A girl blows bubbles from an activity bag her preschool teacher dropped off. (Courtesy of Valley Settlement)
A boy works on an art project with materials from his activity bag.
Volunteers Stephanie Janigo and Amelia Helzberg prepare to pack up activity bags for El Busesito preschoolers.
Volunteer Arthur Helzberg gets fully immersed in his paint-pouring duties.
Freddie, the Helzbergs’ dog, also got in on the paint action.
Laura Topete is one of six teachers who delivered activity bags to El Busesito preschoolers and continues to deliver materials every Monday.
A preschooler receives an activity bag at her front door.
A preschooler with his activity bag.
Two cousins show off their activity bags.
Twin brothers show off the items in their activity bags.
A preschooler uses a bubble wand from her activity bag.
A boy threads spaghetti through hotdog pieces, an activity suggested by his preschool to help with counting and fine motor skills.
A boy shows off his spaghetti and hotdog mustache after the food was boiled.
A girl uses chalk from her activity bag to decorate a piece of wood.
A boy practices a yoga pose from a YouTube video recommended by his preschool teachers.
A girl draws a hopscotch course with chalk from her activity bag.
A boy works on an art project with materials from his activity bag.
Volunteers Stephanie Janigo and Amelia Helzberg prepare to pack up activity bags for El Busesito preschoolers.
Volunteer Arthur Helzberg gets fully immersed in his paint-pouring duties.
Freddie, the Helzbergs’ dog, also got in on the paint action.
Laura Topete is one of six teachers who delivered activity bags to El Busesito preschoolers and continues to deliver materials every Monday.
A preschooler receives an activity bag at her front door.
A preschooler with his activity bag.
Two cousins show off their activity bags.
Twin brothers show off the items in their activity bags.
A preschooler uses a bubble wand from her activity bag.
A boy threads spaghetti through hotdog pieces, an activity suggested by his preschool to help with counting and fine motor skills.
A boy shows off his spaghetti and hotdog mustache after the food was boiled.
A girl uses chalk from her activity bag to decorate a piece of wood.
A boy practices a yoga pose from a YouTube video recommended by his preschool teachers.
A girl draws a hopscotch course with chalk from her activity bag.
A boy works on an art project with materials from his activity bag.
When Colorado schools closed in March because of the coronavirus pandemic, so did El Busesito Preschool — the mobile preschool program that relies on three converted buses to serve 3- and 4-year-olds in the Roaring Fork Valley.
Leaders at Valley Settlement, which runs the mobile preschool and other programs for immigrant families, quickly connected with parents to find out what they needed. Many were concerned about lost jobs and income, but plenty also wondered how to keep their kids learning at home.
Staff and volunteers quickly hatched a plan so preschool activities could continue — albeit in an altered form. They decided to use WhatsApp to connect with families and began sending six videos a week, featuring storytime, or activities like cooking, art, or yoga. They also started weekly deliveries of learning packets and supplies to the homes of all 96 preschoolers spread across Garfield and Eagle counties.
Earlier this month, six preschool teachers drove around the valley, dropping off bags stuffed with crayons, paint, chalk, construction paper, books, puzzles, buckets, and balls. In the interest of social distancing, they often left the colorful activity bags on front porches without an official hello, said Faridhe Rodriguez, a preschool teacher and director of the mobile preschool program.
But some children spotted their teachers and turned into hug missiles that couldn’t be stopped.
“It’s hard to say no to someone who’s running toward you and is super excited to see you,” Rodriguez said.
