Resources

There’s plenty to acknowledge and celebrate in October!

Are you busy collecting ideas and planning for your CNC program this month? If so, there are a few important days this month that you might want to incorporate and honour to raise awareness in your CNC program and community!

October is Canada Library and Fire Prevention month, and National Family Week is October 2-8. Thanksgiving is also celebrated on October 9th, and International Day of the Girl Child on the 11th. Make a Difference Day is October 23rd, Dress Purple Day is October 27th, and Hallowe'en is on October 30th!


5 Indigenous Games to Try

Canada is home to more than 1.6 million Indigenous people, including 600 First Nations communities, as well as Inuit and Métis communities. These distinct nations and groups have diverse histories, traditions, and cultures—as well as games and activities. Here are 5 traditional indigenous sports and games that you can try with the children in your program.


Health Canada Warning: Water beads may pose life-threatening risks to young children

Health Canada is warning parents and caregivers about the risks of water beads. These tiny beads, also known as jelly beads, hydro orbs, crystal soil, sensory beads, or orb beads, are water-absorbing gel beads that can grow up to 1,500 times their size when placed in water. Water beads can be very harmful if swallowed or put in the ears or nose. If ingested, water beads can continue to grow inside the body leading to potentially life-threatening injuries. Water beads and products containing them should be kept out of sight and reach of children; if you suspect that your child has ingested a water bead, call the Canadian Poison Centre hotline at 1-844-POISON-X (Quebec residents call 1-800-463-5060 to reach the Centre antipoison du Quebec).


Ahlan Simsim Research Findings

Sesame Workshop and the International Rescue Committee launched Ahlan Simsim in 2018 to address a humanitarian crisis: a generation of children raised amidst conflict, with limited access to early childhood learning and development opportunities. Another goal was to share our research and findings. Now, NYU has released the results of three landmark studies, with some good news for children.


Maintaining Safety with Fresh Eyes

When it comes to making observations about the environment, it can be challenging to look with fresh eyes. We may notice a glaring safety issue immediately, such as a spill that needs to be mopped up, but smaller issues may fade into the background until they are no longer as noticeable as they first were. When it comes to maintaining a safe environment, it is essential that early childhood educators consistently look at the environment with fresh eyes.  Here are a few suggestions for how to keep safety top of mind.


Helping Newcomer Parents Start the School Year Strong

There are lots of multilingual resources on our website for you to share with parents to help start the school year strong!  We’ve compiled a list of our favourites.

Active Supervision

The most important way that caregivers can ensure children are safe is through active supervision. But what does active supervision actually mean?

ONLINE WORKSHOP: Getting Ready for Gradual Entry

In this one-hour online workshop participants are provided with a gradual entry checklist to help them with their gradual entry strategy and process. They will also go through age, development, and group considerations to reflect on how they can best support a variety of children and families through the gradual entry process.

Visit the Centre on the Developing Child Translation Library!

The Harvard Centre on the Developing Child has so many wonderful resources, and many of them have now been translated into 17 languages! Now you can browse the complete translation library of briefs, videos, and infographics, or filter by the language for which you’d like to find translated materials.

E-Learning: Trauma-Informed Approaches to Supporting Overwhelmed Children – Available in English and French

Last fall, AMSSA hosted a 1-hour virtual workshop on Trauma-Informed Approaches to Supporting Overwhelmed Children for IRCC-funded early childhood educators in B.C. For those who were unable to attend, the presentation recordings and shared materials are now available. This e-learning module provides practical strategies to better support children in moments of crisis as well as resources to extend your learning (e.g., caregiving for healthy attachment, healing after trauma, and resilience). This e-learning is available in both English and French, and a certificate of completion is available upon completion.