News Item
The Importance of Promoting Diversity in Early Childhood Programs
The concept of diversity takes various forms and is incorporated into many aspects of our life. From religion, gender, culture, family structures, and physical abilities, we are each brought into this world made up of many differences. For years it was thought that children would automatically form positive outlooks about differences, but research has shown that advocating and exposing children to diversity requires active promotion!Paint Your Plate: A Toolkit for Encouraging Healthy Eating in CNC
Early learning settings are a great place to encourage children to eat more vegetables and fruit. Here's a toolkit and practical guide full of information about menu planning, healthy eating, supporting families, recipes and more!
5 Strategies for Supporting Multilingual Children in Your Program
Multilingualism is an asset to be nurtured in our programs. Here are five strategies for celebrating and extending the linguistic expertise of young children who speak two or more languages.Intentional Inclusion For Multicultural Classrooms
In this episode of the preschool podcast, HiMama chats with K’Sandra Earle, Associate Director of Early Learning Neighbourhood Collective (ELNC), about how to be intentional about diversity in early learning classrooms. K'Sandra shares tips on empowering teachers and involving parents to create a space that celebrates young children and their unique cultural backgrounds.Extending Block Play for Early Learning
There is absolutely no wrong or right way to play with blocks! Every child is unique in the way that they choose to approach materials and blocks can be such a valuable tool to encourage open ended play and learning. This mini guide provides ideas and inspiration for block play, and even has a suggested block play materials list.The Power of Mirror Play for Infants and Toddlers
Mirrors are wonderful tools for engaging babies and toddlers. But what makes mirrors so intriguing and why should you hang one in your play space?WEBINAR: Provoking Inquiry with Loose Parts
Join co-author of the award-winning books, Loose Parts: Inspiring Play for this webinar full of tips for choosing and setting up loose parts for children in your program! Participants will learn the value of loose parts in play, how to choose loose parts using different lenses for different learning goals, and how to set provocations that promote inquiry.Professional Development: Self-Care in the Context of 2021
Strengthening self-awareness to reduce burnout in times of stress and uncertainty (Self-Care) is a keynote address focusing on the need for self-awareness and self-care in 2020. Now more than ever we need to access our sources of resilience, strength and grounding. Participants will be introduced to the concept of burnout and learn about the Zones of Self-Awareness to detect when their stress response systems have been activated. Several sources of resilience will be explored for strengthening or building self-regulation and grounding in times of stress.
We Have the Moves: Physical Activity Resource
Inside this resource, you’ll find fun-filled activities to help incorporate physical activity into everyday moments. Whatever activities you choose, have fun together! Let children see you jumping, dancing, and being silly. The more they see you moving, the more they will want to join in. These moments will help lay the foundation for an active and healthy lifestyle.Newcomer Nutrition Education Toolkit
To support program providers and health professionals who work with newcomers to Canada, Alberta Health Services has put together this helpful collection of nutrition videos and resources for people with basic English literacy and diverse cultural backgrounds. Topics include food safety, starting solids, healthy snacks for children, and more!