Resources

Active Start

From 0-6 years, children need to be engaged in daily active play. Through play and movement, they develop fundamental movement skills and learn how to link them together. At this stage developmentally appropriate activities are important to help children feel competent and comfortable participating in all kinds of fun and challenging play!


CMAS Webinar: Supporting Newcomer Children through Active Play–Teaming up with Active for Life!

Incorporating physical literacy into your daily programming can be easy and inexpensive – and it can bring such a range of benefits for children, ECEs, and families!

When young children engage in physical literacy and active play, they can better cope with stress, build resilience, and start on their path toward a healthy and active life. 

Watch this webinar where Dawne Clark, PhD, Early Years Physical Literacy discusses:

  • What physical literacy (PL) and active play look like in the early years
  • The benefits of PL and active play for children, educators, and families
  • “Infusing” PL into everyday activities 
  • How to get children moving again and active for life after the pandemic
  • The Active for Life website, tools and resources

WEBINAR: Happiness in the “Baby Room”: Supporting the Well-Being of Infant-Toddler Care Professionals

Happiness and well-being can have a huge impact on the adults and children who spend their days in infant rooms. In this webinar, participants will learn an ‘action plan’ of concrete tips for not only supporting play-based learning for the babies, but also ideas for creating a sense of community belonging, safety and security, and professional identity for your CNC team.

Active Start newsletter for parents

Do you work with parents of young children? Active Start is a monthly newsletter, by our partners at Active for Life, for parents with children under the age of 4. It’s tailored specifically to the age of the child and filled with activities, games, ideas, and tips designed to help children fall in love with physical activity. And it’s all presented in a fun way for parents and children to enjoy together. You can preview the program and parents may subscribe here.


SickKids Research on the Impact of COVID-19 on Children’s Mental and Physical Health

https://www.sickkids.ca/en/news/archive/2021/research-covid-19-pandemic-impact-child-youth-mental-physical-health/#:~:text=Among%202%2C206%20participants%2C%20the%20researchers,depression%20and%20anxiety%20they%20experienced.

Active for life resources are available in more than 10 languages!

Physical activity is key to the physical, emotional, and social well-being of our children. That’s why Active for Life offers free resources in more than 10 languages, in addition to English and French, to help get kids active today so they can be active for life. Share these helpful resources with families, communities, and organizations that work with children, and they will thank you! 


Let’s team up with Active for Life!

Research shows that the pandemic may have a lasting impact on the physical activity of children - and we need to get kids active! So we’ve teamed up with Active for Life to promote physical literacy in our programs. Active for Life is a privately funded national charitable initiative that helps Canadians raise kids who love to move. At Activeforlife.com  parents and educators will find fun activities, engaging articles and free resources to get kids active, healthy, and happy. Get all you need by connecting with Active for Life via their social media channels and subscribe to their parent and “pro” newsletters. Watch for an upcoming webinar as well as Active for Life articles and resources to help you incorporate active play into each day.

Child Health Information: Helpful Videos and Infographics

You can use these simple videos and infographics to share and learn about the symptoms of common childhood illnesses (like anaphylaxis, fever, asthma, croup, and more!), how to manage them at home, and when to get help.


Value of Routines for Caregivers Handout

Busy caregivers know how exhausting a day with kids can be. Many of us are balancing our own stresses with the stresses of taking care of the people that depend on us. Although they may show it differently, kids can feel stress, too. The good news is that there are some simple things you can do to make everyone’s day run a little smoother. This handout is full of great tips for creating helpful family routines – and it’s in a format that’s easy to share with parents!


WEBINAR: Culture and Children’s Challenging Behaviour

Like the children in our care, every teacher is different. We come from different contexts and cultures, and everything we think, say, and do is processed through the filter of our own culture. Culture influences our values, beliefs, gender roles, family structures, language, and even our teaching styles. The ability to understand and celebrate differences is more important now than ever. In this webinar, participants will explore the dynamics of culture in shaping teachers’ expectations and children’s behavior.