Fall at the Early Years

Welcome to Fall. The Early Years Centres are open weekly Mondays to Thursdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Fridays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Dr. Hanna Location only Saturdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Since summer is officially over, many of our regular programs have returned to the Early Years Centres. Be sure to check out our October calendar to be updated on the schedule changes.

If you visit the Dr. Hanna location you will see Chelsey. Chelsey is enjoying her new role at the Centre and meeting all of you that visit.

At the Scott location you will meet Laura who has been at the Centre for over a year and enjoys the work she does with all the families that she meets throughout her day. You will also see Jessica three times a week at the Scott location. She is employed with Catholic Family Services and is bringing a variety of programs to the Scott location. Be sure to check out the calendar and pre-register for her programs if interested.

Visit Linda at Miller who has vast daycare experience and has created a warm and calm atmosphere to play and work in.

Lynn is very passionate about Triple P and the other programs she offers families in and around the Early Years Family Centres. Lynn firmly believes that, "an ounce of prevention, is worth a pound of cure!"

You may also see Danica on one of your visits. She will be in and out of the centres for the next few months and then will be facilitating the Triple P program as well.

A huge thank you to Lynda who makes it all happen for our centres as the Site Developer.

Be sure to check out our October calendar and drop-in for a play to see each centres new Fall looks!

Laura Bieber

   

Tim Horton's Smile Cookie Program

We are thrilled to share that the Early Years Family Centres have been selected as the recipient of the Regina Tim Horton's Smile Cookie Program this month.  The program runs Sept 14th to 20th and 100% of the cookie sales will be directed to the EYFC.  These funds will help us continue to offer drop-in and scheduled programs at our three wonderful spaces for the children and families in our community.  You may or may not know that  we currently operate on short term grants and projects dollars as well as in-kind support from several organizations so fundraising opportunities like this are essential to our future.   I would invite you to consider how you might be able to support this campaign - perhaps a treat for yourself, treats for a meeting you have planned during that time, sharing this news with others. 

Laura Bieber 

August Sensory Make and Take

The August Sensory Make and Take was a four week pre-registered program that provided parents insight on how easy making child activities can be with things you most likely have around home. No need buy expensive toys!

Week One - Jello Hunt 

Follow directions on back of Jello box. Use little bowls/containers, put a candy or toy at the bottom and fill with Jello until covered.  I used gummy worms.   Put in the fridge and let it set. Then have fun finding the hidden treasures. 

Week Two - Flubber 

In a big bowl:

2 cups - Elmers glue
2 cups - water
Couple drops of food colouring or water colour

In a smaller bowl:
1/2 cup - Borax
2 cups - boiling water
Stir slowly, letting all the Borax dissolve. This is a good way to practice patience.

Once Borax is dissolved pour into the big bowl.
Slowly stir and the mixture will start to clump together.
You may need to use your hands to finish mixing the water with the glue. Be careful as the water can still be hot.
Once most of the water is mixed with the glue it is done.

Week Three - Sidewalk Chalk Paint 

1/2 cup - cornstarch

1/2 cup - water
1 Tbsp - tempera paint

Optional - a squirt of dish soap for a greater washability

Stir well and have fun creating! 

Week Four - Edible Finger Paint

There are several ways to make non-toxic edible finger paint. We chose to use shaving cream and water colour. 

Squirt the desired amount of shaving cream into a bowl.  We used glass jars with lids so it was easier to take home.  However, I would not recommend this as it was much harder to mix. Squirt a couple drops of food colouring/water colour on the shaving cream.  We used water colour as it doesn't stain. 

Mix well. 

This paint can be used on paper. Also is great in the bathtub making clean up easy! 

Sad you missed this program? No need to worry – another Make and Take program using household items such as popsicle sticks, paper plates, paper bags, etc. will be back in September with some new and different ideas. Call Laura at Scott (306) 523-3512 to register.

Laura Bieber

Best Flubber Recipe Ever!

Today we experimented with this flubber recipe.

This is what we found worked best:

In a big bowl:
2 cups Elmers glue
2 cups of water
Couple drops of food colouring or water colour

In a smaller bowl:
1/2 cup Borax
2 cups boiling water
Stir slowly, letting all the Borax dissolve. This is a good way to practice patience.

Once Borax is dissolved pour into the big bowl.
Slowly stir and it will start to clump together.
You may need to use your hands to finish mixing the water with the glue. Careful as the water can still be hot.
Once most of the water is mixed with the glue- It is done.

Once done it is fun to make "Flubber bubbles" or put in a strainer and let it ooze out of the holes and cute with scissors. This is endless fun!

Laura

Literacy Development

As your child's first and most important teacher, the role you have in your child's perception and love of reading is crucial. Reading each day with your child and having your child see you read are great ways to model the importance and love for reading.

The time shared with a book should be fun, enjoyable and as long as your child shows interest. From birth it is possible to make books available by borrowing from the library and visiting one of our  centres that have a wonderful collection of books.

You may notice that your child wants to read the same story repeatedly and speaks about the same parts in the same way. Children learn through repetition so allow your child to hear the story over and over. If you get tired of just reading the story, try retelling the story through dramatic play or representing the stories events through a drawing or painting.

As your young child grows into a preschooler, begin to point to words as you say them to demonstrate that the print carries meaning and is related to the words you are saying. Notice the pictures on the page and encourage your child to "read" the book on their own.

Jada

Child Directed Play

Child directed play is allowing the child to choose how they will spend their time playing. The parents' or teachers' role is to provide interest centres with age and developmental appropriateness taking safety precautions when setting up the play environment. The space should function with choice so the child feels control over their choices. When children are empowered in their learning, they are more likely to cooperate and explore within the boundaries set.

The children's role is to freely explore and take risks when appropriate to enhance their learning. The adult involved may choose to set expectations of their child and how the materials are to be used. For example, when a mess happens (which it may) we all help clean up. If we become frustrated with the materials or our friends, we take a breath and a break, we wouldn't throw the items or hit.

•   Listen to the cues from your child for when to interject 

•   Communicate with your child to expand their vocabulary and language

•   Observe how your child is using the materials and take opportunities to suggest further exploration

•   Add, minimize or alter as you see fit from your observations and interactions

•   Document your child's play by writing about what they are doing and take pictures of them playing (this allows for opportunities for language opportunities for retelling about their play)

Development relies on the collaborative effort in play between parent and child. By taking the time to observe and listen to your child you will then be able to artfully direct their play for the most effective and productive play.

If you have any questions about child-directed play please speak to one of our facilitators at any three of our centres.

Chalk Paint Recipe

Summer is such a great time to get creative and messy in the great outdoors!
One weekend my children and I explored with cornstarch, water and tempera paint.

We mixed equal parts water and cornstarch, then added a blob of paint, stirred the mixture until we had a vibrant colour and smooth consistency.

The paints were beautiful to work with. My children decorated the sidewalk, rocks, made a hopscotch and played math games until the paint was gone.

Recipe:

1/2 cup of cornstarch
1/2 cup of water
Tbsp of tempera paint

Optional - a squirt of dish soap for a greater washability

Stir well and have fun!

Visit Laura at the Scott location on August 21 for a chance to make chalk paint to take home. Call (306) 523-3512 to register for any of the " Sensory Make and Take" programs during August!

Jada Fiissel

Jada has a Bachelor of Education, has completed her Yoga Teacher Training (300-hours) and a specialization in children’s yoga. She continues to deepen her own understanding through a dedicated practice and teaches adult and Kid’s Yoga throughout the city and incorporates yoga and the teachings in her daily family life.