Our planet is an amazing place, but it needs our help to thrive! That’s why each year on April 22, more than a billion people celebrate Earth Day to raise awareness. Even small children can learn a little bit about the history of Earth Day, take part in activities like picking up litter and planting trees to help make our world a happier, healthier place to live. Here are 21 fun earth day activities you might want to try in your program this month!
Our Kids' Health shares evidence-based health information that is translated and adapted to help diverse parents and caregivers make the right decisions for the health of their families. It's a great resource for you to encourage newcomer parents to explore to support their children's well-being. Topics include nutrition, mental health, all in one place!
Educators can provide many opportunities for children to interact with other cultures within the walls of their classrooms. The more exposure to other cultures they have, the more children will acknowledge these similarities and differences; this will help them to become open-minded and accepting of others. One way to bring other cultures closer to young children is through natural and meaningful activities they enjoy engaging with in their daily lives. People in every culture in the world have their childhood songs, rhymes, stories and games, and so a good starting point is to integrate elements from traditional children’s culture that may be familiar in their own context.
Starting from the earliest age, we can show children that everyone is different in some way and difference is a part of life. Everyone has things that make them unique — be it skin color, hair texture, body shape, gender, temperament, religious beliefs, ethnic or cultural background, and more. We do this in the early years by modeling an appreciation for individual differences through our attitudes, emotions, behaviors, and body language. Storytelling is also a great way to teach children about the importance of celebrating differences.
The 2023 edition of Early Childhood Matters launched by the Bernard Van Leer Foundation is here and it's all about wellbeing. This year's issue explores the challenges that parents and caregivers face in raising children, and the urgent need for better support systems.
April is World Autism Month, a time when we commit to learning more and working together to create a kinder, more inclusive world for people with autism. Every April, Autism Speaks Canada leads a global effort to increase understanding and acceptance - and their website is a great place to find information and resources!
When we think about representing diversity in classrooms, we often think about including community helper accessories with disabilities in block areas, cloth dolls with various skin tones in the housekeeping areas, and plastic chop suey and pizza in the pretend kitchens. But do these efforts to add diverse materials to classrooms qualify as “adding diversity” to the curriculum? Because ways of caring for and interacting with children are culturally determined, exploring staff beliefs about teaching and caring for children is an important part of developing cultural competence. So, how can busy CNC leaders engage more meaningfully with the experiences and stories of staff, families, and children to understand the way culture and language influence ways of thinking, being, and learning?
At the root, trauma-informed care, approach and practice is about relationships.The intention behind this workbook is to introduce the concept of trauma- informed practice to caregivers, families, allies, and anyone dedicated to the well-being of children. It's a useful tool that can be used independently, or with your CNC team. It's full of ideas, strategies, and resources to support your work and extend your learning.
The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination recognizes that the injustices and prejudices fueled by racial discrimination take place every day. Here is an infographic that explains how racism can impact child development, and some ideas for how you can talk to young children about race and racism.
