FUN & LEARNING FOR FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN
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Learning Through Play
While you are at home as a familiy, we want your children to feel safe and stay connected to play-based learning. Explore these links for activities, stories, and videos that may add meaningful fun to your day together. Also, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Free virtual birthday parties for young children!
Is your little one having a birthday soon, but coronavirus has you stumped about how to celebrate? Check out this free service! Its a hosted virtual birthday party, and you can invite friends and relatives to join!
Take a different family field trip everyday
Week-by-Week Schedules for Kids in Grades Pre-K thru 6 in English and Spanish!
Plan At-Home Lessons and Activities with these schedules.
Talking is Teaching activity booklet!
This cute booklet has simple ways families can "talk, read, sing, and play their way through the day" using common household objects and resources.
SCETV has modified the regular schedule three days each week, 8am-6pm. Educators and parents will have access to supplemental lesson plans and curriculum materials to facilitate meaningful use of the content. Have fun and learn with Daniel Tiger, Sesame Street, and more!
Enjoy interactive videos and more for children of all ages. Filter for preschool or subject area.
Creative Curriculum Healthy at Home Toolkit
Creative Curriculum® for Preschool is a comprehensive, research-based curriculum that promotes exploration and discovery as a way of learning, enabling children to develop confidence, creativity, and lifelong critical thinking skills. This toolkit for parents with children birth - five years is updated weekly and is available in English and Spanish.
Head Start Early Learning & Knowledge Center Activities
This site is a collection of things to do that can be part of your family's everyday life, broken down according to specific rooms in your home, outdoors, and away from home.
SC Child Care Resource and Referral Pinterest Page
This lists great activities that can be done at home with children.
SC Child Care Resource and Referral Parent Tips Pinterest Page
This features practical solutions for parents, including tips for improving communication, building positive relationships and other useful parenting skills.
Charleston County Public Library eCard
No library card? No worries! Click this link to find out how you can get a CCPL eCard to download or stream digital content for children and adults, like e-books, audiobooks, movies, tv, magazines, and more!
SC Center for Community Literacy
This site has ideas and activities for educating and entertaining children and youth while they are home from school. It also has information on how to explain the virus to children.
for all levels and in English and Spanish. User = Spring, Password = 2020
Audible free audio books - Check out the "Little Listeners" category!
For as long as schools are closed, kids everywhere can instantly stream an incredible collection of stories, including titles across six different languages, that will help them continue dreaming, learning, and just being kids. All stories are free to stream on your desktop, laptop, phone or tablet.
List of music and art organizations offering online or virtual experiences
Many musicians, arts organizations, and others are lending their services and talents for free in an effort to help all of us make it through these uncertain times with a bit more ease.
Explore the Riverbank Zoo from home
Each weekday at 10am, enjoy a Facebook Live event that features, inside peeks, too-cute-to handles, and an activity to do at home
Kids can learn a lot from observing animals, from what they eat and how they raise their young. This is a list with direct links to some of the best nature webcams - pandas, otters, jellyfish, birds, gorillas, and more!
Family Support
These are links to tools that support whole-family needs, including resources for financial, socio-emotional health, technology, physical health, governement programs, and more.
Begin with Books Parent Reading Tips
This blog aims to raise awareness about the importance of reading, zeroing in on topics relating to early literacy and providing reading tips and recommendations on Dolly Parton Imagination Library books specifically. The blog also addresses developmental perspectives and covers issues facing young children and families.
Resources for families with grandparents caring for young children
This list of links from ZERO TO THREE are resources for parents and grandparents who share in care giving.
Questions to ask childcare providers about COVID-19
In choosing a child care center, consider asking these questions.
Office of Head Start - Good Eating and Toothbrushing Practices
at Home During COVID-19
As a virus precaution, many child care centers may not be doing tooth brushing as they had been prior to COVID-19. Oral health is still extremely important. This information can help parents and caregivers follow best practices to make sure little ones stay healthy.
SC Thrive Contact Center 800-726-8774
Call this number to apply for SNAP and Medicaid over the phone! Call line is open Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm.
Bundles of Joy FREE Monthly Diaper Program
This is a link to apply for diapers once a month from a distribution partner or at a mobile distribution when available
Lowcountry CARES 843-553-2012
Call this number for information about curbside food distribution and/or diapers. You must call to make an appointment and bring ID at assigned pickup time.
CCFS Early Head Start - Child Care Partnership Health & Wellness Newsletter
This quarterly newsletter features important information on COVID-19.
SC Dept of Employment & Workforce
If your work is affected by COVID-19, you can apply for Unemployment Insurance. This process and these benefits are the same as applying for benefits if you lose your job through no fault of your own. Click on the link above for instructions that walk you through the registration and application portal.
AT&T Internet Offering 2 months FREE due to COVID-19
to new customers who qualify and order by May 23, 2020. $5/mo or $10/mo thereafter, depending on your speed.
Comcast Internet Offering 2 months FREE due to COVID-19
Click link above or call 1-855-8-INTERNET (1-855-846-8376) to request an application.
Information about CCPL Free Wifi
While CCPL remains closed due to the Coronavirus, the library’s Wi-Fi extends beyond the walls of its buildings, providing access to patrons in parking lot areas. Free Wi-Fi access is available from 10 am – 7 pm in the public areas outside of each of the 17 branches.
Headspace
This site offers a free collection called “Weathering the Storm” that includes meditations, sleep, and movement exercises to help you find some space and kindness for yourself and those around you.
This is the official Center for Disease Control website. It has the official latest updaes and information about how to protect yourself and what to do if you think you are sick.
Scroll down to read the section about how medicare covers needs related to the virus, such as labtests and hospitalization.
The Small Business Administration offers federal loans for homeowners, renters, businesses, and non-profits.
Child Care Provider Information
This is a list of resources for Early Childhood Center owners, directors, and staff.
For the latest recommendations/guidance for child care providers in SC, provider closings by county, and SC Voucher updates, visit
or 1-888-825-7174
For questions about licensing or extending capacity, email or call the above.
This Child Care Aware site lists information about assistance from state and federal governement, insurance agencies, national food and nutrition, and more. It also has a hotine and chat feature for questions.
Sesame Street in Communities FREE professional development training videos
Webinars and courses—with certificates included - about topics including Parental Addiction, Traumatic Experiences, Oral Health, and more.