Diwali, also known as the festival of lights, is an ancient Hindu festival celebrated in autumn every year. The festival spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, and hope over despair. Diwali celebrations may vary in different communities but its significance and spiritual meaning is generally “the awareness of the inner light”.

Observed in accordance with the lunar calendar, Diwali was celebrated on October 18th this year, and across Toronto, various community groups, businesses, schools and associations celebrated. Creating Together was no exception. With over 2000 people identifying as Hindu in the Parkdale-High Park area alone, our local Diwali celebrations fostered a sense of home and community for those who observe the holiday, while also increasing awareness among all of the children, parents and caregivers who observe other holidays. Our student Neetu planned and implemented a number of activities, including decorating paper diyas, and making sure families enjoyed food and sweets.

According to Penn State Extension, children begin to notice gender and racial differences at about age 2, gender labels (boy/girl) and colours (including those applied to skin colour) at about 2 ½, and by 4-5 years, they start to display gender appropriate behavior and become fearful of differences.

Diversity activities teach young children to respect and celebrate the differences in all people, while also helping them understand who they are the context of race, ethnic group, culture, religion, geography, language and familial history. It helps them realize that we’re all humans, despite differences in how we look or dress, or what we eat or celebrate. Games and activities offer a fun way for young children to learn about differences and similarities among people and to introduce the concept of diversity. In so doing, we support them in their own identity formation and sense of belonging within the context of a diverse community.

Thank you to all of you who came out to enjoy Diwali with Creating Together this year.

May joy, prosperity, and happiness illuminate your life and your home!

Public Broadcasting Sysyem. “Diversity in the Classroom.” Precious Children. www.pbs.org/kcts/preciouschildren/diversity/

Biles, Barbara. “Activities that promote racial and cultural awareness.” In “Family Child Care Connections” edited by C. M. Todd 4(3): 4. Urbana-Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service, 1994. Retrieved September 2012. http://www.pbs.org/kcts/preciouschildren/diversity/read_activities.html

Children book list to celebrate diversity for children: Check out this article by Madh Mama

All day on October 31st, children poured into Creating Together with their adorable costumes, enjoying the Halloween decorations and activities that the staff put together for them.

Take a look at these snapshots of some of the fun had!

Where did the costume dressing tradition? Like the tradition of carving pumpkins, this is a Celtic tradition, where people would dress in disguise to fool and ward off the spirits, hoping to protect their land through the upcoming winter. The word Hallowe’en is a modernization of “Hallow Eve”, a name still used by some older people in Ireland to mean All Hallows Eve, the evening before All Saints Day on November 1. Traditionally, this time of year marked the farmer’s festival Samhain, which literally means “summer’s end” – it is also the word for November in Irish and Scots Gaelic.

Here’s another interesting Canadian fact: The earliest known reference to what is now “trick or treating” in Canada, occurs in 1911, when a newspaper in Kingston, Ontario, reported that it was normal for the smaller children to go street “guising” on Halloween between 6:00 and 7:00 P.M., visiting shops and neighbors to be rewarded with nuts and candies for their rhymes and songs. The earliest known use in print of the term “trick or treat” appears in 1927, from Blackie, Alberta.

References:

http://canadachannel.ca/todayincanadianhistory/index.php/Halloween

Pablo Picasso once said that “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” In an article in Wired Magazine, they presented the idea that the same can be said about children and science, because of how they learn through curiosity and play – and how that innate curiosity can easily be lost as they age.

There is a growing understanding and recognition of the power of children’s early thinking and learning as well as a belief that science may be a particularly important domain in early childhood, serving not only to build a basis for future scientific understanding but also to build important skills and attitudes for learning (K. Worth, 2010).

So how can parents, teachers, and caregivers navigate the fine line between giving kids a taste of fact & knowledge, while also creating a sense of ambiguity and uncertainty? Jonah Leher suggests “When we explain things to kids, we shouldn’t pretend that we have all the answers. We shouldn’t turn science class into a dry recitation of facts that must be memorized, or only conduct experiments in the classroom in which the results are known in advance. Because it’s the not knowing – that tang of doubt and possibility – that keeps us playing with the world, eager to figure out how it works”.

So if you’re ready to take this further, you’d be happy to know that Toronto has some great programs available. Let’s take a look!

Let’s Talk Science

This award-winning, Canadian, charitable organization is focused on education and outreach to support youth development. They create and deliver unique learning programs and services that engage children, youth and educators in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). They are passionate about promoting “science literacy” because doing science develops our ability to ask questions, collect information, organize and test our ideas, problem-solve and apply what we learn. It also offers a powerful platform for building confidence, developing communication skills and making sense of the world around us – a world that is increasingly shaped by science and technology.

They create, test and deliver free curriculum-aligned workshops for children and youth ages 3-17. For a list of sample workshops, check out our hands-on/minds-on workshops. If you’re interested in a specific topic, contact your local outreach site and they’ll work with you to fit the your class or group’s needs.

The Ontario Science Centre

Based on Toronto, the Science Centre is the public centre for innovative thinking and discussion around science and technology, inspiring a lifelong journey of curiosity, discovery and action to create a better future for the planet. Their purpose is to delight, inform and challenge the communities they serve. They enrich people’s lives and their understanding through engagement with science of local, national and global relevance. If you can afford it, a yearly membership starts at $125 (2 adults and 2 children for the year).

Museum Admission Passes

If the cost of entry for the Science Centre is too high for you, consider an early Saturday morning line-up at our local Parkdale Library. Although the library doesn’t open until 9am, the line-up usually starts between 6am-7am on a Saturday morning because of all the free family admission passes they provide the community. The Ontario Science Centre is one of many passes they have available, and allows 2 adults and up to 4 children entry. You might also consider a pass to the Royal Ontario Museum for some science discovery. Don’t forget to make sure your library card is up to date and all fines are paid before you go!

Children’s Discovery Centre

This was Toronto’s only children’s museum, designed and staffed by a team of early childhood development professionals for kids aged 0 to 6 years to play, create, get messy, explore and use their imagination. Although their pilot program is over and their test location is now closed, this wonderful program has decided to launch a fundraising campaign to create a permanent location. To buy a brick and support their initiative, go here: http://www.childrensdiscoverycentre.com/support-us/