Tips and Tools Archives | Page 11 of 13 | Creating Together Parkdale

Nature Play for Spring!

April 1, 2019 by Melanie

Even though it may seem like Winter is hanging on, Spring is certainly here – and with that, comes some great opportunities to get outside, and enjoy the benefits that nature has to offer.

We wanted to share some great activities coming up, to celebrate the nature of the season with your children in Toronto.

Children’s Garden Revamp at Evergreen Brickworks: This month’s theme at Evergreen is “Earth Month”. Come enjoy play, art and stewardship in celebration of the earth and it’s creatures! Hop on a free shuttle bus from Broadview Station, and get involved with the Children’s Garden Revamp this month! https://www.evergreen.ca/get-involved/evergreen-brick-works/.
Riverdale Farm Field Trip: Explore the trails, visit the barns, and see the farm animals!
Sorauren Farmers Market: Open every Monday from 3-7pm, the Sorauren Farmers Market isn’t an outdoor affair until May – but the park and indoor vendors make for a great outing right here in Parkdale. Its also a great opportunity to teach your children the importance of shopping locally, and creating a healthy relationship with healthy food. It also has an incredible unobstructed view of the night sky for evening star gazers!
Signs of Spring Detective Quest: Spend a day in High Park looking for the signs of Spring. Become nature detectives and find buds, sprouts, mud, robins, while enjoying the trails, castle playground, and zoo!
Create a Nature Table: Bring some items from outside inside, and throw in some symbols of the season: eggs, seeds, flowers…create a tactile learning centre that brings your child’s senses in tune with the season. Take a look at these photos on Pinterest for some inspiration: https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/45458277473802237/

More 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

Benefits of Sand Play: Information Session Summary

December 13, 2018 by Melanie

Over the last couple of months, Creating Together has been leading information sessions at different play stations, with a different play station featured each month.

To continue our last article regarding this months theme around Sand Play, we wanted to offer a summary of what was covered in the information session, so parents and caregivers can continue to use the blog as a helpful resource when playing with their children and encouraging their learning and development.

If you’d like further information about Sand Play, please visit us at Creating Together and let us know – we’d be happy to share some tips with you in person!

Summary

Sand Play is a great opportunity for Social, Emotional and Language development. While playing in the sand, children use communication skills as they talk about what they are doing and how to do things. They share equipment and learn to get along with each other. As they role play and work together this also provides an opportunity for story telling in the sand.

As you likely already are aware, toddlers love the sand and will spend hours digging, building, scooping, carrying, molding, and scraping. There are dozens of great sand pit toys you can introduce, all of which help your child develop gross and fine motor skills. Playing in the sand provides opportunities for the children to develop their muscles when they dig, shovel, lift, carry, tunnel and rake. These activities help develop the large muscles – gross motor. Pouring, sifting, moulding, drawing, patting, and decorating all help exercise the smaller muscles – fine motor.

Sand play develops an understanding of basic science and math concepts such as exploring, classifying, estimating, experimenting, comparing, counting, measuring and constructing. Before long, they will take their sandpit skills into the garden!

Sand Toys Include…

Buckets of different shapes and sizes
Small spades for scooping
Large spades for digging
Rakes
Watering cans
Plastic pipes which can be used for tunnels
Diggers and dump trucks
Old kitchen utensils such as potatoe mashers, spoons, sifters, strainers, scales, funnels
Different sized containers like drink bottles, containers, flower pots, natural materials like rocks, large shells, and water.

Child Can…

Learn basic concepts related to science, measurement, space and math
Enhance motor skills
Develop eye-hand coordination
Experience various textures
Enhance thinking skills
Develop concentration
Have fun!

Adults Can…

Build hills and mountains
Pretend to be at a construction site
Pretend to cook (measure, mix, etc)

For more information about our upcoming Information Sessions,

please visit our calendar!

Hope to see you at the next one!

The Benefits of Sand Play

December 4, 2018 by Melanie

Last month, Creating Together introduced a new program feature: “Information Sessions” – opportunities for parents and caregivers to learn about the theory, thinking, tools and tips behind each of our learning stations.

While November’s feature was Block Play, this month we will be going over the benefits of Sand Play.

Did you know?

Did you know that sand play promotes physical development, hand-eye coordination, small muscle control, language development, mathematical skills and social skills?

How can you support your child?

Do you know how to support your child in getting the most out of their sand play? Try statements like “I wonder what would happen if . . .” and “Tell me about . . .”. To encourage play, include access to materials like measuring cups, ladles, funnels, sifters, colanders, or small manipulatives like plastic animals.

Bring your child and learn more on this Friday, December 7th, and stay for morning snack and circle time afterwards!

Building Blocks With Your Child

November 9, 2018 by Melanie

Next time you’re in Creating Together, look up – you’ll see a number of signs designating areas as stations for different kinds of learning.

This month, staff are offering information sessions on one of these stations – Building Blocks. The first session held November 8th was a great success, and if you weren’t able to make it, you can attend the next one on the 12th at 1:30pm.

Did you know that building blocks with your child has a number of benefits?

Benefits of Block Play

Teaches children concept of weight, height, balance, space, shape, size, mass counting, and colours
Enhances language skills, such as labelling
Improves motor skills, such as stability and coordination
Supports their social skill development, by helping them communicate ideas and cooperate with their peers
Encourages problem solving, creativity, and imagination
Fun!

Did you know that there is a guide that Creating Together uses in their programming, to ensure they are meeting guidelines and best practices for child development?

Learning Domains and Skill Indicators for Block Play

The 2007 provincial publication of Early Learning for Every Child Today: A framework for Ontario early childhood settings (2014) describes how young children learn and develop, and offers a guide for curriculum in Ontario’s early childhood settings, such as child care centers, regulated home child care, nursery schools, Ontario Early Years Centres, family resource programs, parenting centres, etc.

When we do Block Play, we tap into a number of learning domains and areas of skill development, according to this guide. Below are some examples of learning domains and consequent indicators of skill development, which Parents and caregivers can use, as the staff of Creating Together do, to support each child’s learning and development.

Problem Solving (4.2): Use blocks to experiment with balance and positions
Classifying (4.10): Move from random classification by one, or more
Cooperating (1.6): Exchange ideas and material during play
Interacting with Adults (1.9): Seeing adults as resources in exploration and problem solving
Vocabulary (3.3): Using new words
Language (3.5): Using descriptive language, such as sentences, to explain, explore, and describe objects

Block Play Tips for Parents and Caregivers

Parents and caregivers can do a number of things to help children get the most of their block play:

Play at the child’s level
Use blocks to experiment with balances and positions
Expand interests with the use of pictures, books, and other aids
Build the world’s tallest / widest tower
Try to blow the tower down
Build small cities, trains, roads, castles, boats, buses
Have building blocks lead to pretend play (e.g., the houses of the 3 little pigs, the wheels on the bus)

For more tips and some hands-on mentorship in Block Play,

please come to our next Information Session on November 12th at 1:30pm!

Bubble Blowing Fun!

October 23, 2018 by Melanie

Join us for some bubble play on October 26th at 1:15 – and get ready to have some fun!

But did you know that bubble play also an amazing way to work on developmental skills, such as:

Fine motor skills & hand/eye coordination

It takes a lot of fine motor skills to pinch the skinny wand, coordinate two hands to hold the bottle and dip, hold the blower with a pencil-like grasp, and using hands in different ways to pop the bubbles – who knew?

Visual tracking skills

Those little ones work their visual tracking skills when they follow where the bubbles go.

Sensory processing skills

Bubbles have such an interesting texture, your little ones will experience their wetness, sliminess, stickiness. What’s more, the act of blowing can also be a very effective sensory-based way to help kids “organize”, calm, and focus their bodies.

Social and communication skills

When playing in a group like we do at Creating Together, children practice taking turns, keeping personal space. They also establish eye contact and ask or signal to you for “more”.

Gross motor skills

Have you seen kids chase bubbles?! What an fun way to get kids to stretch up, squat to the floor, run, jump, and reach!

Identifying body parts

Pop with your finger, your elbow, your knee, or your nose!

Language and cognitive skills

You can use bubble play as an opportunity to describe what the bubbles are doing, what the children notice.

Come and try it out this Thursday afternoon, and feel free to ask the staff any questions on how to turn Bubble Play into an incredible learning opportunity for you and your little one!