Providing a Safe Space

Each chapter describes an issue that infants face every day, making this a perfect resource for all infant providers. There are scenarios that illustrate the challenges and suggest solutions to meet baby's needs while learning about the developmental stages. This hands-on resource is for infants 6 weeks to 18 months old and for your resource library.

A young child's brain is uniquely sensitive to the effects of stress and trauma, which can have detrimental, long-term developmental impact. "Helping Them Heal" provides answers, ideas, and specific classroom strategies to move trauma-affected children in positive directions. Educators will learn ways to help children build resilience, self-regulation, and self-competence using this sensitive, supportive, and practical guide. Paperback. 192 pages.

12 months & up. Inspire imaginative play and early learning with this Community Helpers Hand Puppet Set! Excellent for creative role-play, career exploration, and cultural awareness activities, these 8 soft puppets feature realistic outfits that represent familiar occupations. Children can act out real-world scenarios while learning about the important roles people play in their communities. Perfect for home and classrooms, this engaging puppet set encourages children to develop social-emotional, language, and communication skills through storytelling and cooperative play. An ideal addition to any dramatic play or career exploration learning center. Set includes: doctor, chef, firefighter, postal worker, construction worker, farmer, veterinarian, and police officer. Each puppet measures 12"L and is perfectly sized for little hands.

3 years & up. Each cushion is printed with facial expressions to encourage children to identify and express their emotions. Children can sit on different cushions throughout the day or week to define their emotions. These Social Emotional Cushions are made of durable wipe clean vinyl. Set of six cushions. Each cushion measures 16" diameter. One year warranty.

3 years & up. Children can move through a space at their own pace when provided with the right affordances. Create smoother transitions between areas in the classroom, in hallways, and in transitional spaces like entryways using The Carolina Connections Explorer Rail. Curved rails at two different heights support children who are sitting or standing, offering increased mobility and inclusive experiences. Unit features a plywood back panel and an easy-to-clean, heavy-duty plastic rail, making this sturdy rail durable enough for continued use in children's learning spaces. Rail measures 47.5"W x 6"H x 6"D.

3 years & up. Support children's social-emotional development with the Feelings Friend Emotional Plush. This engaging doll is designed to help children recognize, identify, and discuss emotions in a safe and meaningful way. This comforting plush encourages conversations about feelings, self-awareness, empathy, and emotional regulation while providing a tangible tool for social-emotional learning activities. The plush helps children build emotional vocabulary and develop healthy communication skills. Whether used during group discussions, one-on-one interactions, or emotional check-ins, this versatile companion promotes confidence, self-expression, and positive relationship building. Includes an assortment of facial features in its front pouch, illustrated emotion cards, conversation starters, and a guide. Measures 12" high.

3 years and up. The intentional design of the Carolina Connections Collaborative Easel provides a one-of-a-kind art experience that accommodates all children. The unique curved design supports children's movement through the classroom at their own pace and encourages exploration while also creating a beautiful space inspired by the organic curves found in nature. A clear acrylic art surface encourages children to interact and create together while maintaining a comfortable distance that avoids overstimulation. Adjust the height to 18", 21" or 24" to accommodate standing or seated children. Features a durable birch plywood frame, easy-to-clean acrylic panels and a paper cutter and holder. Includes removable art tray and paint cups, as well as a starter 18" paper roll. Entire easel measures 48"W x 60"H x 20"D. Replacement paper roll is sold separately, item 301789.

3 years & up. Children can move through a space at their own pace when provided with the right affordances. Create smoother transitions between areas in the classroom, in hallways, and in transitional spaces like entryways using The Carolina Connections Explorer Rail. Curved rails at two different heights support children who are sitting or standing, offering increased mobility and inclusive experiences. The addition of a mirror helps children increase their spatial and self-awareness, intellectual curiosity, and cognitive skills. Unit features a plywood back panel and an easy-to-clean, heavy-duty plastic rail, and a shatter-resistant mylar mirror making this sturdy rail durable enough for continued use in children's learning spaces. Measures 47.5"W x 21.5"H x 6"D.

3 years & up. Help young children identify, understand, and communicate emotions with the Understanding Feelings Learning Kit. Designed for children, this social-emotional learning take-home kit introduces emotional literacy through engaging learning materials, a book, and activity cards that help families explore feelings together. Children learn important feeling words such as happy, sad, angry, and scared while building the language skills needed to describe emotions, communicate needs, and understand the feelings of others. By encouraging empathy, compassion, cooperation, and peaceful conflict resolution, the kit supports essential social-emotional skills that help children navigate friendships, classroom routines, and everyday interactions. The kit includes a book, learning materials, and an activity card(s).  Contents may be substituted with developmentally appropriate items that serve the same purpose.

3 years & up. Manimo® weighted plush animals provide children with a sensory stimulation and soothing effect. These plush companions were designed to help children remain attentive and focused during their daily activities. Alleviating excess energy while providing deep pressure sensations. The weighted animals are soft and pliable and can be placed either on the child's shoulders, waist, thighs or stomach to stimulate rest and/or concentration. Recommended usage time is 15-20-minutes, preferably under adult supervision. Dolphin weighs 2 lbs. and Lizard weighs 4 1/2 lbs. Colors may vary.

10 months & up. These plush ocean animals are ready to give lots of soft, snuggly hugs. Just spread their arms open wide, give the chest a little squeeze, and watch the arms instantly snap around to give you a hug. These ocean animals can hug around your wrist, backpack, and so much more. Surface washable. Size: 8". Animals may vary.

3 years & up. Help children build resilience, confidence, and healthy social-emotional skills with Children's Books That Promote Resilience - Set of 14. Designed for ages 3 and up, this classroom book collection introduces relatable stories that support conversations about feelings, perseverance, self-control, problem-solving, and positive relationships. Use these books during read-alouds, SEL lessons, quiet reading, or small group discussions to help children recognize strengths, manage challenges, and develop the protective factors they need to thrive.

12 months & up. This bilingual board book series explains early manners and emotions with simple words and images, illustrating ways to cope with frustration, anger or sadness.

10 months & up. These zoo animals are ready to give lots of soft, snuggly hugs. Just spread their arms open wide, give the chest a little squeeze, and watch the arms instantly snap around to give you a hug. Animals can hug around your wrist, backpack, and so much more. Surface washable. Size: 8". Animals may vary.

3 years & up. Teach your children about the importance of compassion with this fun Friends & Neighbors: The Helping Game to Encourage Empathy and Cooperation. This matching game promotes working together and collaborative play. In playing the game and reading about the feelings and needs of the characters, children will begin to recognize feelings in others, the first step to building empathy. This game includes 4 game boards, tokens, a helping bag, a guide, and a story book. For 1-4 players.

4 years & up. Make any moment mindful from morning to night with five categories of cards, designed to fit into each part of the day. Whimsical full-color illustrations on both sides of the cards provide easy-to-follow steps for each practice. The cards and 8-page instructional booklet include tips for children of a wide range of abilities, making this deck an inclusive tool for nurturing inner peace and strength. Includes 50 double-sided cards and 8-page booklet. Cards measure 4.96" x 6.97".

3 years & up. Provide a comfortable space for moments of respite in your classroom with the Carolina Connections Cove. The curved, semi-enclosed design and comfortable seating area foster belonging and invite children to find a sense of calm, while also creating a pathway between spaces in the classroom. Incorporate sensorial elements into the built-in rungs along the canopy to enhance play experiences for children. Made using durable birch plywood and an easy-to-clean vinyl cushion, this unit is designed to withstand the rigors of continued use. Measures 41"W x 44"H x 23"D.

2 years & up. Worry no more! These tactile stones have been designed to soothe, calm and help children focus. A range of textures, shapes, and natural colors stimulates many senses of users. Stones are made out of stone and are durable enough to weather the outdoors. The set includes 12 stones: two each of six designs measuring between 2"-3"each.

3 years & up. Use these wonderful My Family Books Readings About Different Family Types to introduce your children to a variety of families. This set of books celebrates the diverse family groups that make up our world! Children will enjoy connecting with families similar to theirs and learning about different ones. The positive, clear text helps emergent readers understand different family relationships, while recognizing the bonds that all families share. Encourage children to ask questions about vocabulary words they're unfamiliar with. Set of 4 paperback books.

4 years & up. Love comes in many different forms-so do families! Show children that love, not who you are or how your family looks, is what makes a family a family with the inclusive All Families Are Special Books. Perfect for exploring all the unique ways a family can be made, this book set helps teachers and parents build nurturing and supportive environments for children where they feel safe, comfortable, and affirmed in their family backgrounds. From adoptive and single-parent families, to same-sex and multiracial families, children will love learning about all types of families and why they're special! Set of 4. Hardback and paperback mix.

3 - 7 years. Each book helps young children learn about their different feelings and why they have them. Understanding their own emotions is the first step by showing examples of what it feels like, looks like, and how to deal with your feelings in all situations. Set of 6.

4 years & up. Love comes in many shapes, sizes, and forms - so do families! Explore all the ways families and individuals can be unique with the Free to Be Me Book Set. This inclusive book set helps teachers build nurturing environments for all children where they feel comfortable exploring their feelings, learning about diverse forms of love and identity, and, most importantly, respecting the ways we're all one-of-a-kind! Hardcover/ board book combination.

Birth & up. Young children will enjoy looking at images of themselves, friends, and family in this soft and durable photo mat. Photos often contain a variety of colors and shapes, which can help infants develop their visual discrimination skills. Viewing photos helps infants build their memory skills as they begin to recognize familiar faces, objects, and settings. Photos that capture different facial expressions and emotions can help infants begin to understand and recognize various emotional cues. Contain 8 vinyl pockets to insert 8 1/2" x 11" pictures or photos. Surface washable. Mat measures 51"L x 51"W x 1"H. One year warranty.

4 years & up. Discover and explore emotions in art with these unique Mix & Match Illustrating Emotions Stencils children. Each diverse boy and girl represents a basic emotion. These emotion stencils promote social emotional learning, fine motor skills, and creativity. Use these stencils in an interactive lesson about emotions and how to regulate each of them. Trace the stencils to create over 30 different combinations! This set includes 6 stencils measuring approximately 8"L x 8"W and an idea guide.