Resources
A Look Around the World – Cultural Celebrations
We live in a diverse world where children are exposed to many different people and experiences, and they begin to recognize these similarities and differences at very young ages. In CNC, it is important to help children understand and respect similarities and differences among people, and exploring these similarities and differences positively is a good place to start. And decisions about what holidays to celebrate are best made together by teachers, parents, and children! The world is immense, and there are nearly endless customs and cultures to explore. McCormick Centre for Early Childhood Leadership has highlighted (listed chronologically) four diverse cultural celebrations, and created a helpful infographic, for inspiration.49 fun physical activities to do with kids
Children between 2-4 years old don’t only need a lot of movement, they also need a lot of variety of movement. So while it’s essential to make time for unstructured, active playtime, it’s also important to have access to plenty of fun, simple activities that you know will help them get active and develop skills in a variety of ways. This list of 49 fun activities for kids is the ultimate go-to for any playdate, home child care setting, or a morning or afternoon with a caregiver. Whatever the situation, short attention spans mean that it’s a good idea to have a few of these up your sleeve!25 Ways to Have Big Fun in Small Spaces
Small spaces don’t have to equal small fun! Here's a list of 25 ideas to share with parents to help them get the kids moving in small spaces.Newcomer families’ experiences with programs and services to support early childhood development in Canada: A scoping review
It can be difficult for families with young children to navigate early childhood development supports. In particular, newcomer families often encounter additional barriers and require resources, programs, and services that are tailored to their unique assets, experiences, and needs. A team of researchers conducted a scoping review of the literature published between 2000 and 2019 to explore what is known about newcomer families’ experiences with programs and services to support early childhood development in Canada. Their report identifies common themes and the need for informed, meaningful and culturally relevant policies, programs, and services for newcomer families to support their children’s well-being.A Diversity and Inclusion Expert Shares Her Thoughts on Canada Day
A holiday celebrating colonization is difficult most years, but this year is particularly tough in light of the hundreds of children that have been found buried at residential schools. It is a time of great mourning for the Indigenous community and Canada Day celebrations in many cities, in the absence of time to arrange something more suitable under the circumstances, have been canceled. Navigating conversations around Canada Day with our kids, both non-Indigenous and Indigenous can be a challenge. Here are her thoughts on how to handle these discussions.
Share 8 Great Reading Tips with Families (in 16 languages)
There are many ways that families of English language learners (ELLs) can support language and literacy at home. Colorín Colorado has a beautiful new series of 8 posters and reading tips for families - and they are available in 16 languages so you can easily share them with parents!Health Canada announces recalls for 18 more hand sanitizers
Health Canada has announced the recall of more hand sanitizers, adding 18 more products to their list because of issues such as containing ingredients not allowed by Health Canada or not being authorized for sale in Canada. Since the beginning of the pandemic, hand sanitizer sales and production have gone up, and Health Canada has previously issued recalls for almost 100 products.Book series teaches children about their cultures and lives of those different than their own
The best thing about books is that they can transport us anywhere and give us a glimpse into other worlds. Children’s books are no exception. And in a country as diverse as Canada, it is important to offer children from all backgrounds an opportunity to learn about their own cultures and about the experiences and lives of those different than their own. Aine Moorad, hopes that her books do exactly that. Aine Moorad has written the O Canada series chronicling the journey of Zayd, an eight-year-old Canadian immigrant. The books touch on the themes of family, adventure and change, familiarizing children about Canada’s food, sports, animals, values, people and way of life. Moorad’s books are geared for children aged between 4 and 10.Have you heard of TVOKids Teacher Power Hour?
TVOKids has some great programs and videos that celebrate diversity of all kinds – and the Teacher Power Hours provide some great examples of how you can use them to support your online programming this summer. Here’s a great example: Join teacher Jessica as she guides students through an exploration of celebrations and traditions from all around the world… it’s meant for older children, but it’s she does a wonderful job of using the videos to engage and extend learning for her students!