Alerts Sign-up
Covington families with children aged 3 to 5 can take part in a free program aimed at enhancing early childhood development and kindergarten readiness. The "Play with Purpose" initiative, organized by the Covington Parks and Recreation Department alongside EC LEARN, offers engaging activities to boost vocabulary and speech among young children.
Running from January 18 through March 15, the sessions are held weekly from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Kenton County Public Library located at 502 Scott Blvd. Families interested in joining are encouraged to sign up via the Play with Purpose playgroup enrollment link. A separate program for younger children has already reached capacity.
“By investing in early education and fostering kindergarten readiness, we empower our children to break the cycle of low literacy and build a foundation of hope and opportunity for generations to come,” stated Alicia Chappell, Covington Recreational Program Coordinator.
Chappell emphasized that the playgroup is an excellent opportunity for caregivers to connect and learn from each other while forming new friendships. “We will spend some time with the caregivers discussing different ways to interact with their children to promote healthy learning styles,” she said. Each session provides families with a toy and book to facilitate purposeful play at home.
The curriculum for Play with Purpose was developed by the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL), based in Louisville. “The curriculum is designed to support families as they learn to engage with their young children, ages birth to 5 years,” explained Dianna Carlson, NCFL Preschool Training Specialist.
In addition to receiving educational materials each week, parents have access to resources on the Sparkler app—a mobile application offering about 2,000 ideas for off-screen play aimed at nurturing children's growth in various areas.
Karen Sherman from EC Learn highlighted play's significance in childhood development. “For young children, play is a powerful way to strengthen relationships, build resilience, develop core life skills, and reduce sources of stress,” Sherman remarked.
Funded through Kentucky’s Governor’s Office of Early Childhood's Preschool Development Grant, these playgroups are facilitated by trained professionals.
