News Item

Playful Storytelling – Using a Story Bag, Basket or Prop Box

Have you ever tried using a story bag, basket or prop box to help you share a story with young children? If you sometimes get frustrated trying to keep a child’s attention while reading stories why not try making this time a little more playful and interactive for those short attention spans and put together a few story bags that you can use over and over. And story bags are a fantastic early literacy resource to add to your collection for very little cost.

Infographic – Why Play Matters

When children play they develop connections between the motor, perceptual, cognitive, social, and emotional areas of the brain. Critical thinking, communication, language, and emotional expression are also developed in play through trial and error. Here are some of the ways you can create the conditions for play and the benefits to children’s development.

Winter safety: Advice for parents and kids

Winter is a great season for fun outdoor activities like sledding and skating, but cold weather, ice, and snow can also be intimidating for newcomer families and potentially dangerous for children. Here's some tips to help parents and children enjoy winter activities safely.

Webinar: Moving Beyond Multicultural Education- Promoting Equity in Early Childhood Education

This inspiring webinar is designed to create a shift in how early childhood professionals view and address educational equity in early childhood settings. The session will help you learn about implicit racial bias and its role in managing behaviour, learning experiences, and relationships. Participants will leave the webinar with a better understanding of the inequities and barriers as well as practices that promote more equitable learning experiences for all children.

CNC in Action: Opening Up a New World of Play

Sometimes, one small suggestion to extend play can lead to a big leap in child engagement and learning. At Newcomer Women's Services Toronto’s CNC program, incorporating elements of the real world to the dramatic play area allowed the children to take on new roles and make meaningful connections.

Parenting Tips for Canadian Immigrants

Canadian Immigrant has compiled almost 100 articles and tips on parenting and raising children in Canada. From school to health to child development, these tips and strategies are helpful for all of the newcomer parents in your CNC program!

5 Tips for Reading to Active Toddlers

It can be challenging to fit story time in when you have a group of active toddlers who have a low tolerance for sitting still, so here are 5 tips and strategies for making story time less stressful!

Former Syrian refugee helps create new Sesame Street for displaced children

Mohammad Aljamous, a Syrian refugee now living in Whistler, B.C., used his own experience of displacement when he worked as a consultant for a new version of Sesame Street aimed at helping children fleeing conflict in the Middle East. CBC recently spoke with Aljamous about how he helped behind the scenes to create the special Arabic-language show that is intended to give kids skills to cope with trauma and is set to air in February 2020.

20 Ways to Keep a Peaceful Program

There may not be a magic recipe for a peaceful CNC program, but there are lots of things that we can do to keep our programs calm and welcoming each day. Here are 20 brilliant tips for keeping a peaceful program from the experts at HiMama. Which ones will you try next in your class?

Playful Tubs and Trays for Toddlers

It can be a challenge setting up activities for toddler play – so when planning for toddler play, it's often best to keep it simple. Here's a collection of ideas for trays and baskets of all shapes and sizes that will simplify setup, interaction and clean up in your toddler program!