January 27th is Family Literacy Day. Family Literacy refers to the way parents, children and extended family members use literacy at home and in their community. Engaging in literacy activities as a family improves a child’s skills and also helps adults keep their skills sharp. Did you know that in Canada, children whose parents often engage in literacy-related activities with…
Legos are a plaything most of us identify with our childhood. Those little plastic bricks were the best toys any kid could have and they provided years of enjoyment. While most of us associate the word Lego (Danish for “play well”) with childhood, a growing number of adults admit they “play well” . . . well into their thirties, forties,…
It’s that time of year again…. a new year is upon us. Which to some of us means time to start working on all those New Year’s resolutions we made. A New Year’s resolution is a promise we make to ourselves to somehow improve our lives in the coming year, they come in all forms; some people try and break…
Does your child love doing arts and crafts; are they always coming home from child care with a new work of art? As parents, we believe our child is an artist and every finger painting, macaroni collage or family portrait they make is a masterpiece and should be displayed for all to see. One problem, there is only so much…
Your children want to paint, play with playdoh or make slime and all you can think about is the mess. It may be messy but children are actually learning and developing in essential ways during arts and crafts. Bilateral Coordination– Crafts such as colouring, drawing, cutting, all require your child to use both of their hands together. This skill…
The holiday season is a time for baking and one of the seasonal favourites is gingerbread. Did you know Saturday December 12th is Gingerbread Decorating Day? What child wouldn’t love baking, building and decorating an entire gingerbread house that could then be inhabited by a colourful little gingerbread family? What is gingerbread? “Gingerbread” refers to a variety of ginger-flavoured foods.…
What is a family tradition? Family traditions are the rituals, practices and beliefs as a family that are handed down from one generation to the next. Traditions are created to strengthen families and create lasting memories. Do you have fond memories of special things your family would do together? Maybe you have carried on those traditions with your family or…
Children begin to love the sound of language before they even notice printed words on a page. Reading aloud to children will help them develop language and listening skills and understand the written word. Even once your children learn to read by themselves it is important for you to read aloud together. You can read stories that interest them but…
Felling a little under the weather? Did you know that when you are sick your body actually needs more calories to function normally? Your body needs to work harder than normal when you are sick in order to fight infection, especially with fevers. When you are sick, the last thing you want to do is eat a large meal, or…