Programs and Activities

How to Help Children Calm Down

Many children have difficulty regulating their emotions. Tantrums, outbursts, whining, defiance, fighting: these are all behaviours you see when kids experience powerful feelings they can’t control. The good news is that learning to calm down instead of acting out is a skill that can be taught.

Everyday Social-Emotional Learning

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) helps kids with decision-making, building friendships, feeling empathy, and understanding their own emotions. Having these skills in place sets up kids for better outcomes as lifelong learners. Here are a few examples of everyday SEL that you can incorporate into your program.

10 Ways to Increase Positive Behaviour

There isn't just one simple tool or technique that works for every child, so it's always a good idea to have a few new strategies and tricks up your sleeve! Here's a helpful list of 10 ways to increase positive behavior in your CNC program.

Why is observation so important?

Most CNC staff understand the role of observation in early childhood education. But do they understand why it’s important? And more importantly, do they have the best systems and techniques in place to accurately assess toddler development? Early childhood education is not about teaching; it’s about exploration and learning, and observations play an important role in meeting the developmental needs of the newcomer children in your program.This important article and free ebook explain why observation is important, what it impacts, and how you can make it easier.

Sign up for free weekly activity ideas!

Sign up to receive developmentally appropriate, weekly activities for infant-toddlers, preschool, or school age children. All activities include helpful tips on developmental milestones for observation and programming. Each week you will receive one activity for each age group in the areas of STEM, Literacy, Arts, Movement, Social-Emotional, and Transitions - right to your phone!

Play and Exploration for Infants and Toddlers

When infants are thought to be helpless, then they are often treated as helpless - leading to limited learning opportunities and experiences in our programs. The Play and Exploration for Infants and Toddlers booklet reminds us that we need to reframe our thinking and recognize that even our youngest learners are competent and capable. It also provides readers with strategies for encouraging independence and competence as infants and toddlers grow, mature and achieve new skills.

Playful Storytelling – Using a Story Bag, Basket or Prop Box

Have you ever tried using a story bag, basket or prop box to help you share a story with young children? If you sometimes get frustrated trying to keep a child’s attention while reading stories why not try making this time a little more playful and interactive for those short attention spans and put together a few story bags that you can use over and over. And story bags are a fantastic early literacy resource to add to your collection for very little cost.

Webinar: Moving Beyond Multicultural Education- Promoting Equity in Early Childhood Education

This inspiring webinar is designed to create a shift in how early childhood professionals view and address educational equity in early childhood settings. The session will help you learn about implicit racial bias and its role in managing behaviour, learning experiences, and relationships. Participants will leave the webinar with a better understanding of the inequities and barriers as well as practices that promote more equitable learning experiences for all children.

5 Tips for Reading to Active Toddlers

It can be challenging to fit story time in when you have a group of active toddlers who have a low tolerance for sitting still, so here are 5 tips and strategies for making story time less stressful!

20 Ways to Keep a Peaceful Program

There may not be a magic recipe for a peaceful CNC program, but there are lots of things that we can do to keep our programs calm and welcoming each day. Here are 20 brilliant tips for keeping a peaceful program from the experts at HiMama. Which ones will you try next in your class?