family traditions Archives | Creating Together Parkdale

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/

October is Family History Month

October 12, 2021 by Melanie

“By searching for our roots, we come closer together as a human family.”
Orrin Hatch

Since 2001, October has been observed as “Family History Month” – an opportunity for individuals to improve their genealogy skills, find out about new resources and meet others who share your passion for the past! It’s also a great time for families to sit down together and honour the stories that enrich their family tree.

Most children will learn to appreciate their family history if you turn it into a detective game. Start your children or grandchildren on a lifelong journey of discovery by introducing them to geneology. Take a look below for some wonderful projects to do with your children this month.

6 Activities to Help you Celebrate your Family History

1. Go through old photos

It’s so important to share stories of our older generations – see if you know (or can find out) who is in the pictures, where they were taken, and what story is there to be shared. Sit down with some photos and your little one and see what stories you can share with them about the family!

2. Make a Family Tree

Here’s a fun Tigger Movie to watch with your youngster, and a range of templates for for creating your family tree, from trees including extended and adopted families, to blended and same-sex families: Family Tree Templates.

3. Visit cemeteries

If you know where family members are buried, visit their memorials. Take rubbings of their tombstones. See if you can find the oldest one. Did they have any neat things on their epitaphs? If your ancestors aren’t buried near you, check out the website FindAGrave.com – where you can see or request tombstones from other graveyards. You can even help other people by taking pictures of requested cemeteries near you.

5. Create a family cookbook

Contact your parents, grandparents, and others from the family – ask them to send you a few of their favourite family recipes, with a story about each dish, where or who it was handed down from, why it is a family favourite, and when it was traditionally eaten (Christmas, family reunions, etc.)….and try out some of the recipes with your little one!

6. Find out what your family surname means

The roots of your family name can be a great family activity. And, we would encourage you to take a look at the maiden names of the women in your family as well! Here’s a link to get you started: https://www.surnamedb.com/

Enjoy the Process!

Happy Thanksgiving!

October 5, 2021 by Melanie

It is the time of year to reflect on all that we are grateful for, in our families, homes and communities. When hard times hit, Gratitude has the power to energize, reduce stress, and align with optimism – and who doesn’t need that?

While several factors go into emotional resilience and optimism, studies show that cultivating a sense of gratitude can help you maintain a more positive mood in daily life and contribute to the greater emotional well-being and bring social benefits as well (Very Well Mind). Evidence from research at Berkeley suggests that grateful young adolescents (ages 11-13), compared to their less grateful counterparts, are happier and more optimistic, have better social support, are more satisfied with their school, family, community, friends, and themselves, and give more emotional support to others. If you’re looking for ways to cultivate traditions of gratitude in your family, take a look at this blog we shared: Increasing Happiness and Well-Being Through Traditions of Gratitude.

The Board and Staff at Creating Together would like to take a moment to say how grateful we are for the honour of working with you and your little ones. Never doubt your impact on our lives, the meaningfulness of this work for us, and the impact of nurturing the children of our communities on creating a bright future.

Blessings of Gratitude and Abundance to you all!

Welcoming Spring’s Rebirth

March 23, 2021 by Melanie

March 21st marks the first day of spring! And with this, families are starting to prepare for the traditional celebration of Easter. However, normally it is a time of opening our doors, reuniting with family members, enjoying community egg hunts, decorating eggs, and for many, a time of sacred prayer and family reflection. With COVID-19 still a very present reality, many of us are looking for creative ways to celebrate the holiday amidst social distancing protocols. Here at Creating Together, we cannot emphasize enough the value and role of traditions in increasing happiness, emotional wellness, and positive self-identity in children.

So – regardless of COVID-19, the themes of renewal, rebirth, and resilience remain. And it becomes more important than ever to uphold the family traditions you hold most dear. From one point of view, we could see this holiday as perfectly timed, to remind us all of the importance of these values and themes in our homes, our families, and our communities. Consider the values that are important to your family at this time of year, and try to find some ways to weave these into teachings for your family. Traditions of Gratitude, for example, fit in beautifully with this time of year.

And don’t forget to have some fun together! According to FamilyEducation.com the top 10 Easter activities for families include:

Egg and Spoon Race.
Jelly Bean Guessing Games.
Read Easter and Spring Children’s Books.
Plant Flowers.
Decorate an Easter Egg Tree.
Make Chocolate Fondue.
Create Easter Crafts.
Give a Gift Basket.

Described in further detail here, you could try a variation of many of these activities in the comfort of your home or yard. Women’s Day also describes some fun Easter activities you can enjoy while practicing social distancing.

At Creating Together, we are getting ready to set you up with some really great crafts, stories, and songs to help you and your little ones celebrate. Check out our virtual program schedule, and join us the week of March 29th-April 2nd!

Certainly during this time of unprecedented unrest and upheaval to the daily routine, holding true to traditions becomes a lifeline that all of our children need now more than ever. Never underestimate the power of tradition. We hope you’ll join us!

5 Fun Ideas to Celebrate Family Day Weekend

February 13, 2021 by Melanie

Family Day is celebrated on the third Monday of every February. Though not an official national holiday, we celebrate it across the country, with family festivals and things to do. Between Valentines Day on the 14th and Family Day on the 15th, this time of year is certainly a time for us to appreciate one another.

Each year Creating Together holds a family potluck to celebrate our families. This year, we are all getting creative given the entire Greater Toronto Area is under lockdown until Feb 22.

Here are some ideas for Family Day Weekend:

Go Fishing!

OFFE is a province-wide opportunity for Canadian residents to fish Ontario licence-free. There are four periods throughout the year, the 3-day Family Day weekend in February, Mother’s day and Father’s day weekends and a full 9-days in July, which coincides with National Fishing Week. Give it a try, and fish Ontario waters near you with the kids this family day weekend!

https://www.ontario.ca/page/licence-free-family-fishing

Ice Skating

City of Toronto has 54 outdoor artificial refrigerated ice rink locations, and many of them have the season extended until March, weather permitting. General hours of operation for City-run outdoor rinks are 9:00 am to 10:00 pm, seven days a week. Check them out HERE.

Toboganning

Toboganning never gets old. Timeless, tried and true – enjoy these 50+ Places to Toboggan in Greater Toronto Area

Go for a Family Hike at a Conservation Park

Ontario is filled with unspeakable beauty – and it’s yours for the exploring. Get the hiking boots out, dress warm, and enjoy some of the natural wonders at one of these 50 Nature Attractions & Hotspots in and around GTA.

Vitual Storytime with the Stars!

Burlington Performing Arts Centre invites you to celebrate Family Day by snuggling in with our FREE virtual Storytime With the Stars! Enjoy videos of some of BPAC’s favourite artists, who have each selected a cherished children’s storybook to read to your little ones.

Happy Family Day Weekend

from Creating Together!

Whether it’s sharing food together, helping out one another around the house, spending special time together or sharing memories – we’ve come to celebrate this time of year with love, gratitude, appreciation and fun. From our families to yours, may you enjoy this time together and make it the very best that it can be!