Home away from home

From the Bowling Green Toddler Room:

You may have noticed that we’ve been going through a few changes in our room lately.  We’ve moved a couple of things around, bought new furniture, used different materials in different ways but all with a purpose in mind.

After our visit to Hilltop we’ve sat down as a team and have had many discussions about our program and we’ve been inspired to change our environment and have it reflect and honour the children, the families, and educators of our program.

As a whole, we love the idea of providing a “home away from home” for the children and families, as well as the educators.

While picking up Matthew, Maja and Melanie engaged in a conversation that led Melanie to express to Maja how we’ve wanted to plant more trees and flowers in our yard.  To Melanie’s surprise, Maja mentioned that they were landscaping their home and had many flowers and plants they were getting rid of and offered to bring them in for us.  Melanie was ecstatic and told us the exciting news later that afternoon.  The following day, Melanie went over to Matthew’s house to help dig up the plants and flowers that Matthew and his family were giving to us.

When Melanie arrived at the center with the plants and the flowers, the children were immediately curious and wanted to take part in what was happening.  They asked many questions about what these things were that Melanie was bringing in and what we were going to do with them.  Melanie went on to explain that these plants and flowers were from Matthew and his family and that she had gone to his home to help bring them to the center.  When she asked the children if they wanted to help plant the different items the children answered with an excited “Yes!” including Matthew.

We are so grateful to Matthew and his family for sharing something from their home with us.  Bringing something from home is always special to the children.  Whatever it is they bring, they always want to show everyone and talk to everyone about it.  This special item they bring, whatever it may be, is a connection to their home life in which most cases provides a sense of comfort for the children along with belonging while being away from home.

This led us all to think it would be great if every child and their family picked an item they would like to donate to the program (for example a basket, blanket, pillow, lamp, etc.) that’s meaningful both to the child and their family and have it be a part of our classroom?

We would love to have all of these different and personal items to create a place that feels like home to each child and family.  I believe it will encourage the children to continue to thrive and feel a sense of well-being and belonging when they come in.

Having a place that they can truly call their own by sharing a piece of their home with us, is the beginning of a family oriented place we would love to have and share together in our room.

We’re really excited and looking forward to having our families be a part of this meaningful experience in the near future.

Making Friends with Leaves

I spent a delightful morning At Terra Nova Children's Centre. 

Officially I was there to observe an ECE Practicum student but I got so involved with the children and their play and art.  I ended up having a great time in conversation with our artists and scientists.

Thanks to my student for presenting a great activity and to the children for their boundless curiosity and creativity.

Beautiful presentation of leaves for exploration

Matching green leaves to green paint chips takes careful observation

An unexpected moment of wonder when light refracted through the magnifying glass

Taking the work seriously and with deep concentration

One child chose to sort all the leaves on the art table

Beautiful art presentation

A carefully constructed art installation

This child made her own leaf....she cut it out herself

She really wanted me to see the lines of the leaf

Art and science collided for a wonderful, peaceful morning of discovery.

West Cambie Waitlist

We have contacted everyone on our current waitlists and offered them priority on the West Cambie Waitlist for a projected September 1, 2013 opening.

The general public may start waitlisting now on our website and by clicking on the West Cambie button.

More information regarding an Open House will be posted here once we have a confirmed opening date.

Please contact info@richmondchildcare.org if you have any questions.

One step closer to new child care spaces for Richmond!

West Cambie Children's Centre Ribbon Cutting

You may have read THIS article in the Richmond News today.

We need to correct the information that while the child care centre is substantially completed it is NOT finished, is NOT opening now and we do NOT yet have an opening date.

At the moment the Developer is completing the interior, the City is reviewing the requirements for occupancy, cubbies and playgrounds need to be installed, and a license has to be granted to operate.

These activities will take another couple of months at least.

We are still hopeful it will be open this Summer (2013) but it looks to be closer to September at this point.

April 11, 2013

As soon as a date is confirmed we will open the waitlist.  Until then we suggest you get on the SRCC waitlist as those on it will be given priority for the new spaces at West Cambie (12 infant/12 toddler/25 3-5's and preschool to start - Out-of-school care may start later).

Please call Nicky 604-214-3490 if you have any questions on the development.

For waitlist please call Jennifer at 604-231-0870

Block Play

Unit Blocks Turn 100!
REPOSTED FORM EXCHANGE EVERYDAYMarch 13, 2013

Arriving at one goal is the starting point to another.
-John Dewey

Community Playthings has observed that 2013 marks the unit block’s 100th birthday:

"In 1913, Caroline Pratt was a young teacher working in Manhattan. Having grown up on a farm, she understood about hands-on learning. But she realized that city children were deprived of much of the practical know-how that seemed natural to country kids. This concern, coupled with inspiration from the Froebel course she’d just completed, led Pratt to design the Unit Block. Its mathematical proportions and open-ended nature blend perfectly with Froebel’s philosophy.

"Because there is no 'correct' use of blocks, children have no fear of failure. Imagination guides their play, and each experiment encourages the next. While observing block play, adults can almost hear a child’s thoughts! Block play allows children to re present ideas in concrete ways — preparing their minds for more abstract forms of symbolism, such as written language. Block play supports knowledge and understanding of the world as children create miniature environments and experiment with concepts like design, symmetry, and balance. Architect Frank Lloyd Wright attributed his success to an early love of block play."

What is Play?

ExchangeEveryDay
February 26, 2013

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
-Eleanor Roosevelt

"Historically, play has been viewed as a frivolous break from important endeavors like working and learning when, in fact, a child’s ability to fully and freely engage in play is essential to their learning, productivity, and overall development," observe Steve Gross and Rebecca Cornelli Sanderson in their article, "Play is the Way," in the Beginnings section of the September/October 2012 Exchange magazine. They continue:

"A natural drive to play is universal across all young mammals. Children from every society on earth spend time playing. Why? Because play is a crucial vehicle for exploring and learning, developing new skills, and connecting with others. From an infant’s first smile to a preschooler’s careful construction of a tower, children use play to engage with and learn about their world. Play has key neurological, cognitive, socio-emotional, and physiological benefits for children’s health. Most importantly, play is the way in which children form loving, trusting relationships.

"People often think of play in terms of specific ‘play activities’ such as tag, soccer, or playing in the sandbox. In contrast, they think of work in terms of activities like raking leaves, cooking, cleaning, or doing homework. It is our belief that any activity, as long as it is done with a playful approach, is play. In other words, it’s not about what you do, it’s about how you do it.  Playfulness is the expression of our natural drive to freely and joyfully explore, engage, and connect with the surrounding world."

Ig's done!

What took .......

400 4l milk cartons
30 enthusiastic children
5 dedicated teachers
30 milk chugging families
2 months

????????????

Introducing the Igloo