Only 50% of Crittenden County student who enter school are kindergarten ready so there is always a need for preschool programming.  However, there isn’t always a good location and an available audience.  This summer and fall, the Crittenden County FCS agent partnered with the Crittenden County Public Library to offer weekly preschool programs. The idea for the program came about after the FCS taught animal yoga at the summer reading program. The children’s librarian was going on maternity leave and the library staff was shorthanded and couldn’t continue story time during her absence.  The FCS agent planned and delivered several weeks of preschool programs with a wide variety of topics and activities. The lessons were always theme related. Sometimes we would do children’s yoga, others days a LEAP book and snack or a Laugh and Learn day.  On Laugh and Learn day station were set up for the child and parent to work together on a learning activity, then rotate to the next station.  The learning station always focused on development skills. We always had books to read, we were at the library! Now, that the children’s librarian has returned to work, plans are to provide children’s yoga and laugh and learn after the scheduled story hour time.

After another rise in Covid numbers, our Laugh and Learn has gone virtual.  A letter was sent home with the December pre-school pages (which goes to 155 preschoolers) advertising a Laugh and Learn packet that would be sent home each month. The packet would include activities the parent could do with the child to help them become kindergarten ready (general knowledge of mathematics, health and physical well being, approaches to learning, language and communication development& social and emotional development) . The packet contained all or most of the items needed to complete the activities.   Each month had a specific theme and included a music activity (on YouTube), a healthy snack, gross motor activity, fine motor activity, craft, and a coloring sheet. A closed Facebook page, Crittenden County laugh and learn was developed.  Parent were encouraged to post pictures of the activities their children were doing.  In January 12 families signed up, by the time the March packet went out 30 families were participating each month. Packets were sent home January – June.