What's New About Cribs?

            Upon learning about the new regulations for infant cribs in child care facilities, most program directors’ first comments seemed to be disbelief, followed by concerns about where the money would come from to replace all the cribs, and a resounding WHY!

            No one, including directors, wants to put any children, least of all a little baby, in something that might cause them harm in any way. The new regulations are first and foremost meant to keep our young ones safe. As providers, we want the best for the children in our care. These new regulations address more than just the drop-side issue with cribs. They address many issues with cribs that make today’s manufactured crib actually a great deal safer than its predecessors.

     Cribs manufactured and sold after June 28, 2011, must adhere to these new Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regulations (16 CFR 1219 or 16CFR 1220):

1.      The elimination of the traditional “drop-side” rail cribs.

2.      Improvements to the strength of crib slats to avoid breaking.

3.      Increase the mattress support durability.

4.      Changes in the quality of the hardware to prevent anti-loosening.

5.      Require more rigorous testing.

6.      Better labeling and instructions to avoid errors in assembly.

The new regulations also require ALL cribs to meet these new standards by

December 28, 2012. That means that unless your cribs were manufactured after June 28, 2011, and have date code labeling establishing that, they will need to be replaced. Retailers and manufacturers should be able to provide a letter of compliance as well that states the new purchased cribs meet the new regulations. There is not a way to “re-fit” a crib to make it compliant. Also, the cribs must be disposed of, they are not being recalled, nor are they safe for any other infants to occupy.

            The CPSC will be enforcing the crib standards. Anyone who is covered by the new crib standards and does not comply commits a prohibited act under section 19(a)(1) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) and is subject to possible civil penalities.

            The important fact to remember is that this new generation of cribs will be safer for the little ones that slumber in them. Even though the new regulations are causing budgets to stretch, saving just one baby from harm makes it all worthwhile.

            Constructive Playthings® is committed to providing the highest quality early childhood educational supplies, preschool furniture, and daycare furniture.

How Awesome is the Autumn Season?

The leaves on trees are beginning to change in many parts of the country, prompting many children and caregivers to wonder and question what is happening outside. This is a perfect season to go outside and nuture children’s sense of wonder.

It doesn’t take much in the world of preschool supplies to help children explore the wild outdoors. Simple tools such as a magnifying glass, binoculars, a container for collecting specimens, a bag for simple nature items, a flashlight, a spoon for digging, and paper and pencil for recording information.

First, encourage young children to use their five senses to explore. Just taking time to listen to the sounds around connects them to nature. There may be birds singing, crickets chirping, or the crunching of the ground below their feet. This season brings lots of different scents and smells, too. A simple observation of what is right in front of them brings new insights to children. Play an I Spy game to further expand what children are seeing and observing. Use a sense of touch to get hands-on with nature, where safe. Tree bark feels different than any other surface. You can also discuss the weather and compare how it is different on various days.

There are many avenues to explore outside. The leaves changing on the trees are an easy example. You can collect leaves, compare their sizes, sort them by colors, and match similar ones. You can trace them, make leaf rubbings, and take them back inside for further examination with a magnifying lense. Then you can record observations of what happens to the leaves once they get inside. Look for decidous trees (ones that shed their leaves) and coniferous ones (evergreens). You can talk about how these trees are the same and different.

Allow lots of time for children to explore and be curious. Ask them open-ended questions that will encourage them to use language to talk about observations and ideas. Make comments and ask questions such as “I wonder what would happen if…” Children will often answer their own questions. If the answer is unknown, take time to look up the information later. Children construct knowledge based on their own experiences. Providing simple tools, the great outdoors, and some well positioned questions, provides rich experiences for them.

These nature experiences are not only important for children, but they are also necessary requirements from high-quality improvement systems. For instance, the ECERS-E: The Four Curricular Subscales Extension to the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS-R), lists that natural materials be used beyond decoration to illustrate specific concepts, that children should be encourage to explore characteristics of natural materials, and adults should show appreciation, curiousity, and/or respect for nature when with children, to name a few. These factors help improve the quality of interactions between children and their caregivers and enrich their science experience.

So take advantage of this awesome season and head outdoors with the children to experience this sense of wonder in the changing seasons.