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Online Story Time

June 17, 2020 by Creating Together

Literacy is key to our programming at Creating Together, for all of our families. And even when programs are closed due to COVID, we are here continuing to help reading be fun, for all of you.

Did you know that early literacy begins before a child can read? According to research by the Canadian Language and Literacy Research Network, children who are successful readers have usually engaged in many early language and literacy activities before starting school. In fact, hearing and engaging with books read aloud to them is one of the most important activities for infants, toddlers, and pre-school children.

So join us from home for live storytime with our staff – and enjoy the reads below with your little one at your next reading time!

Happy Reading!

Why I Love My Mommy (illustrated by Daniel Howarth)

This charming book features children telling, in their own words, endearing things about their mothers, with gentle illustrations of familiar animals. Perfect for that special day for mom, be it Mother’s Day, her birthday, or just to lift her spirits.

For more books to celebrate mothers and fathers days (Father’s Day is around the corner!), check out: https://myfamilystuff.ca/mothers-day-fathers-day-books-harpercollins/

https://www.facebook.com/CreatingTogetherParkdale/videos/2807224486073509/

If you Give a Mouse a Cookie (by Laura Numeroff, illustrated by Felicia Bond)

Help kids understand the importance of personal responsibility with this fun story about an energetic young mouse who follows a young boy making a string of requests…eventually tiring out the boy!

LEARNING TIP: Teaching our children that every action causes a reaction, is essential in parenting. Understanding cause and effect helps children see that our behaviors and actions has an effect on ourselves, others, and our environment. Use this book to continue this important lesson in personal responsibility.

https://www.facebook.com/CreatingTogetherParkdale/videos/940210046422398/

Twinky the Dinky Dog (by Kate Klimo, illustrated by Michael Fleming)

This story is perfect for children who love dogs, and who are ready to begin the exciting and fun journey of reading on their own. Twinky is a mix of determination, practice, and bravery – and shows the town that he is most certainly, not dinky at all!

https://www.facebook.com/CreatingTogetherParkdale/videos/586232192005802/

Hush Little Polar Bear (by Jeff Mack)

Jeff Mack has illustrated many books, but this one is the first that he both wrote and illustrated! Hush Little Polar Bear takes a girl and her stuffed polar bear on a beautiful trip through a variety of places before they return to her bedroom. A recommended bedtime read!

https://www.facebook.com/CreatingTogetherParkdale/videos/649125712611944/

Filed Under: Literacy, Special Activities Tagged With: online programming

Social Emotional Learning During COVID-19

May 20, 2020 by Creating Together

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.

https://casel.org/what-is-sel/

Social and emotional skills are taught at school, and children also learn the skills at home. With families home, School Mental Health Ontario recommends parents and caregivers focus on social learning with children, to support children’s mental health and ability to:

  • Manage stress
  • Identify emotions
  • Promote positivity
  • Nurture relationships
  • Develop self-awareness

We’d like to share what they had to say in their blog article 12 Easy and Fun Mental Health Practices to Try with your Children at Home – where they offer up a number of great activities for home, to nurture social and emotional learning skills.

Enjoy!

Manage stress

These activities will help children learn some healthy ways to cope with stress, such as deep breathing.

Deep belly breathing

Have your child get comfortable (standing or sitting), and encourage a straight back, relaxed head & shoulders, gently closing their eyes. Have them place their hands flat on their stomach.

  • Now, ask your child to breathe in deeply through their nose, filling the belly with breath.
  • Point out how hands move out.
  • Encourage them to hold their breath.
  • Slowly breathe out through the mouth to feel the stomach contract and hands move in.
  • Repeat 5-6 times
  • Practice deep belly breathing any time your child seems stressed or upset

Snowstorm in a bag

Collect items from around your home (straws, baggies, feathers, tissue paper, etc), and put some of the materials in a clear container / baggie. Close it, and place a straw in the hole.

  • Have your child take a big breath.
  • Blow slowly into the straw.
  • Watch how the materials float around the container. Does it look like a snowstorm or something else?
  • Repeat
  • Ask your child how it feels when they do this.

Identify emotions

These activities can help your child learn to identify, understand and express feelings.

Emotion charades

Gather a bowl or container, paper, and pens/pencils. On slips of paper, write or draw different feelings based on the child’s age (happy, sad, angry, worried, etc). Explain the game to your child:

  • Decide who will go first. Have that person pick a piece of paper from the bowl.
  • Have them read the feeling to themselves, or, if needed, help your child read the feeling.
  • Now, they will act out the feeling without words while the other players try to guess what it is.
  • Once someone gets the right answer, it’s the next person’s turn to pick a piece of paper and act out the feeling

Added suggestions: Talk about the feelings either during the game of afterwards. Ask questions such as: When does this feeling happen? What does it feel like in your body?

What’s my temperature?

Gather paper, crayons or markers. Write or draw different feelings on a piece of paper (happy, sad, angry etc), and ask your child to pick on feeling for the activity.

  • Have your child draw a big thermometer on a piece of paper.
  • Mark off different points along the thermometer from 0 at the bottom, to 5 at the top.
  • Write the feeling your child picked at the top of the paper.
  • Talk about the different intensities of that feeling with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest. For example, if your child chooses anger, 1 might be not at all angry and 5 might be furious.
  • Describe a situation and ask your child to rate where on the thermometer that situation might make them feel.
  • This can be used during different times to help your child recognize the feeling and the intensity.
  • Make a new thermometer using a different feeling.

Stay positive

Optimism helps all of us! These activities focus on seeing the good in situations, and hopefulness about the future.

Gratitude moment

Gather paper and a pencil, and introduce the activity to your child: “We are going to take a few minutes to talk about some of the things in our life we are grateful or thankful for.” Explain what it means to be grateful or thankful.

  • Share something you’re thankful for as an example. 
  • Everyone takes a turn sharing what they are grateful/thankful for.
  • Repeat as often as you would like
  • Consider writing down comments and posting them in the home.

Four finger affirmation

Gather a paper and pencil, and:

  • Ask your child to choose four words that make them feel calm and confident. It might be a sentence or just four words.
  • Examples: “I am loved today,” “I believe in me,” “Breathe, listen, smile, love,” “I can handle this.”
  • Explain that each word they choose will match a finger on their hand.
  • Have them say the words (affirmation) aloud or in their head and connect each finger with their thumb.
  • Tell your child they can repeat this as many times as they like, aloud or to themselves.

Nurture relationships

These activities are all about building healthy relationships, like showing kindness and being positive.

Kindness Jar

Gather a large see-through jar and dried beans, pasta, marbles, or jelly beans (or other small items you have in the house), and explain to your child that the jar will be used to capture “acts of kindness” for everyone in the family who is participating. Talk about what an act of kindness is (e.g. sharing a toy with a sibling).

  • The beans/items are added to the jar for each kind act that someone notices someone else doing.
  • Share with each other when an “act of kindness” is noticed.
  • The sharing can happen when the family is together, such as during a meal.  

NOTE: This is a great activity that children can share via telephone or video calls with others such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

Notice the positive

Gather materials to write on and write with, as well as a container to collect messages. Explain to your child what a positive message means and model some positive messages (e.g. The picture you drew made me smile). Practise noticing and saying positive messages with your child.

  • Decorate a “positive message” container such as a basket, jar or bin.
  • Encourage your child to write or draw positive acts or comments they notice.
  • Fill the container during the week with each person’s comments or drawings of positive messages they notice or hear. 
  • Read the positive messages that were collected when everyone is together.

Know yourself

These activities help children express themselves by feeling capable and comfortable sharing their ideas and feelings.

Show and share

Gather materials to write on (e.g. Post-it Notes, paper) and write with (pens, markers, etc.).

  • Have your child think about something about themself that they want to share (e.g. favourite song, someone they admire, a special talent, what they are grateful for).
  • Encourage your child to share their thoughts with others in the family.
  • Everyone takes a turn.

Note: This is a great activity that children can share through a phone or video call with others, such as friends or family members.

Inspirational graffiti

Note: If you don’t have a sidewalk or driveway but can still head outside, you can use mud, sticks and stones or other materials

Gather sidewalk chalk – different colours if you have them!

  • Head outside to a sidewalk or driveway or any space you may have.
  • Ask your child what positive message they would like to share with others.
  • Encourage them to use words and pictures.
  • You might consider joining in with them to talk about how these positive messages and images might encourage those who pass by or see them and how that makes them feel!
  • If you have a phone with a camera, take some pictures to share with others to enjoy after the rain washes the message away.

Plan and problem-solve

We can’t avoid challenges in life. You can help your child learn problem-solving skills and organization skills at an early age. These activities can help!

Organizing pause

Together with your child, pick an area of the home to organize. Gather items to help you, such as bins, labels, or garbage bags.

  • Pick a time that works for your child. Depending on their age, they may require your assistance and support.
  • Identify what you will be organizing (e.g. closet, toys, clothes) and talk about why it is important (e.g. it’s easier to find what you need.)
  • Set a time to take a break
  • Often these activities offer opportunities for talking about thoughts, feelings etc.
  • Think about a way to celebrate task completion (e.g. “high five”, “happy dance”, a little treat.)
  • Ask your child how they feel about accomplishing the task.

Stop, think and go problem solving

Gather paper, markers, magazines, scissors. Make a traffic light model with your child – draw one, build one or find a picture of one. The traffic light will be used to help with problem solving. Explain the three colours:

Red means stop! When they have a problem, they stop.

  • Take a deep breath
  • Talk about what the problem is

Yellow means think!

  • Slow down, maybe take several deep breaths
  • Think and talk about possible solutions

 Green means go!

  • Try out your solution
  • Talk about some problems your child might face and how the traffic light might help (e.g. fight with a sibling, I want the toy, I want a snack now, I want to watch tv now).

Put the traffic light you created somewhere visible, like on the fridge. Help your child use the visual and this process each time there is a problem or a conflict. 

Filed Under: Family Playtime, Special Activities, Tips and Tools

Nature Play During COVID-19

April 16, 2020 by Creating Together

With everybody inside so much more these days due to social distancing and self-isolating, we’re all getting a lot less time outside. With a bit of creativity though, we can all get the outdoor dose that we need.

Getting children outside to enjoy time for free play in natural environments increases attentions spans, creative thought, and the desire to learn through exploration (https://www.asla.org/ContentDetail.aspx?id=39558). It also helps their motor, sensory, social and cognitive development – and is great for their general health and well-being (https://www.learningpotential.gov.au/the-benefits-of-outdoor-play).

In fact, “wilderness therapy” has emerged as an alternative treatment for behavioral and psychological problems in adolescents and teens. One study found that “wilderness therapy” was an effective treatment for teens suffering from attention deficit disorder, alcohol and drug addiction, depression, and other behavioral problems. Afterward, patients showed higher levels of confidence, better organizational and leadership skills, and exhibited fewer problematic behaviors (http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/wrc/Pdf/howwildtherworks.PDF).

For more benefits of getting outside, you can check out Balancing Screen Time with Green Time.

For today though, we’d like to give you some resources to get you and your kids outside in ways that respect social distancing and keeps everybody safe. It has become clear that we all need new and creative strategies for connecting to the natural world, even if that may mean being indoors. 

Star Gazing

“If we can’t see the stars, how will we know our place in the universe?”

Trevor Hancock, a professor at the University of Victoria’s School of Public Health and Social Policy

Drops in air pollution have revealed awe-inspiring stars that suburban and urban dwellers would have never seen otherwise.  So set a star date for a bright night, bundle up, grab a blanket, and go see what the stars have to offer! Resources: International Dark-Sky Association, and How to Start Stargazing With Your Kids. For the top 10 books on stars, check out bookroo’s list here: https://bookroo.com/books/topics/stars or check out this great list on Stars, Planets and the Night Sky that you can order online from “Start with a Book”.

Get Reading! Bookroo’s top 10 books on stars…

Nature Window

If you can’t get outside, you can still experience moon watching, stargazing (if stars are visible), cloudspotting, bird-watching, and nature in general. Create a world-watching window or a nature window, set up a date, set up all your supplies, and get ready to observe! Things to consider bringing: your nature notebook, field guides (birds, stars, etc), binoculars, a telescope, and a camera – you could maybe even a sound recorder to capture the sounds of the natural world.

Make a Spring Nature Table

A spring nature table is a space in the home used for placing natural items that reflect the season. It is meant to be explored and used as a nature study aid in the home. Nature tables give children the opportunity to play with objects found in nature, helping them notice the little changes that happen when a season shifts, and connect with the natural world. They also create a sensory experience for the child, and can be used for pretend or imaginative play. Check out this lovely table by the Imagination Tree:

Spring Nature Exploration Table by The Imagination Tree

Consider what the season represents for your family’s culture, values, beliefs, celebrations. Then, go around your home with that in mind and you’d be surprised what you can find (rocks, leaves, sticks, acorns, pine cones, seasonal art and crafts, silks and candles in the season, fall books for kids, etc)! Put these together, and voila!

Nature Scavenger Hunt

Make a list of things found in nature around your garden, block, or a local trail. Then go out for a walk or hike with the family and see how many items you can find. The print shops are all closed due to COVID-19 so you’ll need to get creative – make a list on your phone or do some lists by hand. Looking for some ideas? Check these templates out here: https://www.freekidscrafts.com/summer-scavenger-hunt/

Family Bike Ride

According to Cycle Toronto, as long as you are not infected with COVID-19, symptomatic, or otherwise self-isolating. Riding a bicycle is compatible with physical distancing. In fact, the 2 metres (6 feet) is about the distance of a bicycle. According to the City of Toronto, we can only bike in groups if they are people we reside with, and at this point, city parks’ green spaces, including multi-use trails, currently remain open and accessible. Toronto has some really great trails to choose from as well, as per the interactive map here: https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/streets-parking-transportation/cycling-in-toronto/cycling-google-map/

Need some help planning your route? Check out this great article by Cycle Toronto: https://www.cycleto.ca/how-plan-your-bike-route

Tip: Plan ahead! Many of these experiences are also great as we gear up for Earth Day on April 26th!

Stay healthy and safe!

Filed Under: Family Playtime, Special Activities, Tips and Tools, What's On in Parkdale Tagged With: Nature Play

Lunar New Year Celebration

January 22, 2020 by Creating Together

The Lunar New Year, Chinese Chunjie, Vietnamese Tet, Korean Solnal, Tibetan Losar, also called Spring Festival, is celebrated during the second new moon after the winter solstice, usually between January 21 and February 20 on the Gregorian calendar.

The festival is typically celebrated in Asian countries, beginning with the first new moon of the year and ending on the first full moon of the lunar calendar, 15 days later.

Chinese New Year, January 25th

This year’s Chinese New Year begins January 25th, as we move into the Year of the Rat. Here are a few rituals that are traditionally done to celebrate the Chinese New Year:

Visit family and friends – This tradition is so crucial that LNY travel is annually heralded as the ‘world’s largest human migration’. In 2019, 3 billion trips were projected to be made during the holiday season.

Share wealth with family – Red packets carrying cash gifts are given to friends and family. It is also tradition for children to give a gift to their grandparents / elders.

Clear out last year’s clutter – In the days leading up to the Lunar New Year, the last year is washed away: windows, walls and furniture are all cleaned and dusted. However, all cleaning stops on the first day of the Lunar New Year, so good fortune is not swept away.

Hang red decorations – it is said, according to lunar new year mythology, that red is hung to ward off Nian – a lion-like monster that is afraid of the colour red.

Watch a traditional dance – Further to the red decorations, Nian also doesn’t like loud noises, so drums and cymbals accompany a flying lion dance outdoors.

You won’t want to miss the festivities in Chinatown this Saturday from 12-5pm: https://www.chinatownbia.com/eventsnews/lny2020/

Come and Celebrate with Us!

We hope you’ll join us this Friday at Creating Together to celebrate with some food and origami mouse activities! Take a look below for a tutorial on how to do this at home!

Happy New Year!

Next month, we’ll be celebrating Tibetan Losar as well, which fall this year on February 24-26. Stay tuned for more information on that!

Filed Under: Announcements, Celebrating Diversity, Featured, Special Activities, What's On in Parkdale

Understanding Creating Together

January 14, 2020 by Creating Together

January is an excellent time to freshen up our intentions and get things started on a shared vibration.

To kick this off, staff at Creating Together are committing this month’s information sessions to review our program guidelines, helpful tips, and an overview of lunchtime routine protocols.

Program Guidelines

Getting on the same page is important for everybody, and these guidelines are here to ensure children, parents and caregivers benefit the most from the services and resources at Creating Together. Guidelines ensure the values of respect, learning, safety, and happiness are woven into our daily routines.

For example, in the drop-in, we all:

  • talk, listen, and play together.
  • respect each other; children too.
  • tidy up.
  • help children try new things.

Helpful Tips

Since not everybody is able to attend the information sessions, we wanted to offer some helpful tips to keep in mind when at Creating Together – and do keep in mind, these tips are helpful at home as well!

  1. Recognize your child’s efforts and achievements
  2. Set clear limits and expectations of your child.
  3. Offer only choices and consequences that are realistic and that you are willing to carry out.
  4. Encourage your child to problem solve.
  5. Encourage your child to see the funny side of certain situations.
  6. Overlook small annoyances.
  7. Recognize your own frustrations and remove yourself from the situation until you are in control of your feelings.

Lunchtime / Snack Routine Protocols

Lunchtime hours – Monday to Saturday, 11:45am – 1:00pm

No Nuts – Please remember that while families have the option of bringing in their lunches, NO NUT PRODUCTS ARE PERMITTED.

Designated Eating Area – All food must be eaten in the kitchen only.

Thank You!

With your cooperation and participation, Creating Together will continue to be an enjoyable, safe, and pleasant experience for everybody. If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to ask us – we are more than happy to help.

Filed Under: Announcements, Special Activities, Tips and Tools

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About Us

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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

Please refer to our Calendar »

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