Play, Learn and Grow Toolkit

Colorado State Libraries Early Learning and Literacy

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Activity Supply List
Song Cube Graphics and Lyrics

Social Media Posts
Contact Us

Online Survey

Activity Supply List

Thank you for sharing Play, Learn, and Grow with your community!

Several simple toys and crafts are referenced in the video. By providing these kits, caregivers will be able to immediately practice what they have learned with the children in their care.

For your convenience, we have created an Amazon Shopping List, but there are many other options, so feel free to shop around! Some of the craft supplies may also be up-cycled!

We are hoping to collect feedback from participants. Please direct families to the online survey with the survey link in your activity kits. Participants will be entered to win a $20 gift card.

Read and Grow Supplies List

Type	Item	Price	Source
Gift	Picture Book	$3.00 each	Scholastic
I-Spy Bottle Craft	Clear Plastic Bottle	$12/ 12	Amazon
I-Spy Bottle Craft	Letter Beads	$17/ 260 (makes 10 sets)	Amazon
I-Spy Bottle Craft	Pom Poms (filler)	$7/ 1500 (more than you’ll need, but a great deal)	Amazon

Move and Learn Supplies List

Type	Item	Price	Source
Gift	Dance Scarves	$15/ 20	Amazon
Song Cube Craft	Small Gift Box	$10/ 25	Amazon
Song Cube Craft	Song Clip Art	Color Printing 2pgs	In-house printer
Song Cube Craft	Glue Sticks	$7.50/ 30	Amazon

Explore and Play Supplies List

Type	Item	Price	Source
Gift	Magnifying Glass	$7/ 10	Amazon
Gift	Non-Fiction Book	$3 each	Scholastic
Binoculars Craft	Cardboard Tubes	$13/ 24	Amazon
Binoculars Craft	String or Laces	$5.50/ 12	Amazon
Binoculars Craft	Construction Paper	$3.50/ 96 sheets	Amazon

TOTAL: $150 / 10 kits
for Read & Grow, Move & Learn and Explore & Play

Book Recommendations:

We included two affordable titles from Scholastic in our kits, but there are so many great books out there, and every library has a different budget. Feel free to include any picture book that supports dialogic reading and any non-fiction book with engaging facts and photos.

Calling All Cars by Sue Fliess - $2.96
National Geographic Kids: Look & Learn Series (boardbook) - $3-$3.71

Print Materials

Song Cube Clip Art

Activity Sheets

Learning tips, extensions activities, and craft instructions

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Song Cube Graphics and Lyrics

Download Song Cube Graphics and Lyrics (PDF)

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Social Media Posts

Instructions:

We'd love if you tag us: @growingreaderstogether
Decide if you want to share the videos and activity sheets as part of a larger campaign. For example, you could time posts leading up to an early literacy event at the library that you want to promote. Or promote one segment of the video each month, with posts that feature the video one week, activities from the extension sheet the next, and end with the survey and a call for families to share what they have tried!
Copy/paste the text to Facebook or Twitter. Be sure to include links to the video, survey, or activity sheets.
If you can, include a picture to boost views!

Add a hashtag! Use specific hashtags like #[YourLibraryName] so people can search to find you. Use more general hashtags to join a larger conversation, and connect to your community or related trends. Try these:
#playlearngrow
#earlylearning
#learningthroughplay
#playmatters
#childcaretips

Posts:

Content Focus	Suggested Text	Character Count	Links to Include
Play, Learn, and Grow	We all love the children in our care. We want them to be healthy and happy and grow each day. Fortunately, that’s naturally what children do! These videos from Growing Readers Together offer new ways to play and learn together.	229	Watch now at bit.ly/PLGvideos
Play, Learn, and Grow	The time you spend with the children in your care MATTERS. Whether you are reading, dancing, or exploring the world, the way you talk and play with them makes a difference in how they grow, learn, and develop.	209	Learn more at bit.ly/PLGfull
Brain Building	Did you know that babies and toddlers are natural brain builders? At birth, babies already have 100 BILLION neurons, or brain cells and these neurons are building connections every moment of the day. These connections are made by playing, talking, moving, exploring, and reading together with you!	297	See how at bit.ly/PLGintro
Brain Building	The most important factor in developing healthy bodies and minds is the responsive and attentive relationship with a caring adult. That means you play a vital role in setting the stage for children to learn, grow, and thrive!	226
Read and Grow	It may seem like a small difference, but reading with your children, rather than to them, can have a huge impact on their learning. Reading with a child means asking questions, talking about the pictures, or connecting the book to your child’s world.	251	Get more tips at bit.ly/PLGread
Read and Grow	You can find ways to “read” together beyond storytime. When out shopping, point out words on signs. In the kitchen, show them how you read a recipe. Make a game of finding the letters and reading opportunities all around us.	225	Find more activities at bit.ly/PLGtips1
Read and Grow	A plastic bottle becomes a reading tool when you use it to play I-Spy. Fill the bottle with buttons, beads, or small toys. Together, look for something red or something that starts with the letter A. Identifying shapes is the first steps to learning letters, and the more words a child is familiar with, the better they will understand the words they read in school.	367
Move and Learn	From the moment we are born and grasp the finger of a caring adult, we are developing muscle control and coordination. As children crawl and leap, toss and stack, stomp and clap, they are practicing the skills needed to read and write. Children need to move and play to build a foundation for success.	302	Watch these skills in action at bit.ly/PLGmove
Move and Learn	It's amazing how many muscles are involved in just sitting up straight and holding a pencil. This simple act requires core strength, balance, and coordination! Children develop these motor skills as they move, play, create and explore.	236
Move and Learn	Got boxes? They make great, light weight building blocks! When children balance the boxes, they are using muscle control to stack and build. Don’t forget to ask questions like – what could we try differently? How could we build this higher? Which box is the biggest? The more you ask questions and narrate what you see, the more children are able to learn from an activity.	373	Check out more activities: bit.ly/PLGtips2
Explore and Play	What do scientists and toddlers have in common? They both love to ask questions and experiment! Exploring the world with a caring adult helps them learn new words, tell stories about their observations, and build their brilliant young brains.	243	Discover more at bit.ly/PLGexplore
Explore and Play	Ask questions! When children experiment or describe how things might work they develop language and thinking skills. For young children, wondering and explaining is more powerful than knowing the right answer.	210
Explore and Play	Everyday objects like cardboard tubes can create opportunities for young children to observe nature. Build a bug house or pretend binoculars. Exploring nature is a wonderful play-based way to bring science into your day.	220	More ways to play bit.ly/PLGtips3
Play, Learn, and Grow	Did you check out @growingreaderstogether‘s video this week? Post your thoughts or a picture of an activity you tried, and be featured on our feed!	146	Got a minute? You could win a $20 gift card! bit.ly/OECsurvey

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Contact Us

A limited number of activity sheets and DVDs are available upon request. Your regional early literacy librarian is also available to help you host a workshop or answer any questions you may have.