Countdown To Kindergarten

Early Childhood Partners CFCE of Hamilton, Wenham, Manchester, and Essex is here to support your child's transition to Kindergarten.  
Every Spring, we distribute a Countdown To Kindergarten Calendar, which includes a daily activity for your
soon to be Kindergarten student.  We also collaborate with our community partners to host special ​Countdown to Kindergarten Events, including book giveaways and story times!  All children entering Kindergarten are welcome to all events,
​regardless of school assignment or town. ​
Please enjoy our clickable list of Kindergarten-themed activities that focus on literacy, arts, music, movement, and science...all with materials that you have at home!  

READ ALOUDS:
The Night Before Kindergarten By Julie Durell and Natasha Wing
David Goes To School By David Shannon
Froggy Goes To School By Jonathan London
The Pigeon HAS To Go To School By Mo Willems
Kindergarten Here I Come By DJ Steinberg
The King of Kindergarten By Derrick Barnes

MUSIC AND MOVEMENT:
Sesame Street: Starting Kindergarten
ABC Kick Box
Days of the Week Song
See It, Say It, Sign It
Patterns - Banana Banana Meatball

​GAMES AND ACTIVITIES:
Make DIY Kindergarten Bookmarks
16 Arts and Crafts Projects For Kindergarteners
Fun Activities To Improve Fine Motor Skills
Help your Child Develop Grit And Learn To Persevere
23 Kindergarten Science Experiments
Ready or Not Kindergarten, Here We Come!
The Early Childhood Partners Countdown To Kindergarten Calendar!

​ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
​How To Help Your Child Successfully Transition Back to School

​SOCIAL STORIES - The website Autism Little Learners: Resources and Ideas for Families and Educators has some great COVID-19 Related Social Stories to help prepare your children for the Fall. Stories can help ALL children understand what is going on around them. Information about new routines will help reduce anxiety and fear. This will lead to a
​smoother transition into a new routine.  Please click here for the link.

GOING BACK TO SCHOOL SOCIAL STORY TEMPLATE - Social stories are a great way to prepare a child for something new. By reading and seeing images ahead of time, they have time to process change, talk about their feelings, and feel more in control when they go into this new experience. Mass AIMH, DMH, MSPCC, and the Partnership for Early Childhood Mental Health created this Social Story Template. The template can be downloaded and edited for use by providers and families to help children prepare for the changes so they can feel more in control as they reenter school/childcare.  Click here to Download our Social Story Template
​
SALLY THE PUPPET TALKS ABOUT GOING BACK TO SCHOOL - We have permission to share a timely resource that has been provided by Cape Cod Children’s Place CFCE and Pitter Patter Puppets. This video is a tool to support families and community partners as they begin to talk with children about going back to school.  Mary Wilson has done a fantastic job introducing open-ended questions around re-entering the mixed delivery system. The video is an excellent starting point for processing next steps and identifying feelings that children might have.  Here is the link for the CFCE video: Sally The Puppet Talks About Going Back To School
KINDERGARTEN READINESS ARTICLES: 
Early Childhood Partners programs are funded by the Massachusetts Coordinated Family & Community Engagement (CFCE) grant awarded to Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) serving Hamilton, Wenham, Manchester, and Essex.  All educational and non-academic programs, activities and employment opportunities at Hamilton-Wenham RSD are offered without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, homelessness, age and/or, disability, and any other class or characteristic
​protected by law.