11 Ideas for the Holidays

***While this post is a little early, this blog takes quite some time to research and update each week. As a result, I will be taking a pause from this blog for the next little while. I appreciate your understanding!***




I do hope this gives you some ideas for our holiday season!

1. Visit Downey's Farm! It is local and contains a variety of seasonal activities (weather dependent). Always a great way to spend an afternoon or weekend.

2. Try Public Skating. It is available at our local arenas, or if you are brave enough, Gage Park too!

3. Keep a picture journal of your holidays. Have your child draw a picture of all the exciting things they are doing! Encourage them to write in their journal-- this might be scribbles, letters, labels or sentences-- depending where they are.

4. Do some holiday baking! Baking is a math activity and promotes responsibility, science and teaches procedures.

5. Snuggle up with a book. Try reading a story and talking about some of the interesting pictures. Remember our local library might have different hours for the holidays.

6. While at the library, look and see what exciting activities your family might want to engage in.

7. Go for a community walk (and if you are lucky, go sledding!). While going for a walk, comment on changes you see in the neighbourhood.

8. Draw in the snow-- with food colouring! Simply fill a spray bottle with coloured water and draw pictures, letters and shapes in the snow.

9. Have free creative time. Allowing your child to explore their creativity without a set expectation about what will occur opens their minds to all sorts of possibilities!

10. See what Michael's has in store. Often they offer quick, drop in crafts during the holidays.

11. Play a board game, such as snakes and ladders or candy land. This promotes mathematical knowledge, turn taking, and language acquisition. Has the game become too easy? Use two die and have your child add both die together.

Happy Diwali!

*** EDIT***  If there is a holiday you celebrate at home, that you would like to help us celebrate at school, please feel free to help us find ways to celebrate! We respect all cultural and religious backgrounds and would love to learn more about a celebration that is coming up and important in your family.



Today was our Diwali celebration! Yesterday we learned a song about Diwali and painted diyas. Today we saw a short video about Diwali, talked about how people celebrate (I hear a few people watch fireworks in Brampton!), and sang our song. As Mrs. Saini was away today, celebrating Diwali with her family, we will also be creating our very own rangoli designs tomorrow with coloured salt.

Some of the diyas as the paint dried.

 If you are interested in seeing the video we watched (it was great!) it is here. You can skip the puzzle and go right to the "start" button.


In other news, it looks like we have some realism painters among us. Miss. Biasuitti brought us a poinsettia and look at the beautiful drawings that emerged!

Painting the red leaves by studying their shapes.

This friend was looking at how the red petals and green leaves blended together in the plant.