Community Pathways for Kids

08/26/2026

🧸 WANT TO HELP MAKE THE TEDDY BEAR PICNIC HAPPEN?

Not every business or community member has to become a sponsor to make a big difference.

As we prepare for the 2nd Annual Community Pathways for Kids Teddy Bear Picnic on October 11th at Wickham Park, we have a growing list of supplies, rentals, food, prizes, and event essentials we need to bring the day together.

That’s where in-kind donations can make a huge impact.

Instead of a monetary donation, local businesses and community members can donate or help provide an item directly from our Teddy Bear Picnic Needs List.

We’re currently looking for things like:

🧸 Event & activity supplies
⛺ Tents, tables, chairs & equipment
💨 Fans and cooling supplies
💧 Water & hydration supplies
🎨 Craft and children’s activity materials
🎟️ Raffle prizes, gift cards & experiences
🍿 Snacks and food items
🪧 Printing, signage & event materials
✨ And other items needed to make the picnic possible

We have a full list available, so if your business, organization, or family would like to help, comment below or send us a message and we’ll send it your way.

Every item donated is one less event expense for CPK—and allows more of the funds raised through the Teddy Bear Picnic to support our work with children and families in the community.

Have something you think we could use that isn't on our list? Reach out! We’d love to hear from you. 💛

📩 [email protected]
🧸

Community Pathways for Kids
We connect. We guide. We walk beside.

08/26/2026

📣 CALLING LOCAL KIDS’ PROGRAMS & COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS! 🧸

We’re building the lineup for the 2nd Annual Community Pathways for Kids Teddy Bear Picnic, and we’re looking for local organizations that want to be part of the day!

📅 Sunday, October 11th
⏰ 10 AM–2 PM
📍 Wickham Park Regional Pavilion | Melbourne

Last year, our first Teddy Bear Picnic welcomed around 400 community members, and this year we want to introduce families to even more of the amazing programs, activities, and resources available right here in our community.

We’d love to hear from:

⚽ Youth sports & recreation programs
🎨 Art, music & creative programs
🤸 Gymnastics, dance & movement programs
📚 Tutoring, homeschool & educational programs
🧠 Child development & pediatric providers
🌿 Nature, STEM & enrichment programs
❤️ Nonprofits & family-serving organizations
🎭 Camps, clubs & after-school programs
✨ And other businesses or organizations serving children and families!

This isn’t just about setting up a table. Come show families what you do! Host a simple activity, demonstration, game, craft, challenge, or hands-on experience that gets kids involved and helps families remember your organization.

Interested in joining us—or know a local program we should invite?

👇 Tag them below or send us a message!

Help us fill the Teddy Bear Picnic with the people and programs that make Brevard County a great place for kids to learn, play, grow, and belong. 🧸💛

Community Pathways for Kids
We connect. We guide. We walk beside.

08/25/2026

Yes you read that right….ONE OF THREE!!!! 14 states have withdrawn! It may not be your kid but I can guarantee you know someone that has a kid that will be impacted by it.

08/25/2026

🗣️ THE SKILL BEFORE THE SKILL

Before we expect TALKING, we look at the skills that support spoken language.

When a child isn’t talking yet, one of the first questions families are often asked is:

“How many words do they have?”

That’s important—but as a child development specialist, I’m also looking at the developmental skills that help a child learn to communicate.

Before spoken language develops, we look at things like:

👀 Shared attention — Does the child notice and share experiences with another person?

👉 Intentional communication — Do they reach, point, gesture, look, vocalize, or bring someone toward what they want?

🔄 Back-and-forth interaction — Are they beginning to participate in simple exchanges with another person?

🧠 Understanding language — Are they beginning to understand familiar words, routines, and simple directions?

🧸 Play and imitation — Are they copying actions, sounds, facial expressions, or ways of playing?

👂 Access to sound and language — Are they consistently noticing and responding to voices and sounds around them?

These skills don’t have to be mastered before a child begins talking. Development doesn’t happen in a perfect sequence.

But these skills give us valuable information about how a child is learning to connect, understand, interact, and communicate.

So when a child has limited spoken language, we don't just ask:

“How do we get them to say more words?”

We also ask:

“What developmental skills can we strengthen to help communication grow?”

Sometimes supporting talking starts long before the word itself.

💙 Community Pathways for Kids

We connect. We guide. We walk beside.

08/24/2026

08/24/2026

😂 PARENTING FAIL OF THE WEEK

My son has been SO excited about eating breakfast and lunch at school.

And honestly? I was thrilled.

One less thing to pack. 🙌

Then I found out what he was actually choosing…

Basically sugar cereal for breakfast and ice cream with lunch. Every. Single. Day. 😂

Meanwhile, I was over here thinking, “Look at him being independent and eating his school meals!”

Apparently he WAS being independent.

He was independently living his best life. 😂

So here’s your Sunday reminder:

Sometimes we think we’ve got something handled…

…and then our kids humble us.

We’ll work on making some different choices this week. But I’m not beating myself up over it—and neither should you when you have one of these moments.

Parenting is a lot of figuring things out after they happen.

👇 Please tell me I’m not alone. What’s your Parenting Fail of the Week?

-Melissa Amarnath

08/24/2026

Thank you to everyone that came out and gave us some amazing Teddy Bear pictures!!! We can’t wait to see more of what our local artists come up with!

08/23/2026

🖍️ LOOKING FOR SOMETHING FUN TO DO TOMORROW MORNING? 🧸

Come color, play, and get creative with us at Wee Warriors!

🎨 CPK Teddy Bear Picnic Coloring Day
📅 Sunday, August 23
⏰ 9:00 AM–12:00 PM
📍 Wee Warriors
💚 FREE to participate!

We’re inviting young artists ages 12 & under to help us create something special for the 2026 CPK Teddy Bear Picnic!

Kids can create their own Teddy Bear Picnic T-shirt design for a chance to have their artwork featured on the OFFICIAL 2026 TEDDY BEAR PICNIC T-SHIRT! 🧸👕

What does the Teddy Bear Picnic look like through the eyes of a child?

Colorful? Silly? Full of bears, friends, games and adventure?

We want to see THEIR ideas! ✨

🏆 The winning young artist will have their design featured on the official event shirt, receive a FREE Teddy Bear Picnic T-shirt, and be recognized by Community Pathways for Kids!

Not interested in entering the contest? That’s okay too!

Stop by during Open Play and just COLOR! 🖍️ We’ll have free coloring pages available for kids who simply want to create and have fun.

No fancy art skills needed. No pressure to make it perfect.

Just bring your imagination. We’ll bring the crayons! 🖍️🧸

We can’t wait to see what our little artists create!

💚 Community Pathways for Kids
🤸 Wee Warriors