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First Things Blog

Information and inspiration for parents and caregivers of babies, toddlers and preschoolers

baby girl sitting up looking for a hug

Parenting is hard. Help is a phone call away with the Birth to Five Helpline.

  • parenting

The Birth to Five Helpline is a free service open to all Arizona families of young children. Experts are available to answer any parenting questions.

tummy time tips to help your baby grow strong

Tummy time tips to help your baby grow strong

  • infants

Want to support your baby’s physical development? The answer is Tummy Time!

Start building a love of math and science early in life

  • early learning

Activities such as finger painting, building blocks and baking are fun and interactive ways to build science and math skills in young kids.

teacher-child interactions are key to quality child care

Quality child care: 6 things to look for in teacher-child interactions

  • child care

Teacher-child interactions that are stimulating and nurturing are an essential part of quality child care programs. Check out our 1-minute video for what to…
Pediatricians say baby walkers are unsafe

Doctors say baby walkers are not safe, don’t help development

  • safety

Baby walkers are advertised as fun for young children, but pediatricians say they’re dangerous.
Young child with glasses plays with parents

Podcast: Eyes on Learning

  • health & nutrition

Healthy vision is important for a child’s development and learning. But children don’t know what they can’t see.
Block play helps build STEM skills

Not just a theory: Block play builds STEM skills in early childhood

  • play

Did you know that young Albert Einstein spent a lot of time playing with blocks?
high quality early learning programs boost kids social emotional development and later academic achievement

High-quality early childhood programs provide long-lasting benefits for kids

  • early learning

A recent study shows that quality child care and preschool programs boost kids’ social-emotional skills and academic achievement.
Family working on language and early literacy by reading

September is Literacy Month, but it’s always time to read and talk with your child

  • language & literacy

Reading together and having back-and-forth conversations help young kids develop the skills they’ll need to become good readers.

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