Special Activities Archives | Page 13 of 16 | Creating Together Parkdale

Keeping Cool at Wet N Wild

August 25, 2017 by Melanie

Children with their families and caregivers piled onto the school bus for Creating Together’s annual field trip to Wet N’ Wild Toronto, a water park in Brampton. Everybody kept cool, had fun, and made some unforgettable memories!

Built on the site of the former Wild Water Kingdom the park features $25 million in new rides and attractions and 45 acres of water adventure. Wet’n’Wild is known for having the biggest and best water rides and Wet’n’Wild Toronto will be no exception to that reputation with all new rides for Canada that will be the longest and tallest in the country. New attractions include the Krazy Kanuck family raft ride; Bear Footin’ Bay, a mega treehouse kids play structure; Wet ‘n’ Wild Junior, a mini water park for the little ones; and the Klondike Express mat slide racer.

Huge thanks to Creating Together for organizing this, and ensuring the members of our community can access these amazing attractions!

Planning Your Trip to the Zoo

August 11, 2017 by Melanie

As summer nears it’s end, you may be trying to squeeze in those last few field trips, camping trips, and family visits before school starts. One amazing opportunity last month was a field trip to the zoo for the children, families and caregivers of Creating Together.

In studies, after a trip to the zoo, children had more understanding of important environmental concepts such as conservation and endangered species. It also sparks curiosity & discovery, promotes family bonding, and is great exercise! When we took our annual field trip to the zoo this summer, an amazing time was had by all, and we wanted to share some tips on planning your trip to the zoo.

Talk to your local Library about accessing a zoo pass for your family through the MAP Program (don’t forget your library card, and make sure it’s current and up to date on all payments!).
Pack Your Own Food & Lots of Water: While there are some options onsight to purchase food if needed, there are also some great areas with tables and shelter for you to unpack your own picnic and save money.
Download some kids fact sheets and worksheets from KidsKonnect or these Educator Resources from the Toronto Zoo.
Plan your trip by taking a look at the Toronto Zoo website. Their “Explore the Zoo” section describes not only how to get there, but also some of the must-sees, exhibits, rides, and information about the family centre.

An amazing time had by all at our field trip this summer to The Toronto Zoo!

Tips and Strategies for the Picky Eater

August 3, 2017 by Melanie

Toddlers can become picky eaters for a number of reasons.

They are getting used to the different textures, colours, and tastes of foods.
They are becoming more independent, and learning how to make their own choices.
They have different nutrition requirements than when they had when they were a baby (being more active and not growing as much).

The Baby Center offers a number of tips for parents and caregivers of picky eaters who would like to introduce new foods. For example, choosing age-appropriate foods & amounts, maintaining a regular meal and snack schedule, keeping mealtime calm and free of distractions, and boosting nutritional value in foods they love. For more, take a look AT THIS LINK.

A few experts also recommend involving your child in meal preparation. Not only are finicky eaters more likely to eat what they have created, they are also developing an important life skill, improving their interest in food, and creating healthy family bonds. Eat Right Ontario answers some commonly asked questions about picky eaters, and gives a number of excellent tips on how to cook with kids of different ages:

Creating Together also offers Toddler Food Prep workshops each month from 10-11am, with Marcella from Food Share. Our next one is scheduled for September 13th. Here’s a peak at last month’s workshop with Marcella – “English Muffin Mini pizza’s”!

Toddler Food Prep Workshop with Marcella From Food Share.

Connecting with Nature

August 2, 2017 by Melanie

In July, Creating Together took it’s annual field trip to Bronte Creek, a Provincial Park in Oakville that offers trails, children’s farm, huge 1.8 acre pool, playground, and seasonal programming to help connect kids and families to nature. Children, parents and caregivers enjoyed a beautiful day of connection in nature, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

We all see the joy on a child’s face when they go to the park or the beach – but did you know that children today spend less time outdoors than any other generation in human history? A new term was coined in 2005 as “nature deficit disorder“, as a way to describe the cost of this alienation from nature. An expanding body of scientific evidence suggests that nature-deficit disorder contributes to a diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, conditions of obesity, and higher rates of emotional and physical illnesses. Research also suggests that the nature-deficit weakens ecological literacy and stewardship of the natural world. These problems are linked more broadly to what health care experts call the “epidemic of inactivity,” and to a devaluing of independent play (Children’s Nature Network).

Researchers and natural environmentalists have been studying the effects of exposure to nature on children, and have found some interesting results: Engagement with nature has huge benefits for children physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially.

For instance, Adams & Savahl (2017) discovered it has a significant influence on children’s emotional and social well-being, while Pensini, Horn, & Caltabiano, (2016) discovered that early exposure to nature improves one’s mental health as an adult. Would you like to help improve your child’s short-term memory and ability to focus? Another study shows that being in nature for extended periods of time promotes the development of attention skills, while protecting against inattention-hyperactivity symptoms such as (Ulset, Vitaro, et al, 2017). There are also a number of physical benefits, such as improved vision, and reduced risk of obesity.

Here are a few other places in Toronto you might want to check out to foster more connection in nature:

Visit Evergreen Brickworks, which offers free shuttle buses from Broadview Station, and excellent children and family programming: https://www.evergreen.ca/get-involved/evergreen-brick-works/
Enjoy one of the free outdoor festivals or concerts offered at Harbourfront Centre: http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com/
After being closed due to flooding, Centre Island is now opened, offering a range of fun activities for children and families: http://www.centreisland.ca/
Spend a day in High Park, enjoying the trails, trainride, castle playground, zoo, and splash pad: http://www.highparktoronto.com/

Nature Resources and Activities for Children:

Free “Nature as a Classroom” guide by the David Suzuki Foundation
Free “Nature Explorers Workbook” by the National Recreation and Park Association
“Nature Activities for Children” images on Pinterest

Improve Food Literacy and Build Family Memories with Pick-Your-Own Farms!

July 20, 2017 by Melanie

There is growing concern about unhealthy eating habits in children and youth including not eating enough vegetables and fruit and consuming too many processed foods and beverages. Involving children in food literacy programs, particularly those involving participatory cooking and learning, helps children learn where food comes from, how to choose and prepare healthy food—and can result in healthy eating behaviours such as choosing more vegetables and fruit.

The Ontario Food and Nutrition Strategy is a cross-government, multi-stakeholder coordinated approach to food policy development. The vision is for productive, equitable and sustainable food systems that support the wholistic health and well-being of all people in Ontario. It is a plan for healthy food and food systems in Ontario. One of it’s strategic directions include ensuring people in Ontario have access to and the means to choose and obtain safe, healthy, local and culturally acceptable food. Another is ensuring food literacy skills, so people in Ontario have the information, knowledge, skills, relationships, capacity and environment to support healthy eating and make healthy choices where they live, gather, work, learn and play. They are trying to accomplish these aims at all levels of community, from classrooms to policy.

What can families do?

To promote food literacy, healthy eating habits, and healthy food choices in children, Pick-Your-Own Farms are one thing that families and caregivers can get involved with – and they are becoming quite the trend here in Ontario. You can enjoy the feeling of picking right from the bush, vine, or plant, and many of the farms are bringing in agri-tourism activities like wagon rides, play areas, and corn mazes so a great time can be had by all.

Creating Together arranged another memorable field trip for dozens of children, parents and caregivers to enjoy the experience of picking their own fruit locally. In addition to picking buckets full of strawberries, children enjoyed the other attractions offered at Downey’s such as minigolf, speedway, kritter korral, train, and jumping pillows.

Here are some advantages to picking your own:

FUN!
Research shows that when children are involved in the basics of food preparation, they are more likely to eat it.
PYO is great exercise for the entire family.
Spending the day together in the fresh air and sunshine is great for health, relaxation,
You are creating memories as a family!
You are engaging in an experience that can impact the health of your little ones for years to come.
It teaches children that all food comes from the earth, grown over time, and tended gently by people to pick and bring them to the store / table. This promotes deeper respect for food, and gratitude for what goes into it.

For more information about Downey’s or to see what other attractions and activities they hold all year round to help children and their families connect with the bounty of the earth, take a look at their website: http://www.downeysfarm.com/

Keeping Cool at Wet N Wild

Planning Your Trip to the Zoo

Tips and Strategies for the Picky Eater

Connecting with Nature

Improve Food Literacy and Build Family Memories with Pick-Your-Own Farms!

Creating Together Parkdale Family Resource Centre

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