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The Benefits of Music for Children

May 5, 2017 by Creating Together

Music ignites all areas of child development. It helps the body and mind work together, helps children learn the sounds and meaning of words, allows for self expression, helps memory skills, and improves mathematical learning. Interested in understanding how? You may enjoy this recent study by the Brain and Creativity Institute, which found that learning music in childhood can actually accelerate brain development, particularly in the areas of language acquisition and reading skills.

 

 

 

And we can’t forget the amount of joy that music brings! Take a look at these shining faces at Creating Together when we incorporated musical instruments into our circle time on Tuesday, one of our weekly offerings.

If you can’t make it out on Tuesdays, perhaps you’d like to make some instruments from home. Here are some fun musical creations to choose from: http://www.howweelearn.com/spectacular-homemade-musical-instruments/ – and you may take it a step further and incorporate some free online learning tools (eg., A2Z), or resources from organizations like the Children’s Music Network.

We are all so fortunate to be in Toronto. It is incredible what people across the city are doing to ensure the influence of music is felt among the children and youth of our communities, regardless of income. Teachers voluteer their time and talent, community centers and schools offer their spaces, and students come from all over to benefit. Here is a quick list of inspiring work happening in our city, for you to keep in mind as you keep music a strong component of your child’s life:

  1. Sistema – A social development program offering free, ensemble-based musical instruction in Toronto
  2. Axis – A tuition-free music program that makes music accessible to children and youth living in Toronto Community Housing
  3. Toronto Public Library (Parkdale Branch) – “Borrow a musical instrument” program lends musical instruments to children under the age of 18.
  4. The Regent Park School of Music – Offers subsidized, quality music education in priority areas across Toronto and at satellite location across the city, including Parkdale.
  5. Help We’ve Got Kids – Has put together a fairly extensive listing of music programs across the city.
  6. The Toronto Music Garden – A bach-inspired garden by the waterfront, hosting free concerts all summer long!

Filed Under: Special Activities Tagged With: axis, child development, circle time, music, regent park school of music, sistema, toronto music garden, toronto public library

Helping Children Thrive by Celebrating Traditions

April 21, 2017 by Creating Together

Did you know that of the 54,000 people living in Parkdale, 40% have a Mother Tongue other than English or French (Ward 14 Census, 2011)? At Creating Together, we celebrate the diversity of Parkdale as a place where people bring together their cultures and values, creating a safe and fun environment for children and families to thrive.

In fact, research since the 1950s shows us that no matter which language you speak or where you are from in the world, traditions and rituals in family life are linked to increased happiness, emotional well-being, and a greater sense of identity in children. Whether it’s Sunday dinners, birthdays, or family game night, having routines that you do as a “family” is important on many levels. If you’re looking to create a family routine, take a look at our calendar and consider joining us for a weekly activity like Literacy Mondays, or Family Playtime every day at 9:30!

Last week, we celebrated Easter with the age-old traditions of egg decorating, egg hunting, and of course the sharing of food. In many cultures around the world, the egg is a symbol of new life, fertility and rebirth. Traditionally used as gifts during the holidays of Easter or springtime, egg decorating extends across many cultures, and the children of Creating Together had a wonderful time decorating with their parents and caregivers.

Mark Your Calenders!

Coming up, we help families and caregivers celebrate Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 14th) and Father’s Day (Sunday, June 4th), so don’t forget to join us the week of May 8th-12th and May 29th-June 2nd to create some loving gifts for mom & dad!

Also coming up on May 6th, is our Annual General Meeting. This is a great opportunity to meet the Board, celebrate all that we have accomplished to date, and make suggestions for moving forward. Please confirm by April 28th if you’ll be attending (details in the invitation to the right).

We hope to see you there!

Filed Under: Announcements, Family Playtime, Special Activities

Spring into Reading: Literacy at Creating Together

March 21, 2017 by Creating Together

Spring has arrived!

The days will now get longer, the ground will slowly thaw, and pretty soon the leaves and flowers will show themselves. As you notice these beautiful elements of the season, consider coming in to enjoy our staff picks for Spring reads, or the amazing assortment of books shared in our Literacy Program on Monday mornings.

Did you know that a child’s knowledge of songs and rhymes at age 3 is predictor of his/her ability to read by age 6? Why not come and take advantage of the opportunities and support available to you at Creating Together?

Teach your child about the seasons and give them a love for literacy through reading!

 

Here’s a selection of books used for the Literacy Program on Mondays, 9:30-10:30am

Every Monday morning from 9:30-10:30, come in and enjoy “Literacy Mondays”, which bring together storytelling, music and song to support children in their love of reading. These interactive story times use age-appropriate, over-sized books, to make the experience of reading more engaging.

When speaking with Neha at Creating Together about tips for engaging children in the process, she emphasized the importance of giving children a choice in which book they’d like to read, choosing books that are age appropriate, and reading in ways that are also age appropriate. Take a look at this great tip sheet: Milestones of Early Literacy Development.

Tip: Have children choose their book for reading time!

Neha also encourages families to speak in their mother tongue at home, reminding us that bilingualism helps children with their sense of identity, self-confidence, and ability to think about their ideas and communicate in both languages.

For further resources and tip sheets for supporting your child’s language and literacy development, take a look at this great resource page compile by the Macaulay Child Development Centre: Early Literacy for Parents

 

Do remember to come by with any questions or support needs you have to Tanya or Neha – they’d love to connect and help you spring into reading with your child!

 

Filed Under: Special Activities Tagged With: bilingualism, early literacy, literacy milestones, literacy program, reading

Celebrating International Women’s Day at Creating Together!

March 14, 2017 by Creating Together

For over a century, March 8th has been celebrated as International Women’s Day. Although it’s roots are in campaigning for better pay and voting rights, it has become a day of honouring the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. It is a day of unity, celebration, reflection, advocacy, and action – both globally and locally.  According to the UN:

It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. It is an occasion for looking back on past struggles and accomplishments, and more importantly, for looking ahead to the untapped potential and opportunities that await future generations of women.

If you’re looking for some inspiration to help you through, take a moment to check out these inspiring quotes from 100 extraordinary women.

At Creating Together, we joined with dozens of organizations across the city to recognize the amazing role that women play in our communities. We were thrilled and honoured to host an International Women’s Day celebration on Friday last week,  and took special care to pamper the women of our community with cool cucumber eye soaks, henna treatments, and healthy food!

Thank you to everybody who came out to make this celebration so memorable!

 

Filed Under: Special Activities Tagged With: International Women's Day

Food, Family, and Community

March 2, 2017 by Creating Together

Communities around the world are brought together by food, and Creating Together is no exception. Last month, food really brought us all together, with our healthy choice muffin creations during our family baking time, our heart cookie morsels for Valentines, and Family Day potluck feast!

Involving our children in food creation is actually an excellent way to develop language, math, and healthy life skills.

Did you know that picky eaters are more likely to eat something that they’ve helped to make?

 

Give it a try at home! Print off the recipe card below, and enjoy these tips for cooking with kids, to help make cooking a great experience for everybody. If you missed our last family baking event, no worries – we’ll see you on March 7th at 9:30 for our next healthful muffin making extravaganza!

Print off this Healthy Carrot Muffin Recipe and enjoy!


Moving into March, we have some great workshops to help your family thrive. Note your calendars – we are now open on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9:30-5pm!

In addition to our regular programming, take a look at these March highlights and mark your calendars by clicking on the date links provided:

  • March 7th 9:30am – Family baking! Join us as we bake muffins for snack!
  • March 13th 10-11:30 – Dental health and dental screening with Toronto Public Health
  • March 15th 10-11am – Hands on workshop in healthy Toddler Food Preparation with Marcela from Food Share!
  • March 27h 12:30-1:30pm – Public Health Nurse Aseema will be answering questions and providing resources for family health and well-being.
  • March 30th 11:30-2pm – Anniversary Potluck Celebration! Bring a NUT FREE dish and celebrate Creating Together’s 41st Anniversary!

Filed Under: Announcements, Recipes, Special Activities Tagged With: children, community, Creating Together, dental health, family, family baking, February, food share, health, public health, toddler food

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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

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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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