LOU Hosts Community Playdate Saturday

The LOU Excel By 5 Coalition, in collaboration with United Way of Oxford & Lafayette County, will host its first ever Community Playdate on Saturday, Oct. 25 from 9 a.m. to noon at the University of Mississippi’s Jackson Avenue Center, 1111 Jackson Avenue West.
This is a free event, open to the public, but targeted specifically for families with children aged 5 years and younger.
The event will feature a wide array of age-appropriate activities and toys, all generously loaned by our local Family Resource Center. There will be fun for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners! Light snacks will be available for children, while parents will have the opportunity to give input and feedback on the LOU Excel by 5 Coalition’s work and to win exciting door prizes!
Starting at 10 a.m., Dr. Carey Bernini Dowling will lead two “Knowing Parent” workshops focused on caring for infants and toddlers. These workshops will address age-appropriate activities, fostering healthy sleep habits, promoting language development, and (for toddlers) using positive discipline. The LOU Excel by 5 Coalition will provide free childcare and supervision while parents attend these workshops. Additional door prizes will be given out to a lucky group of workshop attendees.
The Family Resource Center (at 1097 Jackson Avenue, just across the parking lot) will be open during the playdate for families that wish to visit this community resource and borrow free books and toys.
About the LOU Excel By 5 Coalition
Excel By 5, based in Jackson, is a community-wide certification process which strives to improve the quality of life for children birth through age five, focusing on educational and personal development. On April 24, 2013, after two years of hard work, LOU met all Excel By 5 requirements to become certified as a child-friendly community. This certification shows that the LOU community supports a child’s overall development from birth to age five by focusing on the roles parents, early childhood caregivers, and the community play in the lives of our youngest children.
Come play with us!

If you would like more information on Excel By 5 or the Community Playdate, please contact Alice Ricks at 662-236-4265 or email chelsea@unitedwayoxfordms.org.