Programs and Activities
How to Help Young Children Heal from Pandemic Trauma
As we move out of this pandemic and many of us cautiously emerge into public life again, you can almost feel the collective exhale. Yet, we cannot gloss over the trauma our society has experienced over the last year and a half. Moving forward, educators will replace healthcare workers on the front lines as they support and address the pandemic’s lingering impacts on children’s emotional health and how this will play out in the classroom. So, keeping your program and space feeling safe and predictable for children is going to be key over the coming months.Activity Idea: Ice Chalk Art
Chalk is a fun summer activity that children love - and ice chalk is easily washed away with just a little water! Made with simple and easy-to-find ingredients, it's a great way to help keep kids cool. And remember to visit LET'S PLAY for more activity ideas this summer!Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math for Preschoolers?
Lately, everyone seems to be talking about STEAM. It’s a hot topic in the world of education, but what does it really mean? STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, art and math. You may think some of these subjects seem lofty for young children to grasp - and in some ways, that’s true. But young children can build a strong foundation for future learning by exploring STEAM preschool skills and concepts through play. And there are lots of STEAM activities that you can do with children to keep them engaged and learning using simple household items!Encouraging Dramatic Play in the Early Childhood Classroom
In the current pursuit to foster social and emotional wellness in young children, there’s perhaps no better activity to dedicate time, resources, and space to than dramatic play! Here's a helpful list of picture books to guide dramatic play and foster students’ literacy and social and emotional skills.CNC in Action: How to Make Roti
Have you ever made roti with the children in your program? The North York Community House CNC program has developed a fun little How to Make Roti video - and we've added it to the LET'S PLAY: CNC Activity Ideas section of our website!WEBINAR – Complementary Curriculum Approach: Transform Your Practice through Intentional Teaching
Complementary Curriculum Approach is a way of approaching curriculum that builds upon your ability to personalize the environment and understand your role in children’s learning. In this engaging webinar, participants will learn about how to support children’s play and cultivate early childhood environments with rich, interesting learning experiences at the core.Preschool Activities that Explore Emotions
Socio-emotional development in the preschool years strengthens independence, self-regulation, and cooperation. These are valuable skills to ease their transition into school and build a foundation for success later in life. Here are some activities to include in your programming to help children explore their emotions.Sesame Street in Communities: Resettlement
Resettling can be a long, challenging process. Big changes bring big feelings, too. But children and adults can learn ways to cope with their big feelings and adapt to a new way of life, all while finding strength and comfort in the many memories, practices, and traditions they bring with them. Sesame Street in Communities has put together this collection of resources to support families as they find strength in their own stories and begin a new, hopeful chapter.Ask, explore and discover: How STEM begins in the early years
Children are natural, curious learners, and the way they explore and discover the world is inspiring. They have an innate desire to gather information, explore everything, and test theory after theory. Nurturing these skills and characteristics early in a child’s life builds a solid foundation for their continued growth in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).Creating Culturally Relevant Classroom Environments
Part of our ongoing diligence in creating culturally relevant CNC spaces is to ask ourselves, "Do the children and families share and shape this educational space with me?". And this new blog series is designed to help!