Resources
Encouraging Dramatic Play in the Early Childhood Classroom
In the current pursuit to foster social and emotional wellness in young children, there’s perhaps no better activity to dedicate time, resources, and space to than dramatic play! Here's a helpful list of picture books to guide dramatic play and foster students’ literacy and social and emotional skills.CMAS Webinar: School Readiness with Newcomer Centre of Peel
School readiness means that children are ready for school, and families are ready to support their children's learning - and CNC programs play an important role in preparing newcomer children and families for this transition. In this webinar, participants joined Jacqueline MoonSammy, Aisha Ilyas, and their team from Newcomer Centre of Peel (NCP), to talk about how they noticed a need in their CNC community, and developed a program to support school readiness for the children in their program. They talked about some of the challenges they faced, as well as some helpful tips and strategies you can use in your program to help prepare children for kindergarten in the fall!
CNC in Action: How to Make Roti
Have you ever made roti with the children in your program? The North York Community House CNC program has developed a fun little How to Make Roti video - and we've added it to the LET'S PLAY: CNC Activity Ideas section of our website!New resource for caregivers: Your Guide to Caring for a Child with Food Allergy
Food Allergy Canada has a new resource just for caregivers that explains what food allergy is, how to avoid having reactions and what to do in case there is one. “Caring for a child with food allergy: What you need to know” is very visual, making it easy to follow along and understand, even if English is not your first language.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!Preschool Activities that Explore Emotions
Socio-emotional development in the preschool years strengthens independence, self-regulation, and cooperation. These are valuable skills to ease their transition into school and build a foundation for success later in life. Here are some activities to include in your programming to help children explore their emotions.Sesame Street in Communities: Resettlement
Resettling can be a long, challenging process. Big changes bring big feelings, too. But children and adults can learn ways to cope with their big feelings and adapt to a new way of life, all while finding strength and comfort in the many memories, practices, and traditions they bring with them. Sesame Street in Communities has put together this collection of resources to support families as they find strength in their own stories and begin a new, hopeful chapter.CMAS Tutorial: Creativity and the Educator
When you think about the word “creativity” what comes to mind for you? For many of us, we automatically think about a painting, drama or storytelling, or maybe a song and dance. But creative expression isn’t about the product or end result… it’s all about the creative process and journey. Whenever we use and develop our imaginations, originality, and problem-solving skills during everyday life – that’s creativity!
In this tutorial, we’ll talk about why creativity is so important in the early years. We’ll also try to get everyone thinking outside the box a little bit, by talking about creativity… and how it isn’t just about art! Then we’ll share some ideas and inspiration for encouraging and fostering creativity in our programs! At the end of the tutorial, you’ll also find resources, references, a facilitator guide and added group discussion questions so that you can easily facilitate your own team training.