Quality Time with Kacey, image of a koala wearing a Maryland EXCELS T-shirt, sitting in front of a clock

Quality Time with Kacey

Activities with Kacey for Families and Providers

Kacey the Quality Koala and Maryland EXCELS will be sharing fun and educational activities for families and child care programs.

Be sure to visit this page or social media regularly! Share your activities on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The Maryland State Department of Education’s Division of Early Childhood understands that the activities described on this page and in website links are not suitable for all ages. Ultimately, all activities require adult supervision and are not endorsed by the Maryland State Department of Education or Johns Hopkins University.

In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb

Cover of the book "In Like a Lion Out Like a Lamb" by Marion Dane BauerRead In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb by Marion Dane Bauer or listen to the book read aloud. 

Talk with the children in your care about how March’s weather starts . . . cold, windy, snowy, icy. Then encourage them to describe how the weather is usually calmer and more pleasant by the end of the month. 

Then sing, “In Like A Lion, Out Like A Lamb”  to the tune of ”London Bridge is Falling Down.”

The month of March comes in like a lion, in like a lion, in like a lion.

The month of March comes in like a lion with a great big growl! (Growl with both hands out like claws!)

The end of March goes out like a lamb, out like a lamb, out like a lamb.

The end of March goes out like a lamb, peaceful and with a hush (Put your finger to your lips and say, “Shh!”)

 

Milk and Cookies

Cover of the book Milk and Cookies by Frank AschRead Milk and Cookies by Frank Asch or listen to the book read aloud.

For a follow-up activity, you can make pretend cookies with playdough while learning numbers and math.

First, write numbers on index cards or slips of paper. Then have your child choose one of the number cards to determine how many cookies to make. Flatten the play dough with a rolling pin, then use cookie cutters to make different shapes.

For very young children, you can start with the numbers 1 and 2. Preschoolers can use 1 to 10. Kindergartners can make larger groups of cookies, such as 0 to 25, or they pick two numbers and make two sets of cookies.

 

Snuggle with a good book!

Baby, it’s cold outside! Snuggle up with your little ones and these winter books that they’ll love.

Winter Books Your Kids Will Love To ReadKids Winter Books List

  1. The Biggest Snowman Ever
  2. There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow
  3. The Mitten
  4. Animals in Winter
  5. The Snowy Day
  6. Tacky and the Winter Games
  7. Let it Snow
  8. The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder
  9. The Itsy Bitsy Snowman
  10. Lemonade in Winter: A Book About Two Kids Counting Money
  11. Snowmen At Play
  12. The Snow Globe Family
  13. Sneezy the Snowman
  14. The Gruffalo’s Child
  15. What Do Animals Do in Winter?
  16. The Very Fairy Princess
  17. The Hat
  18. Magic Tree House #32: Winter of the Ice Wizard
  19. Snowmen at Night
  20. Over in the Arctic: Where the Cold Winds Blow
  21. Look Closer into the Arctic
  22. Here is the Arctic Winter
  23. Who Lives Here? Polar Animals
  24. North: The Amazing Story of Arctic Migration
  25. Arctic Tale
  26. The Magic of Friendship Snow
  27. Snow (A Caldecott Honor Book)
  28. The Snowy Nap
  29. Pete the Cat: Snow Daze