Special Activities Archives | Creating Together Parkdale

Summer Fun for the Whole Family

July 12, 2022 by Eliza Martin

Looking for fun summer activities for your children that won’t break the bank? Explore some of the following cost-free family friendly options around the city…

Toronto Public Library Programs:

https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/search.jsp?N=37850+37867+38807+37846&Ns=p_pub_date_sort&Nso=0

Weekend Nature Play at the Brickworks Children’s Garden

“Designed to showcase and make available to the public the many benefits of place based outdoor play and learning, the Children’s Garden offers play and stewardship-based opportunities for children and families of all ages.

Here, children and caregivers have the chance to engage in active, inclusive and hands-on activities while cultivating a lifelong stewardship ethic. It is truly a place like no other!”

https://www.evergreen.ca/whats-on/event/weekend-nature-play/

Pedestrian Sundays – Kensington Market

The streets of Kensington Market are yours and open in celebration on throughout the market.

Pedestrian Sundays

Family Friendly Days at the Gardiner Museum

Create with Clay!

https://www.gardinermuseum.on.ca/learn-create/familydays/

Imagination Playground

An exciting and cost-free outdoor play area for families, including a life sized chess board!

https://ontarioplace.com/en/whats-on/imagination-playground/

Art Gallery of Ontario – Family Fun for Everyone

https://ago.ca/learn/family

Taste of Regent Park

“Vibrant weekly market features talented local artisans, craftspeople, community organizations, food vendors, caterers and entertainers. In the heart of Regent Park, people come together in The Big Park (Dundas E & Sumach St.) to celebrate, share and enjoy delicious, healthy, affordable and culturally diverse foods.”

Taste of Regent Park Returns

Bloor West Street Fest

https://www.bloorwestvillagebia.com/page.php?pageType=events&eventId=100052759

TD Festival of South Asia

https://gerrardindiabazaar.com/

Toronto Outdoor Art Fair

https://torontooutdoor.art/

What about a cost-free night out for the grownups?

Enjoy a free movie night in the park!

Here are all the FREE movies you can watch in Toronto parks this summer

Let us know what you plan to explore with your family below, and be sure to stay up to date on all of our summer programming at Creating Together. See our calendar for more details.

Earth Day Activities this Month at Creating Together

April 19, 2022 by Melanie

April 22nd is Earth Day – and we have a couple great activities and resources to share with you!

Over the month of April the Drop-in program explored gardening and plants. On Monday, April 11^th we graphed the different plants/seeds that children and families may want to plant followed by planting seeds based on that information on April 20^th.

So join us for Earth Day on April 21^st at the drop-in program to celebrate Earth! We will be providing opportunities for children to play with materials that connect to soil, sky, water, as well as education around plastic waste.

Earth Day will also set off the process of creating a land acknowledgement as a Creating Together community by first learning about the purpose behind land acknowledgements.

Other Resources:

Learn how to say “Happy Earth Day” in 40 other languages HERE!
21 Earth Day Activities for Kids

Get Your Art On this April

April 1, 2022 by Melanie

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:

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?
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.
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!
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!

Understanding Remembrance

November 8, 2021 by Melanie

Thursday November 11th is Remembrance Day – and it can bring up so many great questions in a young family. What are the poppies about? How do we explain the significance of such an intense and important time of year? What is an age appropriate way to talk about Remembrance Day?

To get started on this deep and important topic, let’s first get on the same page with what November 11th is all about, and why we honour this day across Canada.

In 1931, after insistent representation from the Canadian Legion, parliament enacted the Armistice Day Act. The Act ensured that November 11th would be set aside as a day distinct and apart from any other observance upon which the nation could pay special tribute to those “who gave their lives that freedom might prevail”.

In 1970, an act, known as “The Holidays Act”, was passed by Parliament which included, among other holidays, Remembrance Day. An extract of that act reads as follows:

“Throughout Canada in each and every year, the 11th day of November, being the day in the year 1918 on which the Great War was triumphantly concluded by an armistice, is a holiday and shall be kept and observed as such under the name of Remembrance Day.”
The Holiday Act, 1970

Yet how do we explain this important time to our children? Here are some great suggestions:

1. Focus on Honouring People

You can do this a number of ways, be it discussing the contributions of women and minorities, the vast numbers of people who fought for our freedom, and the gratitude we all give.

“You can best honor them by using this day as a way to teach kids about both the honor and courage these people displayed in the course of performing their duties, as well as the valuable lessons they have taught us (namely, that the fighting of any war comes at too high a cost). In the end, Remembrance Day can provide an excellent way to instill your children with an understanding of the ramifications of war and give them a reason to work towards a more peaceful world.”
Sarah Danielson: parentscanada.com

To have some conversations with your children about the contributions of women and minorities, the Veterans Affairs Canada website offers great information on some of the often overlooked contributions of Aboriginal-Canadians, Women, Asian Canadians, and Black Canadians

2. Talk About Your Family History

Further to your conversation at home about the history of war in your own family, you may find it helpful to attend a local Remembrance Day ceremony. Giving the kids a first-hand chance to see veterans and be part of the celebration will encourage them to ask questions and learn more.

Here’s a list of local ceremonies being held in Toronto:

honour-canadas veterans-at-these-remembrance-day-services-in-toronto/

3. Understanding Why We Wear Poppies

Poppies are worn to pay tribute to those who gave their lives in war because poppies grew on the battlefields, especially on the Western Front, before and after World War One.

Wearing a poppy is important, but also explaining to your child the reasons why you are wearing it will help kids gain a deeper understanding and respect for the day.

The Poppy has been widely recognized as a symbol of Remembrance, since it was first adopted in 1921. By wearing the poppy, we demonstrate our gratitude to those who gave their lives for the freedom we enjoy.
Legion Ontario Command: on.legion.ca/remembrance/the-tradition

Each year, for two weeks before Remembrance Day, Legions throughout Ontario carry out our Poppy Campaign. The campaign raises awareness of the Poppy as a symbol of Remembrance. The poppy continues to be sold worldwide to raise money and to remember those who lost their lives in the First World War and in subsequent conflicts.

This can be a great conversation / lesson to children around the power of giving from a place of gratitude, and who in this case, is able to benefit from these gifts.

Many blessings to all of you, on this day of Remembrance.

Have Fun and Stay Safe this Halloween!

October 31, 2021 by Melanie

Trick or Treating is Back On!

Last year families had to find creative ways to celebrate the holidays, with trick-or-treating cancelled – and although Creating Together won’t be holding any Halloween events this year, trick-or-treating is back on for 2021 and we want to say to all of you ~ stay safe, have fun, and have a very happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Parade Returns!

Also, when you are finished with your pumpkins, don’t forget to bring them over to Sorauren Park for the 2021 Pumpkin Parade! After being cancelled previously by the City for not having a permit, Councillor Gord Perks has taken out the permit for the parade.

The city is asking for those who come to the parade to share in the community spirit and to also take a moment to help put their pumpkin in one of the bins provided at the park at the end of the night or first thing in the morning. Volunteers from Friends of Sorauren Park will also assist. With more than 1,500 pumpkins on display in recent years, the Parade is a neighbourhood and even regional highlight of the season!