Spaghetti & Meatballs….A Fine Motor Toddler Twist!
Spaghetti and meatballs is a new
toddler game that offers opportunities to practice fine motor skills, balance, coordination and a little gross motor play all at the same time!
How to invite dramatic play using prop boxes
Setting up activities and spaces for young children to encourage and
invite dramatic play with prop boxes doesn’t need to be expensive, complicated or time consuming. Simple works best when it comes to playful learning opportunities!
Communication is Key: Quick Tip Sheet
The
Center for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation has developed this great tip sheet and
reminder of how important is for us to choose our words carefully when we're communicating with young children in our CNC programs!
A Guide to Executive Function
Executive function and self-regulation skills are like an air traffic control system in the brain—they help us manage information, make decisions, and plan ahead. We need these skills at every stage of life, and while no one is born with them, we are all born with the potential to develop them. But, how do we do that?
Here's a Guide to Executive Function to walk you through everything you need to know about these skills and how to develop and practice them.
Sensory Play with Bubbles
Blowing bubbles is a calming activity for children. As well as being calming, there are many other benefits to blowing bubbles.
Do you know about all seven sensory systems and how you can engage all of them through bubble play?
Helping Children Cope with Loss
This quick little article is full of great advice! Here are
6 tips for helping children cope with grief and loss.
Children need to be active, so Have a Ball!
Physical activity is essential to healthy child development, and the early years are the best time to give kids an active start. But where do you begin? The
Have a Ball Together website will give you the tools you need to be able to promote and encourage physical activity for children 0-6.
What do Children Learn from Loose Parts Play?
Children are more engaged in their learning when they can use materials in different ways. Loose parts are natural objects or materials, which provide children with endless opportunities to build on their play. Here are
examples of loose parts materials, and how they can be incorporated into a child's play to improve their development!
Dual Language Booklets and Resources for Families
The Saskatchewan Literacy Network has a series of
free family resources and dual language booklets that are now available in Arabic, Chinese, Dari (Farsi), Nepali, Pashto, Somali, Tigrigna, Urdu. Each booklet contains a small selection of simple, practical vocabulary by theme. Written at the emergent literacy level, they were designed for young learners and their caregivers to use together, on topics like clothing, colours, food, transportation and more. They are perfect for sharing with parents or even printing out for use in your program!
Free Teachers’ Toolkit: Including Refugees in the Classroom
Teachers are facing new challenges in making sense of forced displacement and its complexities. Teaching newcomers often comes with specific needs relating to language acquisition and adaptation to a new culture and environment. Some refugee children may suffer from stress or trauma preventing them from participating fully in school activities, and requiring specific support. To help, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has released a free
Teachers’ Toolkit, professional development and guidance to help teachers understand the needs of refugee children, as well as a collection of
adaptable teaching materials on refugees, asylum, migration and statelessness.
