spin on a classic STEM challenge by substituting apple pieces for marshmallows. Kids will have a tasty snack when they're done!

Learn more: Preschool Powol Packets

20. Make shaving cream rain clouds

This is a classic science activity every kid should try at least once. It helps them understand how clouds become so saturated with water that they must release it in the form of rain.

Learn more: One Little Project

21. Drop balls to introduce friction

Gravity can be a complicated subject, but all pre-K kids need to understand the basics. Drop balls of all sizes to discover that they all fall in the exact same way.

Learn more: Inspiration Laboratories

22. Head to the playground to explore gravity and friction

What goes up must come down! A playground slide is the perfect place to help kids understand gravity. This is a good chance to learn about friction too.

Learn more: Buggy and Buddy

23. Test objects with magnets

Magnets are undeniably a source of fascination for kids. At this stage, you can worry less about explaining how magnets work and instead just let kids explore which items are attracted to magnets and which aren't. Have them sort the items into categories, then see if the items have anything in common.

Learn more: PreKinders

24. See sound waves in action

This series of simple experiments lets kids see sound waves at work. Start by making waves with a Slinky, then move on to tuning forks and bouncing confetti.

Learn more: Hands On Teaching Ideas

25. Make an orange volcano

Since making erupting volcanoes is a staple of any childhood, we would be remiss not to include this fun and simple one made from an orange. In addition to the orange, you'll also need baking soda and vinegar.

Learn more: The Art Kit Blog

26. Grow delicious rock candy crystals

While crystal experiments are a hit with kids of any age, this one is perfect for the pre-K crowd. It requires a little patience, but kids get to eat the yummy results!

Learn more: Growing a Jeweled Rose

27. Move pom-poms with air pressure

Understanding the idea that air can have enough force to move objects can be a little challenging, but this simple experiment brings that concept to life. We love that this experiment is affordable since most people (especially teachers) have these materials at home.

Learn more: Kids Activities Blog

28. Blow bubble towers

There are lots of fun science activities you can do with bubbles to explore concepts like surface tension. Or you can just have a blast seeing who can make the tallest tower with bubbles and straws!

Learn more: Happy Hooligans

29. Make a balance scale

This simple balance scale is so easy to make yet provides endless opportunities for weighing all kinds of objects. Have kids assemble a scale from a plastic hanger, a few paper cups, and some string, then let them hypothesize which items will be heavier and which will be lighter.

Learn more: Go Science Kids

30. Make pretend snow

Since there are multiple ways to make fake snow, choose the one that best fits what's in your cabinet. This is an especially fun experiment to do with young kids during the winter months.

Learn more: Elf on the Shelf

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30 Simple and Fun Preschool Science Experiments and Activities

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Tap into the curiosity of young minds with these preschool science experiments and activities. Make rice dance, build apple towers, and more!

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A play-based option is to count the number of boys and the number of girls that live in your house and then find out how many people are there altogether.  Another option is to have your child respond appropriately when asked, “Right now there are five people in the car. How many people will be in here when we pick up ____?” Another option is to count the number of crackers left after everyone is served during a snack.

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For a play-based option, use any objects to help your child practice making simple A/B patterns. In the classroom, we also use movements (clap hands, tap foot) or the volume of our voices (loud, soft) to practice/make patterns. If your child is good at copying the patterns you create and they are good at extending the patterns you start, then encourage them to start creating their own A/B patterns. From there, you can expand into other more complex patterns once you feel that they are grasping the A/B pattern on their own.

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What is a 10 Frame?

A 10 frame is a tool that is used to help children understand the concept of numbers. It is another way to have them visualize a number. It allows them to work with numbers and develop better number sense. 10 frames have five boxes on top and five boxes on the bottom, all touching to create one large rectangle. They can be a variety of sizes, but the 10 frame visual always is the same.

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Ten Frame: What it is and Why it Matters? - Busy Toddler

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What is a ten frame? Ten Frames are awesome for preschool math and developing number sense. A quick and easy preschool math activity!

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What is subitizing?

This is another important step in your child’s number sense development. It is the ability to recognize a small group of objects without counting them. This skill begins to develop during the preschool years, which is why we practice a lot. The goal is to be able to recognize groups up to 6, similar to what you’d find on a dice. Playing games that involve a pair of dice helps practice this skill.

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What is cardinality?
This is an important step in your child’s number sense development. It is the understanding that the last number they counted represents the total amount of objects counted. You can practice this by giving them a set number of objects to count. After they count the objects, ask them “how many ____ did you have?” The goal would be for them to simply reply with the number they counted. If they start to count the objects again, this signals they need might need further practice with this skill.

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A play based option would be to have your child retell the story after viewing it to someone at home. Encourage them to use the words “First, then, next and last” when talking about the animal sounds that George makes.

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Watch and Share Youtube Videos Safely - For Teachers and Family

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Watch, trim and share online videos safely with minimal ads and zero distractions. Our link-sharing technology tools are useful for marketers, schools, teachers, and parents to provide a clean distraction-free experience. We support YouTube and Vimeo.

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Learning syllabication is an important part in the learning to read process. Syllables help preschoolers learn about phonemic awareness, or the ability to break words down into sounds. In preschool, we practice this by clapping out familiar words such as their names and the names of their friends. Try it with your child: clap out the syllables in their name and the names of family members. Who has more? Who has the same? Another fun way to practice this is by listening to this song:  Miss Mary Mack. Have your child practice clapping out these words from the song:

Mary

Mack

Black

Silver

Buttons

Mother

Elephants

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Miss Mary Mack (HD with lyrics) | Nursery... - VideoLink

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Miss Mary Mack is a fun clapping play activity song! Enjoy this nursery rhyme! EFlashApps offers Fun and Educational apps, as well as even more Entertaining Tunes! Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/eflashapps or head straight to the App Store! https://goo.gl/mmY9ap Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=eflashapps

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The Rhyming Words Game | Rhyming Song for ... - VideoLink

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VideoLink removes unwanted distractions from YouTube and Vimeo videos and reduces ads, so you can focus on the content. Perfect for schools and businesses!

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A play-based option is to gather a variety of objects from around the house that rhyme in a basket. Have your child match the items that rhyme. Examples would be block/sock, shoe/two, bat/hat, car/star, etc…

Another non-printing option would be to say a word and have them find something that rhymes with that word. For example, you could say the word “two” and they go and get a shoe. Here is a rhyming words game. This is something that you can also do on your own, without the video. It’s a fun way to practice the concept and gets them moving and listening to directions.

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In order to learn the pre-reading concepts of alliteration (beginning letter sounds) and rhyming, children first learn about different environmental sounds. This is a fun song to practice this foundational skill using familiar animal sounds. See if your child can guess the animal sound before it is revealed.

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Get the Super Simple App! ► bit.ly/TheSuperSimpleApp

Listen. What do you hear? Name the animal by the sound it makes.

PARENTS AND TEACHERS: Thank you so much for watching Super Simple Songs with your families and/or students. If your young ones are watching without supervision, we recommend some of the following viewing options:

► SUPER SIMPLE APP -- bit.ly/TheSuperSimpleApp

Be the first to watch new Super Simple videos in the Super Simple App! Ad-free and designed for young learners.

► YOUTUBE KIDS -- bit.ly/You-Tube-Kids

Designed to make it safer and simpler for young ones to watch online video, YouTube Kids includes a suite of parental controls so you can tailor the experience to suit your family's needs.

► AMAZON VIDEO

Are you an Amazon Prime member? Watch Super Simple videos ad-free on Amazon Prime Video. Just search for "Super Simple."

► KHAN ACADEMY KIDS -- bit.ly/KhanKids-App

Super Simple has partnered with Khan Academy on their latest app designed

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What Do You Hear? | Animal Song | Super Si... - VideoLink

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Get the Super Simple App! ► http://bit.ly/TheSuperSimpleApp Listen. What do you hear? Name the animal by the sound it makes. PARENTS AND TEACHERS: Thank you so much for watching Super Simple Songs with your families and/or students.

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Tips for Helping Your Child Manage Emotions 

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Tips for Helping Your Child Manage Emotions 

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Crossing Midline Parent Handout for Home

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Hand Strengthening Through Everyday Play 1

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Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

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Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

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Use this traffic light resource for stop, go and slow concepts.

Example:
green - go play
yellow- play time is almost finished
red - time to stop playing

Use a dry erase or Crayola marker to color in the light for the designated time.

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all forms of communication are welcome here (3)

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Developmental Resources for 4 Year Olds 

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Developmental Resources for 4 Year Olds 

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Sherwood Preschool Supply list 2025-2026

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Healthchek Services for Children Younger than Age 21

Healthchek is Ohio's Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) Program. It is a service package for babies, kids, and young adults younger than age 21 who are enrolled on Ohio Medicaid.

The purpose of Healthchek is to discover and treat health problems early. If a potential health problem is found, further diagnosis and treatment are covered by Medicaid.

Healthchek covers ten check-ups in the first two years of life and annual check-ups thereafter and offers a comprehensive physical examination that includes:

medical history

complete unclothed exam (with parent approval)

developmental screening (to assess if child's physical and mental abilities are age appropriate)

vision screening

dental screening

hearing assessment

immunization assessment (making sure child receives them on time)

lead screening; and

other services or screenings as needed

If your children are enrolled on Ohio Medicaid, Healthchek services are available to them. If you are younger than age 21 and are also enrolled, you can receive Healthchek services, too.

For more information:

If you still have questions about Healthchek, send us a note through the Healthchek Questions form.

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Healthchek is Ohio's Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) Program. It is a service package for babies, kids, and young adults younger than age 21 who are enrolled on Ohio Medicaid. The purpose of Healthchek is to discover and treat health problems early.

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Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment  (EPSDT) 

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Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment  (EPSDT) 

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The Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit provides comprehensive and preventive health care services for children under age 21 who are enrolled in Medicaid. EPSDT is key to ensuring that children and adolescents receive appropriate preventive, dental, mental health, and developmental, and specialty services.

Early: Assessing and identifying problems early

Periodic: Checking children's health at periodic, age-appropriate intervals

Screening: Providing physical, mental, developmental, dental, hearing, vision, and other screening tests to detect potential problems

Diagnostic: Performing diagnostic tests to follow up when a risk is identified, and

Treatment: Control, correct or reduce health problems found.

EPSDT Services

States are required to provide comprehensive services and furnish all Medicaid coverable, appropriate, and medically necessary services needed to correct and ameliorate health conditions, based on certain federal guidelines. EPSDT is made up of the following screening, diagnostic, and treatment services:

Screening Services

Comprehensive health and developmental history

Comprehensive unclothed physical exam

Appropriate immunizations (according to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices)

Laboratory tests (including lead toxicity screening

Health Education (anticipatory guidance including child development, healthy lifestyles, and accident and disease prevention)

Vision Services

At a minimum, diagnosis and treatment for defects in vision, including eyeglasses. Vision services must be provided according to a distinct periodicity schedule developed by the state and at other intervals as medically necessary. For additional information visit the Vision and Hearing Screening Services for Children & Adolescents page.

Dental Services

At a minimum, dental services include relief of pain and infections, restoration of teeth, and maintenance of dental health. Dental services may not be limited to emergency services. Each state is required to develop a dental periodicity schedule in consultation with recognized dental organizations involved in child health.

Hearing Services

At a minimum, hearing services include diagnosis and treatment for defects in hearing, including hearing aids. For additional information visit the Vision and Hearing Screening Services for Children & Adolescents page.

Other Necessary Health Care Services

States are required to provide any additional health care services that are coverable under the Federal Medicaid program and found to be medically necessary to treat, correct or reduce illnesses and conditions discovered regardless of whether the service is covered in a state's Medicaid plan. It is the responsibility of states to determine medical necessity on a case-by-case basis.

Diagnostic Services

When a screening examination indicates the need for further evaluation of an individual's health, diagnostic services must be provided. Necessary referrals should be made without delay and there should be follow-up to ensure the enrollee receives a complete diagnostic evaluation. States should develop quality assurance procedures to assure that comprehensive care is provided.

Treatment

Necessary health care services must be made available for treatment of all physical and mental illnesses or conditions discovered by any screening and diagnostic procedures.

State Program Guidelines

State Medicaid agencies are required to:

Inform all Medicaid-eligible individuals under age 21 that EPSDT services are available and of the need for age-appropriate immunizations;

Provide or arrange for the provision of screening services for all children;

Arrange (directly or through referral) for corrective treatment as determined by child health screenings; and

Report EPSDT performance information annually via Form CMS-416.

Periodicity Schedule

Periodicity schedules for periodic screening, vision, and hearing services must be provided at intervals that meet reasonable standards of medical practice. States must consult with recognized medical organizations involved in child health care in developing their schedules. Alternatively, states may elect to use a nationally recognized pediatric periodicity schedule (i.e., Bright Futures ). A separate dental periodicity schedule is also required.

Developmental and Behavioral Screening

Periodic developmental and behavioral screening during early childhood is essential to identify possible delays in growth and development, when steps to address deficits can be most effective. These screenings are required for children enrolled in Medicaid, and are also covered for children enrolled in CHIP. This CMS Fact Sheet describes CMS resources to support states in ensuring enrolled children receive these screenings. Birth to 5: Watch Me Thrive!, a joint effort between the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education, provides additional resources to support states, providers and communities to increase developmental and behavioral screening of young children.

Lead Screening

While substantial environmental improvements have been made to reduce exposure to lead, there are still over four million children estimated to reside in housing where they are exposed to lead. Learn more about Medicaid lead screening policy.

EPSDT Strategy Guides to Support States with the Medicaid Benefit for Children and Adolescents

In 1967, Congress introduced the Medicaid benefit for children and adolescents, known as Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT). The goal of this benefit is to ensure that children under the age of 21 who are enrolled in Medicaid receive age-appropriate screening, preventive services, and treatment services that are medically necessary to correct or ameliorate any identified conditions - the right care to the right child at the right time in the right setting. This broad scope supports a comprehensive, high-quality health benefit. States share responsibility for implementing the EPSDT benefit with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (For more information, see " What You Need to Know about EPSDT.)

As one outcome of a National EPSDT Improvement Workgroup, the Center for Medicaid & CHIP Services is developing a set of strategy guides, each on a specific topic, to support states and their partners as they implement the EPSDT benefit. Each strategy guide identifies specific, doable approaches to improve access, utilization and quality of care for children and adolescents enrolled in Medicaid. Examples of state successes are offered along with web-based links to resources, tools and more in-depth.

The first four guides in the series are:

Annual EPSDT Reporting Using the Form CMS-416

The Form CMS-416 is used by CMS to collect basic information on State Medicaid and CHIP programs to assess the effectiveness of EPSDT services.

Annually, states must provide CMS with the following information:

Number of children provided child health screening service

Number of children referred for corrective treatment

Number of children receiving dental services

State's results in attaining goals set under section 1905(r) of the Social Security Act.

Form CMS-416 and instructions

To report data prior to FFY 2020 (Oct. 1, 2019 - Sept. 30, 2020) or to request a 508-version of the form, please email EPSDT@cms.hhs.gov.

Additional resources for reporting include:

FFY 2019 Form CMS-416 Data Quality Checklist for States

Annual Reporting Data Files:

National EPSDT Improvement Workgroup

In December 2010, CMS convened a National EPSDT Improvement Workgroup that included state representatives, children's health providers, consumer representatives, and other experts in the areas of maternal and child health, Medicaid, and data analysis. The members of the group will help CMS identify the most critical areas for improvement of EPSDT. The group, which meets periodically throughout the year, will also discuss steps that the federal government might undertake in partnership with states and others to both increase the number of children accessing services, and improve the quality of the data reporting that enables a better understanding how effective HHS is putting EPSDT to work for children.

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Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment

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The Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit provides comprehensive and preventive health care services for children under age 21 who are enrolled in Medicaid. EPSDT is key to ensuring that children and adolescents receive appropriate preventive, dental, mental health, and developmental, and specialty services.