Hi Strongstart families,

The weather this November has been rainy, cold, cloudy, at times sunny, windy, stormy and sometimes all rolled in one. It is important to remind ourselves that it so beneficial for children to spend time outside in all kinds of weather.  Here is from our community partner Anita Olson:

Being outside can help our children and ourselves feel calmer, healthier, and kinder.  Some experts have even declared time in nature an essential part of a “balanced diet” of childhood experiences due to its positive effects on children’s development and well-being (source: Heart-Mind Online and AppetiteToPlay.com). Learn more @ www.feelingsfirst.ca

What can you do to introduce outdoor play at an early age?

• Outdoor discovery. Reach up, crouch down, crawl, touch, run, and lie down in the grass to encourage outdoor interactions at a young age.
• Nature-nastics. Find a soft outdoor play space to call out different moves related to nature, such as rolling like a rock or walking like a bear.
• Scavenger Hunt. Call out things you see in your natural environment, then have your child explore their surroundings to find them.

Children learn and grow through all types of play, in all kinds of ways – from connecting with each other, to connecting with nature. Make time and space for play early and often, so your child can develop the social, emotional, mental and physical skills that are crucial for success later in life.

Today at Strongstart we made pine cone bird feeders. Here they are hanging from the tree, ready for hungry birds.

Here is what you’ll need to make a pine cone bird feeder:

For the instructions click here: https://preschoolinspirations.com/pine-cone-bird-feeders/

Please check out the information from the Early Childhood Development Table – you will find free family programing and links to registrations for this fall in Burnaby.

There many programs to choose from, make sure to take a look HERE!

Ms. Lillian

Hi StrongStart families,

I am excited to share with you information about a couple of our programs from our community partner – Information Children. They used to come regularly to our StrongStart  to answer questions – big or small and support parents.

Parent Coaching with Sally or Rahani.  Please click on this link to learn more about it: Information Children Parent Coaching (1)They have made it even easier for families to book a parent coaching session  You can now use their scheduling page to choose a time that works for them to meet over Zoom or on the phone.  This is the link to the scheduling page. The free Parent Coaching Program is open to parents and caregivers of children aged 0-12 years old. Coaching sessions can last up to 30 minutes.

Currently, availability is listed until the end of October, but this page will be updated monthly with more slots.

Online Storytime – Informatin Children is continuing to offer Online Storytime 2x a week, every Tuesday & Thursday (except on STAT holidays) from 5:30-6pm for kiddos 2-5 years old. The fabulous storyteller, Bharti reads a wide variety of books, sings songs, tells felt & puppet stories and does simple art activities with the children. This is the registration link, or you click to see more on the poster: Information_Children_Storytime_October (1)

Later on this fall, they will also be offering a Parenting the Middle Years 6-session series for families with children 8-12 years, and will also be continuing with their parent coaching and storytime programs. Information Children  website and social media accounts are also kept updated with the programs that they offer.

Dear StrongStart families,

Here is important info from our knowledgeable and lovely community partner Anita Olson.

• Purpose Society is offering a free 4 week program to help build community and connections through anti-racism using arts, crafts and culture! Program starts Oct 20th at 10-1130 AM in the New Westminster Welcome Centre (Burnaby families are welcome to join!), child minding available – if you are interested in the Building Community & Connections program please register by calling Elizabeth @ 778-727-0786 or email Elizabeth.cottam@purposesociety.org
• All kids need a strong identity as well as a sense of group belonging, but racism hurts the healthy development of both. Encourage your child to “Breathe, Feel, Share” when something stressful related to race happens. Take some deep belly breaths, feel the emotions and think of words to describe them, and share the experience with a trusted adult (source: Sesame Street). Learn more at @ www.feelingsfirst.ca
• Children learn from their parents, caregivers, community and elders. They will copy and follow adults’ actions, including how to interact with others. Caregivers and parents are very influential as they help kids understand this complicated, flawed and often unfair world. Your words and actions matter. Here are some ideas on how to talk about race, racism and anti-racism with preschoolers. Learn more @ www.feelingsfirst.ca.
• Visit your public library, borrow and read books about different people and cultures like this book by Todd Parr: “It’s Okay to Be Different”, published by Little Brown Book for Young Readers. (This is my little add-on).

What you can do to discuss racial equality with young children:

• Don’t be afraid to talk about differences. “Did you know that people are born with different skin colours?”
• Share how biases make you feel and why. “It makes me sad that rules allow certain groups of people to be treated differently.”
• Frame things as fair and unfair. “This book included white inventors. That’s unfair because _______ invented things too.”
• Distinguish between different and weird. “Just because something is different, doesn’t mean it’s weird. Differences should be celebrated!”
• Respect and encourage your child’s curiosity. “That is a good question…I don’t know the answer, but let’s learn together.”

Meet me in the Park! Free one-on-one consultations at your favorite Burnaby Park with me, Anita. Ask your questions, concerns and curiosity about your 0-5 year old child’s development, behaviour, child – caregiver relationship, effective strategies, and parenting information. Call/text or email Anita 604-723-9548 or email aolson@fsgv.ca to set up an appointment. Virtual appointments are also available! 

Anita Olson – Early Childhood Community Consultant (ECCC) – supporting parents/caregivers with children ages 0-5 years old.

Take care of yourself and each other,

Ms. Lillian

Dear StrongStart Families,

What a year this was! The year was stressful, challenging and a real rollercoaster of emotions for us all.  Now, as we close the center for the summer, I look back and fondly remember all my StrongStart families, hoping this finds you healthy and well. I remember our times together, recent, and not so recent. I appreciate your trust and the relationship we have formed and partnership in teaching your children together.  It has been my privilege to support your family and delight in watching your children grow inch by inch and milestone by milestone!

As I remember this year, I appreciate re-connecting with many of you for our fun in-person visits and on Zoom for our Storytimes or Learning Together. With some of you we only talked by phone or exchanged e-mails, but there was always joy in connecting, and I hope to see you back in person in the fall!

As is everybody, we are hopeful about gradually returning to normal! We do not know details yet about our re-opening in September, but we will find out more from the Ministry of Education sometime in August. In the third week of August the StrongStart registration link will be posted here: https://burnabyschools.ca/strongstart/ for everybody (new or previously registered families). As you all know, our school district is tirelessly working to support our children and community. Please stay connected with the Burnaby School website for updates about StrongStart. There will be more resources posted for you there as well.

I just wanted to pass along some summer activities over to you to enjoy together over the summer:

• A list of simple things to do in Burnaby over the summer (put together by the Burnaby Public Library – please click on the following link) SRC summer challenge final
• Burnaby Family Life is hosting “Together at the Park” – activities at different parks, on different days and times throughout the summer. Registration is required. Here’s the link for all the locations, times, and registration – https://bflgrowscommunity.org/together-at-the-park

Enjoy the summer and I hope you and your loved ones stay healthy and safe!

Much love to all,

Ms. Lillian

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Play Toolkit for Parents and Practitioners

Dear StrongStart families,

Children  have always enjoyed playing with dirt, sand and mud.  It is a joyful sensory experience! It is messy play and sometimes children are discouraged from playing this way by adults for that very reason.  Children will, when allowed,  happily get dirty and messy and spend their time digging, squeezing, splashing, cooking with mud and making mud pies and mud soups.

It is fun but is it learning, is it beneficial for children’s development? Rest assured – it is! Because it is so important for their learning and development, many early learning programs have started incorporating more playing outside in nature, sensory explorations of dirt and mud and “Mud kitchens”. This type of play enhances children’s learning about world around them and nature through their senses, encourages creativity, builds problem-solving skills, promotes physical development and also benefits their social and emotional development.

I encourage you to try: dress your children for messy play, provide some some dirt and water, perhaps some old dishes and spoons and let the learning and fun start! Make sure there is an easy way for them to wash hands thoroughly after they are done.  If they are playing outside with dirt: check for safety (no animal waste, chemicals, no sharp or abrasive objects) and set a clear boundaries around where they can and can’t dig.

Here are several pictures of a fun day in StrongStart playing with water and dirt in our pop-up mud kitchen. We added freshly cut grass and some sticks, chestnuts and pine cones.

D. was cooking up a storm, first meat balls then he gave grandma a taste of his mushrooms.

Playing with water in nature creates mud in dirt as N. discovered: Look, I made mud by myself!

To find out why playing with dirt and mud is beneficial for children in all areas of child development and for some ideas for mud play read here:

handsonaswegrow.com/10-benefits-mud-play/
https://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/2016/the-benefits-of-mud-play

https://www.healthline.com/health/childrens-health/mud-play

Ms. Lillian