Creating Together Blog

Parachute Play

April 14, 2018 by Creating Together

Each month, the staff at Creating Together bring out the parachute for some “parachute play” – an activity that has built up a bit of a reputation for itself in our neighbourhood as a big hit with the kids.

So what is parachute play and what makes it so great?

Beautiful and sometimes calming, a parachute can create soft, whispering sounds or loud, rippling noises, depending on how quickly it is moved. Parachutes are usually made of brightly coloured, lightweight nylon and are equipped with strong, reinforced handholds. (Parachute Play.com)

It may not sound like much, but kids love it – and there are so many different games that can be brought into the mix, to keep in changing each month.

An article by EarlyYearsCareers lists a number of benefits of playing parachute games:

1. Promotes skills in all areas of the EYFS

2. Team Work

3. Turn Taking

4. Communication and language skills

5. Hand-eye Coordination

6. Following instructions

7. Sensory development

8. Gross Motor Skills

9. Fun, Fun, Fun

So what are you waiting for?

Join us April 20th at 1:15

for our next

Parachute Play activity!

Egg Decorating to Bring in Spring!

April 7, 2018 by Creating Together

Did you know that our Spring tradition of egg decorating is one of the oldest decorative arts? While archaeologists have long known of decorated ostrich shell pieces in Africa, a team led by Pierre-Jean Texier in 2010 found a cache of decorated ostrich eggs in South Africa dating 65,000 to 55,000 years (1)!

Eggs are part of the creation myths of many peoples, the “cosmic egg” from which all or parts of the universe arises. They often symbolize life, renewal, and rebirth, and we see them in much of human folklore, used for healing and protection. Around the world and across cultures, people decorate eggs to celebrate their symbolism, particularly to celebrate the coming spring. For example, Iranians decorate eggs to honour Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, which falls on the Spring Equinox. This tradition has ancient roots in Persia and Zoroastrianism, but is now practiced across Eurasia by Persian and Turkic peoples of various faiths. Christians celebrate the egg at Easter, to honour the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In China, red eggs are given as gifts to a bride and groom, and are also a gift for a new born boy. The egg symbolizes fertility and health, so the egg is supposed grant fertility to a married couple, and to protect the newborn child and bring him good fortune.

So it’s no surprise that in a community as diverse as Parkdale, Creating Together would host an egg decorating extravaganza for Spring! We hope you enjoyed it celebrating this ancient tradition with us!

Don’t forget to check out our Calendar to see what else is in store for April!

Notes

Texier, Pierre-Jean, et al. “A Howiesons Poort tradition of engraving ostrich eggshell containers dated to 60,000 years ago at Diepkloof Rock Shelter, South Africa.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol. 107, No. 14 (April 6, 2010), pp. 6180-6185 and Pierre-Jean Texier, et al, “The context, form and significance of the MSA engraved ostrich eggshell collection from Diepkloof Rock Shelter, Western Cape, South Africa,” Journal of Archaeological Science 40(9), September 2013. See also: Michael Balter, “Engraved Eggs Suggest Early Symbolism,” Science Magazine, March 1, 2010, for images of some fragments and a discussion of the importance of the find.

Celebrating Our 42nd Year!

March 31, 2018 by Creating Together

On March 29th, Creating Together celebrated it’s 42nd Anniversary – and we had a lot to celebrate! Last year alone, we had 8,549 visits from children at Creating Together, and nearly 630 of those were for the first time.

Over 2 dozen children came to the celebration with their parents and caregivers, to enjoy circle time, an egg hunt, and a feast. During the festivities, we asked some of the parents and caregivers what they liked about Creating Together.

Thank you so much for celebrating with us, and for your kind words and inspiring stories!

Here’s what some of you had to say…

Cold and Flu Tips from Public Health Nurse Rachael

March 22, 2018 by Creating Together

This year’s flu season has been a rough one, as emergency rooms across Canada became overcrowded with sick patients beginning in January of this year. In a Globe and Mail article in January, Dr. Issac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist at University Health Network in Toronto, said the predominant strain that is circulating is a “severe one. It’s also possible the flu vaccine may have limited effectiveness against it”. (Globe and Mail, January 2018)

By late February, CTV confirmed his suspicions, with hospitals needing to turn people away requiring surgeries, due to “unprecedented” overcrowding from flu patients in intensive care.

Flu overwhelms GTA hospitals

While we are past the official peak of the influenza epidemic, Creating Together brought in Rachael from Toronto Public Health to share some information and tips for dealing with Cold and Flu.

Specifically, Rachael discussed with parents and caregivers what the difference is between Cold and Flu, how to protect your child from the flu, and what to do if your child gets the flu.

Rachael sparked discussion with parents and caregivers, and made herself available for questions. It was so informative and helpful, so we included her main talking points on each of these topics below.