Children need to be active, so Have a Ball!
Physical activity is essential to healthy child development, and the early years are the best time to give kids an active start. But where do you begin? The
Have a Ball Together website will give you the tools you need to be able to promote and encourage physical activity for children 0-6.
What do Children Learn from Loose Parts Play?
Children are more engaged in their learning when they can use materials in different ways. Loose parts are natural objects or materials, which provide children with endless opportunities to build on their play. Here are
examples of loose parts materials, and how they can be incorporated into a child's play to improve their development!
Dual Language Booklets and Resources for Families
The Saskatchewan Literacy Network has a series of
free family resources and dual language booklets that are now available in Arabic, Chinese, Dari (Farsi), Nepali, Pashto, Somali, Tigrigna, Urdu. Each booklet contains a small selection of simple, practical vocabulary by theme. Written at the emergent literacy level, they were designed for young learners and their caregivers to use together, on topics like clothing, colours, food, transportation and more. They are perfect for sharing with parents or even printing out for use in your program!
Free Teachers’ Toolkit: Including Refugees in the Classroom
Teachers are facing new challenges in making sense of forced displacement and its complexities. Teaching newcomers often comes with specific needs relating to language acquisition and adaptation to a new culture and environment. Some refugee children may suffer from stress or trauma preventing them from participating fully in school activities, and requiring specific support. To help, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has released a free
Teachers’ Toolkit, professional development and guidance to help teachers understand the needs of refugee children, as well as a collection of
adaptable teaching materials on refugees, asylum, migration and statelessness.
5 Steps for Brain-Building Serve and Return
Child-adult relationships that are responsive and attentive—with lots of back and forth interactions—build a strong foundation in a child’s brain for all future learning and development. This is called "serve and return." Harvard Centre on the Developing Child has
a quick video that explains "serve and return," and 5 important steps to follow when you're interacting with children.
10 Activities to help young children express and label feelings & emotions
Children can have a difficult time understanding their emotions and the way certain events make them feel in the early years of life. As educators, it is our responsibility to help and support them to manage their emerging and often confusing emotions. Here are
10 strategies and 10 activity ideas for helping children express and manage their emotions.
Webinar: Updated recommendations for early introduction of allergenic foods
Did you know that the Canadian Paediatric Society has updated recommendations on the early introduction of allergenic foods for high-risk infants?
Register now to learn about the new recommendations.
New mental health videos for newcomers
It is important for families talk about mental health and for children to be supported if they have challenges, anxieties, or stresses in life. Ottawa Public Health (OPH) has launched two
new videos about the mental health challenges of settling into a new country that you can share in your community.
Keeping Reusable Water Bottles Clean
We often ask parents to bring in reusable water bottles, but did you know that without proper cleaning, children's water bottles can be filled with germs?
Reusable water bottles must be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized on a regular basis to avoid contamination.
How to Facilitate Risky Play
Risky play is when children engage in risk-taking activities. This benefits the child because it helps them build essential skills for their development; for example, their confidence, self-regulation, and independence. But how can we
facilitate risky play safely in our programs?
