Family Resource Centre

Egg Decorating an Ancient Tradition

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The Spring tradition of egg decorating is one of the most ancient decorative arts, with the oldest cache of decorated eggs were found in Africa, dating back 65,000-55,000 years (1).

Around the world and across cultures, eggs are decorated to celebrate their symbolism: life, renewal, rebirth, healing, protection, and the coming of Spring.

An Iranian altar celebrating Nowruz, the Iranian New Year

Here are some examples of egg decorating across cultures and traditions:

  • Iranians decorate eggs to honour Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, which falls on the Spring Equinox. This is now practiced across Eurasia by Persian and Turkish peoples across 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, or for a new born baby. They symbolize fertility, health, protection and good fortune.

This month, Creating Together will be celebrating this ancient tradition with an egg decorating craft on April 13th, followed by an egg hunt on April 14th – no registration required!

Join us in this ancient tradition on April 13th, followed by an Egg Hunt April 14th!

  1. 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.

Get Your Art On this April

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Creating Together has some fun art activities planned this month, to help families get their art on!

Apart from the apparent fun that’s ready to be had when exploring art and culture, there are so many developmental benefits of art for children as well:

  1. Motor Skills: According to the National Institutes of Health, developmental milestones around age three should include drawing a circle and beginning to use safety scissors. Did you know that many preschool programs emphasize the use of scissors because it develops the dexterity children will need for writing?
  2. Language Development: Making art gives children opportunities to learn words for colors, shapes and actions. As they get older, children use more and more descriptive words to discuss their creation or how they feel about them.
  3. Decision Making: Over the process of creating art, children need to carry out a number of decisions and choices, and this skill can help them in other areas of life. The act of exploring, thinking, and experimenting can’t be underestimated!
  4. Visual Learning: Children are very visual, taking in information and cues from pictures or objects and learning from what they see are the building blocks for reading, drawing, and sculpting!

“Parents need to be aware that children learn a lot more from graphic sources now than in the past. Children need to know more about the world than just what they can learn through text and numbers. Art education teaches students how to interpret, criticize, and use visual information, and how to make choices based on it.”

Dr. Kerry Freedman, Head of Art and Design Education at Northern Illinois University.

5. Cultural Awareness: Especially in cities like Toronto and neighbourhoods like Parkdale, we live in a very diverse community. When looking at a piece of art or cultural piece, try to have a conversation with them to help them see the choice or point of view an artist is portraying.

6. Academic Performance: In an article by the Art and Music Centre a student involved in the arts is:

  • 4x more likely to be recognized for academic achievement.
  • 4x more likely to participate in a math or science fair.
  • 3x more likely to win an award for school attendance.
  • 3x more likely to be elected to class office.

Did you know that lower income or socioeconomic students experience even greater benefits from the arts? It’s true: Low income students highly engaged in the arts are more than twice as likely to graduate compared to their peers with no arts education, and have a 5x lower dropout rate!

So what are you waiting for? Make a plan to come by for some creative art time this month!

April Newsletter

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Dear Families and Friends of Creating Together,

Spring has now firmly put down roots here in Parkdale. We hope that the warmer weather and brighter evenings can bring you some cheer. Amongst the many things we acknowledge this month, with April comes World Autism Month – you can look forward to conversations, resources, and materials in the centre to reflect our understanding, acceptance, and celebration of neurodiversity! 

As inspired by the seasonal changes, we too have many changes going on at Creating Together. Read on below for further programming updates and news:

  • Program Updates & Daily Schedule
  • Upcoming Information Session
  • Virtual Program Updates
  • A Guide to Springtime Fun
  • Call for Board Members
  • Resource Boxes
  • Goodbye Amira & Arij

Program Updates & Daily Schedule

We’re finally delivering the news you’ve been waiting for! Beginning April 4th we will return to full drop-in style indoor programs, five days a week at the centre, and two Saturdays a month. That’s correct, registration will no longer be required! 

Our doors will now be open:

 Monday – Friday 9:00 am – 1:30 pm

Two Saturdays a month:

10:00am – 2:00pm

We ask that all families come prepared to remove their shoes when in the centre – feel free to bring a pair of indoor shoes or slippers! You can find a detailed schedule below to help guide any timing preferences you might have to drop-in. We also have it posted on our online calendar.

Daily Schedule

COVID-19 Protocol

We will no longer be screening upon your arrival, yet we invite you and your family to self-screen using the following tool: https://covid-19.ontario.ca/self-assessment/ or our posted notice at the door. For the safety and respect of all of our community members, we continue to ask that you remain at home if a member of your household feels unwell. Please ensure you sign yourself in and out of the program on the attendance sheet.

Our staff will remain masked, and encourage you and your families to follow the same protocol for the health safety of children under four, and our elderly or immunocompromised community members. We are thankful for your continued cooperation. 

In-Person Information Session: Dietary Restrictions and Food Intolerances

On April 12th, we’re excited to bring you a short Parent and Caregiver Information session on Dietary Restrictions and Food Intolerances led by our very own Creating Together nursing student Amira Lebreja. 

The session will cover topics such as signs and symptoms of food intolerances common in children: Lactose Malabsorption (LM), or lactose intolerance, and Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS). The session will take place at 12:30 pm – drop in, and join! Session materials will be posted online at the later date for any families who are interested but unable to attend. 

Virtual Programs

With the expansion of our in-person programming, our virtual programming will be slightly reduced, however we still offer the following programs: 

Live Circle Time

We invite you to join our live circle time Fridays at 10:00am using the following zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5199316471

We’ll also be continuing our new science program…

April Dates: Science with Sal

Looking for some interactive live virtual science? Our virtual science program Science with Sal continues with three new dates for April! Join Salvina in our virtual lab for an interactive science program from the comfort of your own home. This program offers opportunities for you to embark on a hands-on learning experience no matter where you are, using easy-to-find at home materials. Whether your desire is to participate hands-on, or your prefer  to observe and enjoy – we will now be using the “drop in” format for programming. Join using the following link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5199316471 .

The live virtual science sessions will take place for 3 weeks consecutively on Thursdays from 2:00pm – 2:30pm with the first session starting on April 7th. On the Monday of that program week, a pre-recording of the science experiment which we will be doing together on Thursday will be posted. NOTE: Registration is no longer required for this program. 

*Adult supervision required for all live sessions

We will post any updates to our in-person and virtual programs on our Facebook page, so check back often .https://www.facebook.com/CreatingTogetherParkdale 

Springtime Fun

Outside of our Creating Together programs, spring is a great time of year to get outside and explore all that the Parkdale neighbourhood and City of Toronto has to offer! Our Creating Together ECE student Arij Alrachid has prepared a special guide to activities that you and your family can enjoy all spring long! You can take a look at the posted information at the centre, or see the activities from her guide on the Creating Together Facebook and Instagram page. 

Call for Board Members

Are you passionate about strengthening families and making a difference in the Parkdale community? Consider supporting the Creating Together Family Resource Centre by joining our team as a volunteer member of our Board of Directors. The Membership and Board Development Committee is currently accepting applications from individuals interested in being recommended at our spring 2018 Annual General Meeting. You can find more information on the Board, and how to apply https://creatingtogetherparkdale.com/about-creating-together/board-of-directors. 

Resource Boxes

With the expansion of our in-person services, Resource Boxes will be limited in materials moving forward. Resource Boxes will still be available for pick up this month, in the first two weeks of April, until April 15th. 

To book your pickup time, please contact Creating Together by phone or email: (416) 537-1004 / creatingtogether@rogers.com. 

It’s Hard to Say Goodbye

Goodbyes are hard to say, but it’s time to wish our beloved students a fond farewell. We’re so grateful to have had Amira and Arij with us these past few months. Their support has been invaluable, and we know that their learning has been so enriched by each and every one of you. If you see them in the centre over the next few weeks please be sure to send them your goodbyes and best wishes! Thank you Amira and Arij!

From all of us at Creating Together, we wish you a wonderful April. To see some of Creating Together’s springtime fun, give us a follow on our brand new Instagram account @creatingtogetherearlyon – catch all of our centre updates, shared activities, and unforgettable program moments!

April is arriving, and we’re enjoying the breath of fresh air!

-Creating Together

Thank You Mazon Canada!

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Creating Together EarlyON Child and Family Centre gratefully acknowledges Mazon Canada for their grant of $2,100 in 2021 to help support our food and nutrition programs. This funding was used to purchase food gift cards to distribute to families in South Parkdale with children up to 6 years during these challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Picking up care packages that include food gift cards.
Putting together care packages that include food gift cards.

Thank You Mazon Canada!

Springing into March at Creating Together 

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Dear Families and Friends of Creating Together,

The month of March brings days that are longer and brighter, and the much anticipated first day of spring. Yet as we all know, this time is not without its darkness. We wish to say that given the current events in Eastern Europe, we know this is a difficult time for so many. Our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine, and the Ukrainian community in Toronto. We at Creating Together are here for you, and we stand with you. 

As we begin this new season, we continue to plant the seeds of resilience, play, and learning at Creating Together. Read on for some much anticipated programming news, and help us to welcome new faces at the centre. 

Program Updates

In-Person Program

Beginning the week of February 28th, we’re pleased to announce that we’ll be increasing our capacity from two families per session, to four families per session. 

Additionally, as of March 7th, we will be increasing both our session lengths, as well as our days of in-person programming! Our sessions will now run for two hours, from Monday through to Thursday. 

As of March 7th our new in-person program schedule will be as follows:

Monday-Thursdays:

9:00am – 11:00am

12:00am – 2:00pm

Two Saturdays a month:

10:00am – 1:00pm

To book your time, please contact Creating Together by phone or email: (416) 537-1004 / creatingtogether@rogers.com. 

We continue to follow all of the Toronto Public Health safety recommendations and standards, as well as our screening process and temperature checks upon arrival to the centre. We ask that if any member of your household is feeling unwell, that you stay home and call the centre to cancel your registration.

Virtual Programs

With the expansion of our in-person programming as of March 7th, our virtual programming will be slightly reduced, however we still offer the following programs: 

Live Circle Time

We invite you to join our live circle time Fridays at 10:00am using the following zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5199316471

On March 18th we’re excited to bring you an extra special live circle time with invited guest, Nina from Glitterbug! Join us at 10:00 am! 

We’ll also be continuing our new science program…

March Dates: Science with Sal

Looking for some interactive live virtual science? Our new virtual science program Science with Sal continues with three new dates for March! Join Salvina in our virtual lab for an interactive science program from the comfort of your own home. This program offers opportunities for you to embark on a hands-on learning experience no matter where you are, using easy-to-find at home materials.

Creating Together Parkdale Family Resource Centre

Our mission is to support the healthy social, cognitive, emotional and physical development of children 0 to 6 years and their families. We welcome children aged 0 to 6 years and their families/ caregivers to relax and connect with each other and with the greater communities through our many programs.
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Hours

MON 9:00am - 2:30pm
TUE 9:00am - 2:30pm
WED 9:00am - 2:30pm
THU 9:00am - 2:30pm
FRI 9:00am - 1:30pm
SAT 10am - 2:00pm (twice monthly)
SUN Closed

Please refer to our Calendar »

Contact Us

Creating Together
1342 Queen Street West
Phone: (416) 537-1004
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Charitable Registration Number:
12947 6248 RR0001
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