Health and Safety

Healthy Snacks for Children

Healthy snacks are as important to children’s growth and development as healthy meals. Young children have small stomachs and can’t get all the nutrients they need from just 3 regular meals. Older children need snacks to stay alert and energetic throughout the day. Here are some tips for using Canada’s Food Guide to be sure children are getting healthy snacks. They're perfect for sharing with your team and the parents in your program!


WEBINAR: Treating Anaphylaxis and What You Need to Know About Benedryl

In this webinar, participants learn the importance of using epinephrine to treat anaphylaxis, when antihistamines might be given, and what the safety concerns are with first-generation antihistamines, like Benadryl®.


Emergency Preparedness: Resources for Programs and Families with Children

Sesame Workshop has plenty of resources to help programs and families be prepared and reassure children in emergency situations - including videos, family guides, videos and articles like Five Ways to Get Emergency Ready, Emergency Preparation for Child Care Providers, … and they're all available in both English and Spanish!

WEBINAR: Overcoming Burnout in the ECE Workplace

This webinar focuses on some of early education’s biggest struggles: compassion fatigue, mental health, optimism, and attitude. It encourages participants to use self-reflection and explore opportunities that will fuel themselves, as well as those they lead. Join this session now for an uplifting, inspirational, deep dive into building morale and developing strategies as a team for combatting burnout. 


ActivePlay.ca is Multilingual!

ActivePlay.ca is a new website for early childhood educators that's filled with informative videos, posters, articles, and a monthly newsletter to help early childhood educators get children active. And all of the posters and videos are available in 10 languages, from Arabic to Ojibwe!


Did you notice these recent product recalls?

3-in-1 LEA Baby Luna cribs have been recalled due to risks of entrapment and other injuries, and Magnetic Marvels have been recalled due to ingestion hazards for all ages. For an updated list of recalls and safety alerts, visit Health Canada regularly.


Food Allergy Canada Tip Sheets and Posters

Food Allergy Canada has new tip sheets and posters on topics like: signs and symptoms, epinephrine, and 5 emergency steps. These one-page resources are perfect for downloading and posting in your program.

10 Fun Autumn Activities for Families

Developing physical literacy is a year-round journey, so Active for Life has picked some fresh ways to play this season. Here's a list of 10 fun autumn activities that you can use to encourage families to pull on some layers, grab a toque, and enjoy everything the season has to offer.  


VIDEO: This is Me ~ The Child’s Right to Play

The International Play Association (IPA) has developed this beautiful series of videos on the Child’s Right to Play... and they're now available in 15 languages!

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).