Family Resource Centre

  • Home
  • About
    • Our History
    • The Team
    • Board of Directors
    • Supporters
    • Testimonials
  • Programs
  • Guidelines
    • Program Guidelines
    • Health Policy
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Calendar
  • Blog
  • Donate
  • Resources
  • Contact

Water Sensory Play

February 16, 2019 by Creating Together

This month’s information sessions helped parents and caregivers understand the benefits of water sensory play, and how to encourage this kind of play with children. Below are some tips from staff at Creating Together, which were shared with families this month:

WHERE: You can provide opportunities for your child to play with water in the bath, in the kitchen sink, in a washing up bowl or a baby’s bath, weather permitting, in a paddling pool or bins with water.

PREPARE FOR A MESS: This type of play is likely to lead to some mess, but your child should not feel under pressure to keep dry or not make a mess. It is better to try to encourage children to limit the mess and for them to help clean up afterwards.

THE VALUE OF SENSORY PLAY: Sensory play is a valuable part of quality early childhood programs. Children are provided with sensory materials used to enhance their senses of touch, sight, taste, smell, and hearing. The use of sensory materials allows children the opportunity for hands-on and self-directed play to encourage the development of fine / gross motor skills, creativity, self-esteem, social development, and cognitive development.

A FEW THINGS CHILDREN LEARN WHEN PLAYING WITH WATER:

  • To improve their skill at pouring by developing their arm and hand muscles
  • How water behaves when you pour it from one container to another
  • How water feels and that it can be squirted
  • Objects either float or sink
  • That containers hold the most or the least
  • That water leaks from containers with holes
  • Eye-hand co-ordination

The staff at Creating Together are trained in helping children achieve indicators of success in a number of key areas of development. While many of these were shared in our information session this month, we wanted to include them here so you can be more informed when playing with your child, so you too can encourage their development and success!

  • Fine Motor – holding objects with hand.
  • Coordination – holding and transferring object from hand to hand; manipulating small objects with improved coordination.
  • Autonomy – initiating activities.
  • Tactile – tracking moving objects with eyes; touching, rubbing, squeezing.
  • Words with Gesture – speaking with words and gesture.
  • Vocabulary – repeating words.

Moving forward, we hope you’ll take the dive and explore the benefits of water play with your children!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: How does learning happen, information session, parenting tips

Building Blocks With Your Child

November 9, 2018 by Creating Together

 

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!

Filed Under: Special Activities, Tips and Tools Tagged With: Block Play, child development, How does learning happen

About Us

Our Programs

Guidelines

Resources

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.
Learn more »

Now Open for In-Person Program!

Sign up to receive our monthly calendar

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

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 »

Contact Us

Creating Together
1342 Queen Street West
Phone: (416) 537-1004
Send us a message online »

Charitable Registration Number:
12947 6248 RR0001
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2025 Creating Together · Log in