Join Us June 13th, for the annual Discovery Fun Fair

Discovery Fun Fair is two weeks away! Lots of fun for everyone: Jumping castle, Clarabella the clown, BBQ dinner, snow cones, carnival games, face painting, Taekwondo Demonstration, silent auction, vendors and so much more! Everyone welcome. We hope you can join us:

Thursday June 13th, 6-8pm, Discovery-Harvie Road playground.

http://www.discoverychild.on.ca/

Call for Tickets ! 705-733-2052

Our Team at Fill The Beetle - for the Barrie Food Bank, May 25th, 2013

On Saturday, May 25th, Discovery Child Care Centre participated in the Best Western Hotel’s 2nd Annual Fill the Beetle Event. Staff donated their time to come out and collect food for the Barrie Food Bank. The centres collected food throughout the month of May and by the time the event rolled around, we had already filled our beetle!!! Discovery raised 680 pounds of food for the Food Bank!! Together with the other companies at the event, we raised 3762 pounds of food and collected $520 in cash donations!! Thank you to everyone who donated food for this worthy event. We couldn’t have done it without you!

A Pirate Garden and Other Gardening Ideas for Kids

Kidsgardening.org is a website devoted to teaching children about gardening, both in school programs and by offering fun ideas and projects for at home. As we are just over the May 24th threat of frost in central Ontario, many families in our community are starting gardening projects. Here are some ideas and advice about creating a fun, safe, plant-friendly garden for kids.

A Pirate's Garden - by Sarah Pounders
Ahoy Matey! Are you looking for a fun and engaging way to capture a child’s attention outdoors? Dare to walk the plank and plant a Pirate’s Garden! We love themed plantings as much as any kid, so when educator Carrie Ann Smith shared the idea of a Pirate’s Garden with us, we just had to pass it along. Here are some elements to include so that even the most reluctant swashbuckler will come running to the garden:
Treasure: Plant a pot of gold. Find an old wooden box, drill a few holes at the bottom, fill with soil, and then plant yellow blooming plants like marigolds or calendula.
Ship or Hideout: A bean tepee can represent a pirate ship or hideout. To build a bean tepee you will need some long supporting pieces, and a method of attaching them at the top, tepee-style. There are kits available to purchase commercially, usually using bamboo poles and a plastic connector ring. Or, you can easily build your own by lashing together some straight tree branches that are about eight or nine feet long, top with a pirate flag, and let the fast growing runner beans cover the structure.

read this article..

Planting a Child Friendly Garden -National Gardening Association
Gardeners love to share their interest in gardening, and sharing with their children can be particularly rewarding. Even 2- and 3-year-olds can help plant their own little patch, and watch as life unfolds around them. Here are some suggestions for making gardening enjoyable -- and safe -- for young children.

read this article..

Discovery Child Care Teachers Complete Incredible Years Training

Congratulations to Katie, Trish, Kass and Michelle H. for completing the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management Training Series! The teachers participated in a 6 week course with other RECE's and Child Care Assistants to better develop their skills as teachers. They showed great dedication and commitment to their classrooms and to the children. They were a part of in depth group discussions, homework and self-reflection. Way to go ladies!! :)

Learning in a Nature Explore Classroom

Here is the beautifully written introduction to a white paper, Young Children Learn Through Authentic Play in a Nature Explore Classroom. It contains the research into this subject by Dimensions Early Education Programs located in Lincoln, New England, USA. It is a fascinating, well documented study. At the bottom of the blog post is a link to the PDF.

"Once upon a time, in the not so distant past, many children left the adult world on a daily basis and entered an outdoor world filled with fantasy and improvisation. They played alone, in pairs, or in groups. Using sticks, branches, logs, sand, dirt, water and other natural materials they build forts, castles, houses, ships, rockets - some were large scale models while others were miniatures. As they ran, jumped, dug, climbed, threw, slid, twirled and whirled, their imaginations took them across the

prairie in covered wagons, up the tallest mountains, into outer space and high sea adventures. ..These children were immersed in authentic play, play that engaged them, mentally, physically, socially, and emotionally...

Extensive research has documented the powerful role of play in children's development and the importance of getting children outdoors. Yet, in today's culture both play and time in nature have become endangered species. Richard Louv's well known book, Last Child in the Woods describes the growing phenomenon he labeled 'nature deficit disorder.'"

source: Young Children Learn Through Authentic Play in a Nature Explore Classroom
whitepaper based on Research Conducted at Dimensions Early Education Programs Lincoln New England USA

At Discovery Child Care, in Barrie Ontario, we believe in the importance of connecting children with nature. Contact Us to find out more about our eco-friendly child care facility and our nature programs.