Parents
15 Ideas for Encouraging Family Engagement
What is “Family Engagement?” Early childhood program administrators and staff often hear that they should “engage” families to best meet the needs of children and ensure understanding of their programming. Family engagement is a partnership with the families in your program. It can develop, grow, and change with circumstances. Here are 15 ideas to help encourage CNC family engagement in your program!
May is Food Allergy Awareness Month
May is Food Allergy Awareness Month and Food Allergy Canada has lots planned this month to increase awareness and education of food allergy across the country. How will you spread awareness and education in your program this month?
6,500+ Fisher-Price toys recalled in Canada
More than 6,500 Fisher-Price toys have been recalled in Canada due to a potential choking hazard. In the recall notice, Health Canada advised parents and caregivers to immediately stop using the affected products, keep them out of reach of children, and contact Fisher-Price for a free replacement.
Babies need humans, not screens
Did you know that the negative effects of too much screen time for babies and toddlers range from shorter attention span to lower empathy? Here's why too much screen time can harm babies and the importance of ensuring children enjoy off-screen experiences.
Earth Day
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 fun earth day activities you might want to try in your program this month!
Activities for anxious kids: How to help children cope with anxiety through play
Anxiety is the feeling of worry, nervousness, fear, or unease. Even if these feelings in kids seem small to adults, they can be very real and important for a child. And they’re also very normal. Parents and caregivers can help tremendously by recognizing what anxiety looks like and providing activities for anxious kids. To help get you started, Active for Life has put together this list of 50 great activities to help children cope with anxiety through play.
Autism Awareness Day
April 2 is World Autism Day, 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!
March 21st is International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
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.
Fred Rogers’ Six Fundamentals of Learning
Have you ever wondered, what may help or hinder a child in their development? The Fred Rogers Institute says that these six fundamentals come immediately to my mind: self-worth, trust, curiosity, the capacity to look and listen, the ability to play, and have times of quiet solitude. To learn more about the six fundamentals, and particularly what educators have learned about what the six fundamentals look like in practice, check out the Fundamentals of Learning and Growing.
Health and Safety Posters: Beware of Button Batteries
Small batteries can lead to some big health risks! Did you know that a swallowed button battery can burn through a child's throat or esophagus in as little as 2 hours. Button batteries are found in many household items, so it's very important for battery compartments to be screwed shut and/or kept out of sight and reach of children. Here are some resources that can help educate parents.