Toy Library and Early Learning Center.

After a major renovation and reorganization in the Summer of 2016, the Toy Library is now a true Early Learning Center; the toys and educational materials are first and foremost designed to enhance and complement a child’s individual development. All of the toys and learning materials are shelved by age group in four categories to support children’s development: language and pre-literacy, thinking skills, movement and physical development, and social/emotional development. This arrangement allows parents, caregivers and child care providers to match their children’s interests and developmental needs with toys that promote learning and fun!

After filling in a membership agreement, toys and early learning materials are available for a 14 day loan to anyone who lives in Napa County. Borrowing toys is economical for families and early childhood educators and keeps interesting playthings in the hands of children whose developmental needs change rapidly in the early years. Our toys are selected with an eye for durability, practicality, developmental appropriateness and long-term usefulness.

Parents and caregivers can maximize their use of the Toy Library by completing an Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), a developmental screening tool which is used to identify strengths, areas that need to be monitored and areas where further assessment is needed. The ASQ is a parent-completed confidential screening tool for children ages 2 months to 5 years that provides a quick check on a child’s development. After completing the screening, parents and caregivers are able to access tools that support the development of their child(ren). Now that the toys and educational tools in our Toy Library/Early Learning Center are organized according to age and ASQ developmental domain, parents and caregivers are able to easily find resources corresponding to a child’s area of need. Please stop by to speak with the CRC Early Learning staff if you would like more information about the ASQ.

Developmental milestones are behaviors or physical skills seen in infants and children as they grow and develop. Rolling over, crawling, walking, and talking are all considered milestones. The milestones are different for each age range. There is a typical range in which a child may reach each milestone. 

This playgroup is specifically designed for Parents, Family, Friends and Neighbor caregivers and their children between ages 6 months to 2 years and 11 months. This playgroup will be offered in English and Spanish. The goal of the playgroup is to support parents/caregivers in being the expert of their child and share the importance of supporting the development of children in their early years of life and share resources and activities.  

The playgroup includes an orientation of the ASQ instrument, a tool that allows participants to learn more about their child’s current stage of development.  

Different activities will be available for each development domain (Communication, Fine motor, Gross Motor, Problems Solving (Thinking) and Social and Emotional). Each Developmental Milestone Playgroup will highlight one specific domain.  

Parents/caregivers will learn to recognize each developmental domain and support those through play. 

En las etapas del desarrollo encontramos distintos hitos del desarrollo. Los hitos del desarrollo son comportamientos o habilidades físicas que se observan en bebés y niños a medida que crecen y se desarrollan. Darse la vuelta, gatear, caminar y hablar se consideran hitos. Los hitos son diferentes para cada rango de edad. Hay un rango típico en el que un niño puede alcanzar cada hito. 

Este grupo de juego está diseñado específicamente para padres, familiares, amigos, cuidadores vecinos y sus niños/as entre las edades de 6 meses a 2 años y 11 meses. Este grupo de juego se ofrecerá en inglés y español. El objetivo del grupo de juego es apoyar a los padres / cuidadores para que sean los expertos de sus niños y compartir la importancia de apoyar el desarrollo de ellos en sus primeros años de vida. En este grupo de juegos compartiremos recursos y actividades. 

El grupo de juego incluye una orientación del instrumento ASQ, una herramienta que permite a los participantes aprender más sobre la etapa actual de desarrollo de su niño/a. 

Habrá diferentes actividades disponibles para cada dominio de desarrollo (comunicación, motricidad fina, motricidad gruesa, resolución de problemas (pensamiento) y social/emocional. Cada Grupo de Juego Etapas del Desarrollo destacará un dominio específico. 

Los padres/cuidadores aprenderán a reconocer cada dominio del desarrollo y a apoyar a sus niños/as a través del juego. 

Join us to learn about the importance of talking reading and singing with your young child. Participate in bilingual songs, rhymes, story time, puppet play and creative projects.

The Toy Library and Early Learning Center is a free resource to the community that relies on the generous support of donors. If you know a person, business, or organization that might be willing to contribute funds to help us purchase additional toys and learning materials, please contact Eva Simonsson or (707) 253-0376 x140.