Creating Together Blog

Canada Book Day

April 20, 2021 by Melanie

April 23rd is the day for celebrating Canadian literature and reading. Dedicate April 23rd to reading and encourage friends and family to do so, too. Celebrate by picking a new book to read, reading a book to a child, or joining us for our online storytime and circle times to support child literacy!

Literacy begins before a child can read

Until the last 30 years, children were seen as non-readers until they entered school. Now, children’s attempts to read and write before they reach school age are seen as important steps in developing reading and writing abilities. And, according to research by the Canadian Language and Literacy Research Network, children who are successful readers have usually engaged in many early language and literacy activities before starting school. In fact, hearing and engaging with books read aloud to them is one of the most important activities for infants, toddlers, and pre-school children.

We are here to help. Take advantage of our online storytimes and build literacy into your family routine with some family favourites:

Monday, Wednesday and Friday at noon (Facebook)
Monday-Friday at 7pm for Bedtime Stories (Facebook)

A child’s knowledge of songs and rhymes at age 3 is predictor of his/her ability to read by age 6

That’s right. There is a reason we offer circle time every day Monday through Friday! Whether you have a toddler or an infant, we’ve got you covered.

Infants: Fridays at 12pm (Zoom)
Toddlers: Mon/Wed/Fri from 10-10:20 (Zoom) & Tues / Thurs (Facebook)
1st Wednesdays at 10am (Zoom), special guests from the 519 EarlyON join us in Glitterbug – circle time that celebrates diversity of sexual orientations, family configurations, and gender identities that exist among families.

Download our Virtual Progam Schedule (with links):

Virtual Programming at Creating Together

Accessing other community resources

Here are a few more resources available to you in the community, to help you ensure your child takes their best step forward with literacy:

Children’s Book Bank provides free books and literacy support to children living in low-income neighborhoods across Toronto.
Toronto’s ReadUP‘s mission is to provide children with access to free reading support that complements and consolidates the literacy learning they receive in school.
Enjoy your favourite children’s stories any time with Dial-a-Story and OverDrive eBooks & eAudiobooks for Kids.
First Book Canada (FBC) launched a book portal in January, featuring board books and story books for young children, all at a discounted price for programs and educators serving kids in need. The books were specially selected by the Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation (CCLF) for little ones to enjoy with their families. Read more HERE.

Glitterbug for Circle Time

April 20, 2021 by Melanie

We are so excited that Glitterbug from the 519 will continue their program with us throughout the Spring and into Summer this year!

What is Glitterbug?

For those of you who don’t yet know about this offering, it is a circle time that celebrates diversity of sexual orientations, family configurations, and gender identities that exist among families, with special guests from the 519 EarlyON.

When and How do I Join?

Take a look at the poster below, and click into our zoom channel at 10am on each of the dates listed below!

https://www.the519.org/programs/early-on-child-and-family-centre

See you there!

Links to the 519 Early ON

If you’d like to keep in touch with this program and others offered by the 519 Early ON, take a look at their Website, Facebook Group, or YouTube Channel, and you won’t want to miss signing up to their Mailing List!

Celebrating the Earth on Earth Day (and every day)

April 13, 2021 by Melanie

Celebrate Earth Day with us on April 22nd. Earth Day is a day celebrated in 195 countries around the world. It was created to raise awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s air, earth, water, plants and animals.

At Creating Together, we will be celebrating with a week of Earth-themed activities, songs, and crafts – and we hope you’ll join us!

Below is a planting project and a storytime to get you started 🙂 Next week, check out programming all week on Facebook and join us for live circle time on Monday and Wednesday to celebrate our Earth.

Planting Project

Call us in advance to arrange a pick-up of your planting package (pot, soil, & seeds), and join us for a fun planting project. If you can’t pick up your planting package by Friday, then you can still create your own, and tune into this video “Planting and Pollinating Flowers” with Leah! Check our window to see the progress of our seeds if you stroll by the Creating Together EarlyOn Centre!

Storytime

https://www.facebook.com/CreatingTogetherParkdale/videos/1142119392901131/

Other Resources:

Learn how to say “Happy Earth Day” in 40 other languages HERE!
21 Earth Day Activities for Kids
Check out this video to learn with your children what you can do together as a family to protect the environment:

10 Tips for Healthier Smiles

April 5, 2021 by Melanie

April is National Oral Health month, and brings with it the opportunity for Canadians of all ages to think about ways to keep their smiles healthy and bright.

Living in pandemic-times has meant delayed dental care for many families, and delay can have long-term ramifications that we’d all rather avoid, so it becomes more important than ever for families to practice an oral health routine at home.

Ten Tips for Parents

The Ontario Dental Association offers these 10 tips to help parents:

Before your baby has teeth, wipe the gums gently with a clean wet cloth after each feeding.
If your baby sleeps with a bottle or sippy cup at naptime or bedtime, fill it with water only.
If your baby normally falls asleep while feeding, brush his or her teeth before feeding.
Lift your baby’s lip and watch for changes in colour, lines or spots on your child’s teeth as these may be signs of potential problems.
For children from birth to 3 years of age, talk to your dentist about whether fluoridated toothpaste is appropriate for your child and how much should be used.
For children from 3 to 6 years of age, only a small amount (a portion the size of a green pea) of fluoridated toothpaste should be used. Children in this age group should be assisted by an adult when brushing their teeth.
Begin flossing at least once a day when your child’s teeth are touching.
Change your child’s toothbrush every one to three months or immediately after an illness.
To prevent spreading germs that cause tooth decay, do not put anything in your child’s mouth if it has been in your mouth. Don’t share spoons, cups, food, toothbrushes, etc.
Visit your dentist by the age of one year, or when the first teeth appear. Take your child to the dentist for regular checkups to make sure there are no problems.

Download and print the Ten Tips for Parents

Tips for Preparing for Your Child’s Dental Appointment

Stanford Children’s health has a great tip sheet to help parents prepare their children for the dentist, and how to come prepared themselves – take a look HERE and enjoy this video created by the Ontario Dental Association to help you get the dental care you need during a pandemic:

Fun Activities to Do with Children

Also, here are some fun activities you can do with your children, to promote the importance of oral health to children in a fun way. Parents and teachers are welcome to download and use this material, brought to us all by the Canadian Dental Association:

Good luck keeping those growing smiles healthy and bright!

Welcoming Spring’s Rebirth

March 23, 2021 by Melanie

March 21st marks the first day of spring! And with this, families are starting to prepare for the traditional celebration of Easter. However, normally it is a time of opening our doors, reuniting with family members, enjoying community egg hunts, decorating eggs, and for many, a time of sacred prayer and family reflection. With COVID-19 still a very present reality, many of us are looking for creative ways to celebrate the holiday amidst social distancing protocols. Here at Creating Together, we cannot emphasize enough the value and role of traditions in increasing happiness, emotional wellness, and positive self-identity in children.

So – regardless of COVID-19, the themes of renewal, rebirth, and resilience remain. And it becomes more important than ever to uphold the family traditions you hold most dear. From one point of view, we could see this holiday as perfectly timed, to remind us all of the importance of these values and themes in our homes, our families, and our communities. Consider the values that are important to your family at this time of year, and try to find some ways to weave these into teachings for your family. Traditions of Gratitude, for example, fit in beautifully with this time of year.

And don’t forget to have some fun together! According to FamilyEducation.com the top 10 Easter activities for families include:

Egg and Spoon Race.
Jelly Bean Guessing Games.
Read Easter and Spring Children’s Books.
Plant Flowers.
Decorate an Easter Egg Tree.
Make Chocolate Fondue.
Create Easter Crafts.
Give a Gift Basket.

Described in further detail here, you could try a variation of many of these activities in the comfort of your home or yard. Women’s Day also describes some fun Easter activities you can enjoy while practicing social distancing.

At Creating Together, we are getting ready to set you up with some really great crafts, stories, and songs to help you and your little ones celebrate. Check out our virtual program schedule, and join us the week of March 29th-April 2nd!

Certainly during this time of unprecedented unrest and upheaval to the daily routine, holding true to traditions becomes a lifeline that all of our children need now more than ever. Never underestimate the power of tradition. We hope you’ll join us!