Friendships and forging healthy bonds play a crucial role in early childhood development. This February, in celebration of International Friendship Month, Celebree School, a leader in early childhood education that provides infant and toddler care, preschool, before and aftercare, and summer camp programs, introduces its Friendship Starts Here campaign. Designed to nurture meaningful connections among children, this initiative underscores the importance of kindness, empathy, and inclusion as key building blocks of early social development.
Engage, Learn, and Give Back: Celebree School invites families to visit the Friendship Starts Here landing page to join in spreading kindness and building friendships through various activities designed to foster social-emotional development:
- Friendship Pledge: Families can download and print the Friendship Pledge to discuss the importance of making friends, being kind, and standing up to bullying. Post a photo with the signed pledge on social media tagging Celebree School using the hashtag #FriendshipStartsHere, and Celebree will donate $1 to Ronald McDonald House Charities for every post.
- Printable Friendship Adventure Packs: To encourage open-ended conversations with children about the importance of friendship and provide practical examples of how to be a good friend, Celebree School has developed four downloadable Friendship Adventure Packs as a valuable resource for parents.
- Friendship Bracelet Donations: Children at Celebree Schools across the nation will create and donate friendship bracelets to families supported by local Ronald McDonald House Chapters. These small tokens of kindness symbolize the power of friendship and connection.
- Social Media Giveaway: Families can follow Celebree School on Instagram, comment on friendship-themed posts, share photos of their Friendship Pledges, and tag friends to participate. One lucky family will win an Ultimate Friendship Prize Pack, including friendship-inspired books, toys, activities, and gift card for playdate adventures.
- A Holistic Approach to Childhood Wellness Webinar: Celebree School invites the community to join them in exploring holistic childhood wellness alongside expert Dr. Kristen Riley Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology Department at Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology. While social skills are a critical component of childhood development, other essential factors—such as proper nutrition, emotional wellbeing, and more—play an equally important role in nurturing a well-rounded child. To learn more and register for the event, please visit https://bit.ly/4hxX8WV.
Empowering Social and Emotional Growth: Friendship plays a crucial role in fostering essential life skills such as empathy, communication, and conflict resolution. By teaching children how to build and maintain positive friendships, Celebree School aims to provide them with the tools to navigate social situations, share experiences, and develop a strong sense of belonging. Parental involvement is essential during this stage, as caregivers help set the example for building inclusive and supportive relationships.
“Social and emotional development begins to flourish before a child turns two,” said Kristen Miller, Director of Education at Celebree School. “By encouraging empathy, shared play, and positive role modeling at an early age, we help children establish the foundation for lifelong supportive relationships. The Friendship Starts Here campaign is our way of celebrating and supporting this journey for families nationwide.”
Making a Lasting Impact: Classroom environments provide invaluable opportunities for children to develop social and emotional skills through structured group activities. At Celebree School, students participate in hands-on projects, collaborative games, and themed lessons designed to foster teamwork and problem-solving while promoting age-appropriate learning.
“Friendship is more than just making connections; it’s about creating a sense of belonging and understanding,” added Miller. “Through our Friendship Starts Here campaign, we hope to inspire families and communities to work together to build a brighter, kinder future for our children.”
With programs available for children six weeks to 12 years old, Celebree School lives by its promise to Grow People Big and Small™. The brand was founded on the belief that success in early childhood development is equal parts curriculum and a connection that extends beyond the classroom to address the needs of the whole child and the whole family. Curriculums are designed to develop positive social skills and values while allowing children to learn about the world through age-appropriate play, projects, and activities.
For more information on Celebree School’s Friendship Starts Here campaign, visit https://www.celebree.com/friendship-starts-here/
For more information about Celebree School programs and enrollment, visit https://www.celebree.com/find-a-location/.
Read the full press release on PR Newswire here.