Public Service Announcement
Celebrating the Month of the Young Child in Pitkin County
City of Aspen and Kids First host events in May
Aspen, Colorado — May 1, 2023 — The City of Aspen and Kids First are delighted to announce the Month of the Young Child, a month-long celebration for children and families in Pitkin County.
This annual event, held every May, is dedicated to highlighting the needs of young children and their families, and recognizing the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs.
This year's celebration will kick off with a “Screen Free Week” from May 1-7, where Kids First and Aspen Mountain Tots will be sharing "screen free" ideas for families through email and the Kids First Facebook page. All schools are encouraged to participate and share their ideas on Facebook as well.
The festivities begin on May 4 with Read with Me Day, where community volunteers will be reading in all the childcare classrooms in Pitkin County at the same time. This event is an exciting opportunity for children to meet community members who enjoy reading and sharing great stories with them.
On May 9, Aspen City Council will declare May the Month of the Young child by reading the proclamation at the regular council meeting, 5 p.m. in Council Chambers.
On May 10, a small group of children will attend the regular Pitkin Board of County Commissioners meeting, where the Commissioners will declare May as the Month of the Young Child.
That same day, each school will prepare a healthy lunch for the children and staff.
On May 16 at 10 a.m., children from all the childcare programs in Pitkin County will gather at the Aspen Fire Department in downtown for the annual children's parade. They will parade down Hopkins Avenue to Galena Street, then Galena to Hyman Avenue, and the Hyman mall to the fountain area.
On May 23 from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., children will have the opportunity to ride their bike to childcare or to the Yellow Brick. At the Yellow Brick, muffins and juice will be served.
Finally, on May 25 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., children's art will be displayed at Paepcke Park for the community to see, organized by Woody Creek Kids.
"The Month of the Young Child is a time to recognize the importance of early childhood education and to celebrate the children and families in our community," said Nancy Nichols, co-manager at Kids First. "We are excited to organize these events and look forward to seeing the children, families, and community members come together to celebrate this special month."
Contact: Nancy Nichols, Kids First Co-Manager. 970-920-5363, or nancy.nichols@aspen.gov
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