H5.02 - Learning Lab: Equitably Engaging Washington's Children in Wellness

Brief Abstract Summary: Key Take-Aways
Discover why the Watch Me Grow Washington program created items to engage children.
Learn how the Watch Me Grow Washington program plans to disseminate items.
View and engage with the items created for children.

The Watch Me Grow Washington (WMGW) program aims to help keep Washington’s kids safe and healthy by providing parents and caregivers materials that share age-specific guidance on a variety of different topics regarding their children.

In addition to our core materials for parents and caregivers (offered in English and Spanish), we recognized the need to develop content that would engage children in their own wellness. This insight led to the creation of a children’s book, an activity book, a sticker book, and a stuffed animal.

We chose these specific items as they each support different aspects of early childhood development. Together, they form a cohesive toolkit designed to support children’s growth in an enjoyable, comforting, and educational way.

Detailed abstract description: Watch Me Grow Washington (WMGW) is committed to providing parents and caregivers of children from birth to 6 years across Washington State with essential health and safety information. Our mission is to help keep Washington’s children safe and healthy by offering age-specific guidance on well-child visits, growth and development, vaccines, nutrition, physical activity, safety, school readiness, and family routines. This information is distributed weekly via postal mail and email, reaching approximately 27,000 families each week and over 1.3 million annually. All materials are offered in both English and Spanish to ensure accessibility for diverse families across the state.

In addition to our core mission, we recognized the need for materials that would not only engage children but also support their developmental milestones through play and interaction. This insight led to the creation of a bilingual (English-Spanish) children’s book, activity book, sticker book, and a stuffed animal, all carefully designed to foster learning and emotional growth. Notably, a recent evaluation found that parents and caregivers would most like to see “content for my child” included for future mailings.

The children’s book introduces foundational developmental concepts in a fun and accessible way, using vibrant illustrations and plain language to capture young children's attention. The activity book was developed as a companion piece to encourage hands-on learning through interactive exercises, promoting creativity and reinforcing key ideas. The sticker book was chosen to help children develop fine motor skills while engaging them in a tactile and playful experience, making learning more interactive. The stuffed animal, a soft and comforting duckling, was added as a playful companion to create an emotional connection, helping children feel secure as they explore and learn. The duckling is also the featured character in the book to help children with continuity and connection among our products.

We chose these specific items because they each address different aspects of early childhood development—language development, fine motor skills, emotional security, and creative expression—while being age-appropriate and highly engaging for young children. Together, they form a cohesive toolkit designed to support children’s growth in an enjoyable, comforting, and educational way.

Watch Me Grow Washington’s unique blend of health and safety resources, along with our bilingual, kid-friendly content, provides families with the tools they need to support their children’s growth and development. By combining essential information with playful and educational materials, we help create a supportive environment for every child in Washington State.