Programs and Activities
Moving Upstream: Confronting Racism to Open Up Children’s Potential
The scientific evidence is clear and growing: racism imposes unique and substantial stressors on the daily lives of families raising young children of color. Understanding how these stressors affect child health and development provides a compelling framework for new ideas about how communities, policies, programs, and funding streams might confront and dismantle these inequities and build a stronger future for us all. This new brief discusses how racism creates conditions that harm the well-being of children and families, and the need to go “upstream” and create policy solutions to address the source of structural, cultural, and interpersonal forms of racismA 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.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.National Indigenous History Month: Resources to Share with Children and Families
As we stand with the Indigenous peoples in Canada, reckon with the past, listen and find our path towards reconciliation during National Indigenous History Month, it can be difficult to talk about residential schools. But it's incredibly important to learn about Indigenous history and raise awareness in CNC. Here are two helpful lists of videos and books that might help you introduce Indigenous history to children in an age appropriate way.CMAS WEBINAR: Developing Engaging, Child-Centred Activities for Your CNC Program
How do you plan activities for your CNC program? We all do our best to make our CNC programs child-centred, but sometimes program planning can be a challenge! In our most recent webinar, Jackie Cunningham talks about why engaging, child-centred curriculum is so important, where to start with emergent program planning, how to use developmental domains to build on curriculum and learning, and inspiring project-based activity ideas.
CMAS Tutorial: What is the Difference Between Emergent Curriculum and Child-Centred Programming?
The terms “child-centred programming” and “emergent curriculum” are often used interchangeably. But have you ever found yourself wondering what emergent curriculum means? Or maybe you wonder how a child-centred program is different from an emergent curriculum? Our newest tutorial provides a quick overview of child-centred programming and emergent curriculum, help in understanding your role as a facilitator of children’s learning, and some tips for expanding on children’s interests. At the end of the tutorial, you’ll also find resources, references, a Facilitator Guide and Questions for Personal Reflection/Group Discussion so that you can easily facilitate your own team training.