Educational resources to support our youngest learners, from birth to five
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February, 2026
Friendships Make Our Hearts Happy
Our hearts are full this month because we're grateful for friends like you! Take some time to share the love in your learning environment and explore how to encourage more and deeper peer relationships.
Regardless of age, from infant to adult, we all thrive when we connect with others!
Have 2 minutes? Take-Home Strategy
Check out the Take-Home Strategy page about peer relationships, designed for families to encourage connecting with peers. Then, consider sending it to families.
Have 5 minutes? Classroom Videos and Activity Cards
See our videos that illustrate how to help peers build bridges with each other, and try an Activity Card for a quick and easy way to bring children together.
Spend some time reviewing our strategy page for supporting friendship skills. We have content tailor-made for infants and toddlers as well as preschoolers.
Read an article about how young children make friends and reflect on what you and families can do to support peer relationships. These resources are under the heading, “Working with Families to Support Peer Relationships.”
In partnership with VDOE Office of Early Childhood, the University of Virginia’s Center for the Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning (CASTL) provides free resources you can use to foster children's development and learning.
The ECE Resource Hub is created by the Center for the Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning (CASTL) at the University of Virginia with funding from the Virginia Department of Education.
