Make a New Year resolution to read every day with your young child. 15 minutes is all it takes to make a lifetime of difference. To help you get started, we’re running a fun challenge all month long this January. Simply download this Read Every Day Challenge 2022 tracker and mark off each day you read at Read More
A Season of Celebration
Many Alaskans and other Americans regard the winter holiday season as beginning with Christmas Eve and ending on New Year’s Day. In reality, the season here in Alaska is rich with diversity and lasts longer, starting with Hanukkah, beginning this year on the evening of November 28, and ending with Russian Christmas on January 7. Read More
Celebrating 15 Reasons to Give to Best Beginnings
In honor of our 15th anniversary, we are sharing 15 Reasons to Give to Best Beginnings. Your support is the key to ensuring that that we can continue to provide for the families and young children of Alaska. 15 Reasons to Give Because you… …care about a child’s ability to succeed in school and life. …know Read More
Ways to Nurture Generosity
What does it take to raise a generous child? There are many ways! Here are some ideas you can use to foster generosity and social emotional growth by engaging your family in these activities: Ways to Foster Generosity Collect food for your local food pantry/food bank Give toiletries to your local shelter Volunteer with a Read More
Activities that Foster Generosity
Generosity is rooted in sharing with and caring for others. These social emotional activities will help you teach your child, no matter how young, to be sensitive and considerate. Love and Trust Building (Birth-6 months) Mirror, Mirror on the Wall (6-12 months) Cooperative Play (12-18 months) Initiating My Own Play (18-24 months) Care for the Read More
Generosity
With so many holidays in December, it’s a perfect time to introduce your child to the idea of generosity. And this time of year presents so many opportunities to do it! For children, learning to be generous starts with lessons about sharing, kindness, and understanding that their actions affect others. These skills set the stage Read More
Giving Thanks Every Day
“Can we be thankful all year long?” asked a little boy when his mother was trying to explain the Thanksgiving holiday. The answer, of course, is not only CAN we, but we SHOULD be. I thought gratitude was an emotion we should aspire to feel. Actually, to get the greatest benefit, we should think about Read More
Books About Subsistence
Fry Bread: a Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard (Toddler, Preschool) Fry bread can be more than just food. Fry bread is a shared tradition that many different and diverse indigenous peoples have in common and have adapted over time. Don’t forget to look over the author’s notes in the back to help Read More
Celebrating 15 Stories of Gratitude
In celebration of our 15 years, we are sharing 15 stories of gratitude from those whose lives have been touched in some way by Best Beginnings throughout the next few months. Check back frequently for new stories! We hope you enjoy this look back at just a sliver of the stories we’ve created together. Have Read More
Activities for Sharing Subsistence
Passing down the knowledge of subsistence life teaches an appreciation for Alaska Native cultural knowledge. No matter the language you use, talking about how food gets to our table is the perfect opportunity to share a bounty of knowledge. Sharing stories Share memories from your family about hunting and gathering Read/listen to traditional stories Read More
