Celebrating Community Archives | Creating Together Parkdale

Cost-Free Family Events this March Break

March 8, 2023 by Eliza Martin

_{As recommended by To Do Canada!}

*_{https://www.todocanada.ca/city/toronto/event/toronto-seedy-saturday-2/}*

WinterStation at Woodbine Beach

February 20, 2023 – March 31, 2023

The annual public art installations return to the Toronto east end beaches. Set along the waterfront award-winning artists and design firms transform existing lifeguard stations into structures worthy of a visit or two. This year’s theme is RADIANCE. Dress for the weather and the terrain. Then pop up to Queen Street for a a bite to eat or a hot chocolate to warm up.

Lumière at Trillium Park, Ontario Place

March 10, 2023 – May 7, 2023

Explore the park and experience 16 illuminated installations developed by Ontario artists before stopping by the bonfire to warm up. Utilizing innovation, light and discovery, Ontario artists and creators will “illuminate” the park under a curatorial theme of “renewal”, celebrating the change of seasons from winter to spring. Dress warm and wear comfortable footwear for this outdoor experience. Lumière is open daily from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m. with a bonfire hosted on Fridays and Saturdays from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. More details on their site.

Sugar Shack TO at Sugar Beach

March 11, 2023 – March 12, 2023

This annual outdoor event will transform Sugar Beach into a fun filled weekend featuring all things maple. Two sugar shacks will serve up fresh made maple sugar taffy and there will be all sorts of maple infused food available for purchase. Maple Taffy $3 for 1 or 2 for $5. Cash or Debit only. Live entertainment and interactive activities for all ages. Dress for the weather.

Nature Connection: Signs of Spring Sap Walk

March 26, 2023

Spring has begun! Join us as we explore the forest and learn how maple syrup is made! Please note this is not a sugar bush program.

Downsview Park , 70 Canuck Ave, Toronto

Get The Jump On Spring & Seedy Saturday

March 25, 2023 | 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Toronto Botanical Garden’s annual Horticultural Open House IS BACK with seed and other garden-related vendors and exhibitors including local horticultural societies, garden clubs, and environmental organizations.

Toronto Botanical Garden, 777 Lawrence Avenue East, Toronto

St Patrick’s Day Parade Toronto

March 19, 2023 | 11:00 AM to 2:30 PM

Parade Begins 12:00 PM, line of march lasts one and a half hours at any given point along the route.

Join us for the biggest St Patricks day parade to hit the streets of Toronto.
A community event in celebrating Irish culture history and heritage. The parade has grown to include a number of diverse communities and non-profit groups and is recognized as the largest Irish-themed event held in Toronto. A fun-filled affordable family day.

Bloor St W & St George St to Nathan Phillips Square. Toronto

Student-Life at Creating Together

January 12, 2023 by Eliza Martin

We at Creating Together are thrilled to offer students an engaging hands-on learning experience. We welcome a variety of different areas of studies, and are most frequently joined by students studying early childhood education, and nursing. In turn, students are a deeply valued addition to our Creating Together team and community!

Read on below to hear from students Samantha (Early Childhood Studies) and Toni (Nursing), who joined us in the Fall of 2022.

“I would like to thank everyone for welcoming me into Creating Together. I did not know much about EarlyON centres before starting my placement here. Together, you and your children taught me what EarlyON centres, specifically Creating Together, are about. They are places that demonstrate the importance of community, it has been amazing to see so many families come together and bond over their children. It has been so interesting to watch your children grow and develop, as well as being able to witness your engagement with your children. I would like to thank everyone at Creating Together for allowing me to learn alongside you all.”

-Samantha

“Thank you to all the amazing families I got to work with during my clinical placement
from September to November. I have learned so much about the role of a
community health nurse and feel grateful to have worked with everyone. Creating
Together has taught me about the importance of community in early childhood
development and I have grown so much as a person after experiencing a feeling
of belonging here. I want to especially thank Leah and Zalikha for guiding me
throughout the semester. I hope everyone enjoys the remainder of the year with
their families.”

-Toni

Thank you Samantha and Toni for your hard work, and for sharing your warm words! We wish you all the best with the rest of the school year.

Welcome to Our New Space!

October 24, 2022 by Eliza Martin

Let’s Take a Tour!

This past September we threw open our doors and welcomed families into our brand new space at 1342 Queen Street West. Whether you’ve been to the program in person, or are considering joining us for the first time, here on the blog we’d like to offer you a brief tour of our new space.

Come on in!

The first thing you’ll notice when you enter our bright centre, is a sign-in station on your right. Be sure to sign in, remove your outdoor shoes and gear, and place it away using the cubbies or the hooks. We encourage families to travel light, and fold strollers whenever possible.

We encourage child-led play here at Creating Together. Your child may choose from any number of areas and materials to explore in the centre. Here are a few areas you’ll notice:

Circle Time Area

This window-facing area is used for circle-time gatherings throughout our program, and provides a nice cushioned place for infants to crawl!

Art Table

You can find art activities and materials at the back of the centre. An activity is set out on the table every program day, along with accessible art materials on the shelf. Come express yourself – we are all artists!

Dramatic Play Area

A multitude of materials are available in this area to encourage imagination and dramatic play! In early stages, the dramatic play you’ll begin to notice will focus on imitating every day behaviours, before moving into more formalized pretend play. For this reason many of our dramatic play materials are modeled after objects your child may interact with on an every day basis.

Cozy Nook

This window seat features a number of materials for your child to choose from as they enjoy the stimulating Queen Street view! Curl up with a book or a puzzle, or make use of our city-scape carpet!

Climber

There are many opportunities for gross motor development and play in our program. Our developmentally appropriate climber is a very popular feature at Creating Together.

Sensory Play

Our sensory play changes often, and may feature activities such as sand play, water play, themed sensory play, or other sensory material exploration.

Snack Table/Table Activities

Our 11:00am healthy snack time takes place at the tables in the back of the centre. Outside of snack, these tables will have many different activities placed on them, before being sanitized for eating.

Shelves

Our centre has a number of shelves which remain open and accessible for children. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Feel free to pull an activity or book off of a shelf. All we ask is that after use, the activity is returned to its spot and any mouthed items are placed in the mouthed toys bin!

Information Boards and Displays

We have several information boards and displays around the centre which are updated with helpful community information, as well as centre information. Check back often!

Toy Resource Library

Did you know that we have a toy resource library? Located by the office, the toy resource library is full of exciting materials which you can sign out, and enjoy with your child at home. Feel free to ask a staff for the toy resource binder to sign out materials!

You’re welcome to pour yourself a cup of coffee or tea using our self-serve cart by the office. Hardworking parents and caregivers need to stay caffeinated! Amiright?

Washrooms and change tables can be found in the back of the centre to the right of our office.

Hi Zalikha!

Be sure to greet our hard working manager, Zalikha, as you pass her desk!

That’s The Tour!

Don’t forget to sign out before you leave!

Thanks for stopping by…

Pride Book Recommendations from Glitterbug’s Niña!

June 7, 2022 by Eliza Martin

Niña shares a story at Creating Together (May 2022).

As we welcome June in Toronto, we look forward to supporting and celebrating the 2SLGBTQ+ community through Pride month (and beyond)! To kick off these celebrations and important conversations at Creating Together, we’ve asked Niña Cabaguio (she/her), RECE and Coordinator of Glitterbug: 2SLGBTQ+ EarlyON Mobile Program at the 519, to offer some children’s book recommendations!

Niña’s Book Recommendations for Pride Month

#1) Love Makes a Family (Ages 0-3)

Love Makes a Family by Sophie Beer is a wonderful board book for our 0-3 years of age that talks about the various structures of family and types of love. There are beautiful illustrators of cultural diversity and family diversity that enriches a welcoming and inclusive space!

#2) Neither by Airlie Anderson (ages 4-8)

Neither by Airlie Anderson is one of my go-to books when it comes to explaining the spectrum of gender (and outside of the gender spectrum) that exists! Neither showcases the nonbinary terms in a child-friendly and fun way. Did you know the “+” in our 2SLGBTQ+ acronym is to showcase all the types of gender identities?

#3) Sparkle Boy (ages 4 to 8)

Sparkle Boy by Leslie Newman is a great story for our 4 to 8 years old. It talks about acceptance within the family and having that inclusive space within the environment and supporting our gender-diverse children.

#4) Our Rainbow by Little Bee Books (0 to 3 years)

Our Rainbow by Little Bee Books is a beautiful, illustrated children book that talks about the meaning behind each color of the rainbow. I truly love this book, as it is a great conversation starter about the brown and black on the rainbow too!

#5) Call me Tree (ages 4 to 8)

Call me Tree by Maya Christina Gonzalez is a beautiful multi-language book (Spanish and English) that talks about belonging. We may all identify differently, but we all belong together as a community. Did you know some folks uses “tree” as a pronoun?

Happy Reading!

Thank you so much Niña for these recommendations! Some of Niña’s suggested reads will be available for families to enjoy in the centre, and we encourage you to take advantage of book selections through the Parkdale Library as well. You can enjoy stories and songs with Niña on June 8th, when she joins us for guest circle time at 10:00am. Keep your eyes on our calendar for other exciting events going on this month.

HAPPY PRIDE!

-Creating Together

Black History Month

February 7, 2022 by Melanie

An Overview

Each February, Creating Together celebrates Black History Month along with the families we serve, inviting one another to explore the traditions and culture of African-Canadians. Originally created in 1926 to raise awareness and understanding of the African experience around the world, it became a formal celebration in the 60s and in 1979, Toronto became the first municipality in Canada to proclaim Black History Month through the efforts of many individuals and organizations such as the Ontario Black History Society. Still, it wasn’t until In 1995 that the House of Commons to recognized Black History Month across Canada, thanks to a motion introduced by Toronto Area MP Jean Augustine.

At this time, we take time and care to recognize the past and present contributions that African Canadians make to our lives, through education, medicine, art, culture, public service, economic development, politics and human rights.

Toronto Public Library Offerings and Recommended Books

Toronto Public Library celebrates Black History all year round with a collection of programs and special events that honour Black heritage and culture, and consider the historical significance and contemporary contributions of Black activists and artists from around the world.

Explore this list of recommended books for children, put together by the Toronto Public Library, in honour of Black History Month:

City of Toronto Programs and Offerings

For a list of recommended programs by the City of Toronto, visit: https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/history-art-culture/black-history-month/