On March 20th better known as “Absolutely Incredible Kids Day” the Tod squad celebrated with a dance party and lots of fun activities, including, making some delicious cookies. But we know that our toddlers are incredible every single day, so we wanted to highlight just how awesome they are every day! We have been busy working on developing our self-help and independent skills, which include getting dressed for outdoor time. Though this process takes lots and lots of practice, patience and effort on everyone’s part, many of our toddlers are working at mastering the art of putting on their snowsuits, one step at a time all by themselves. And all of their efforts are paying off as they can say proudly, “I did it!” They have also had great success in putting on their own shoes which gives them a great sense of pride. Through role playing, our friends also practice dressing the baby dolls, as they would dress themselves too starting from head to toe. Self-help skills not only include physical skills such as getting dressed or washing your hands but they also include mental and emotional skills that span from such things as potty training to showing kindness towards others and fostering relationships with our peers. Outside we encourage the children to pull their sleds up the hill by grasping onto the handle or rope. With great determination and perseverance some of our older toddlers have done a great job at maneuvering their bodies, all while keeping their balance and towing their sleds behind them. Once they reach the top all that effort and hard work shine on their faces with big smiles and an I can do it attitude! Throughout the day many experiences and activities are provided for the toddlers to explore and participate in allowing them to exercise their sense of wonder and inquiry. One activity that the tod squad particularly enjoyed was exploring with the flashlights and fibre optic lights. This activity allowed for them to investigate and explore with colours, shadows, shapes, cause and effect as well as spatial awareness, making those connections through hands-on experiences. Bubble play is another fun activity that the toddlers enjoy participating in. This activity helps to strengthen the muscles in their mouth and jaw for speech development, while also mindfulness and focus. Our toddlers are really a great bunch of absolutely incredible kids and it’s a pleasure watching them shine in their own individual spotlights.
