Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Mother Goose Day! Read a Mother Goose book. Make a paper plate goose. Sing your favourite nursery rhymes while in the car or playing at home. Bird Day!Go for a nature walk, listen and […]
Focus on Education
Best backyard science experiments to try this summer
One way to minimize the impact of the summer brain drain is to plan educational activities like science experiments with your kids. As an added bonus, the great weather allows you to take experiments outdoors, opening up a whole world […]
Avoiding summer ‘brain drain’
With school soon letting out, teachers, administrators, and parents will be thinking about summer “brain drain,” also known as summer learning loss. Many studies show that there can be a significant regression in a child’s academic skills during the 10-week break from the classroom. Elaine Tan Comeau, a Canadian […]
‘Information leads to enlightenment – we should not be fearful of that’
Cathy Coote remembers the sex talk she received from her parents as “very awkward.” She wants to approach it differently and more openly with her own children, with ongoing discourse as questions arise. “I want my children to feel that they can come […]
Kids who read succeed – How to choose the best books for your child
Children’s reading interests and needs change as they grow. As you help your child choose good books, here are some basic things to look for: Choosing a book for a baby Cloth, board or washable books Books with different textures Pictures of […]
For the love of math
5 ways to get kids pumped about this crucial subject Many of us grew up hating math class or believing we aren’t good at math. And we may subconsciously be passing our biases to our children. Math skills are required to function in today’s […]
5 ways technology is impacting education
Today’s kids are growing up with a vast array of technologies at their fingertips – particularly those at schools with forward-thinking, tech-savvy philosophies. Parenting Times made a recent visit to St. Andrew Catholic School in Ottawa to chat with educators […]
Mining mad coding skills from Minecraft
Leslie Foster explains how the wildly popular video game can teach your kids all about computer science and programming. If you have a tween or teen in your house, you more than likely hear a lot about Minecraft — possibly […]
‘We have to change the way we’re looking at these beautiful, autistic children’
Mother and author Kristine Barnett, whose teenaged son Jacob was diagnosed with severe autism and now considered one of the world’s most promising physicists, is fighting to change perceptions and misconceptions about children on the autism spectrum. She spoke with Sonia […]
‘Theatre breeds kindness and empathy’
Ten-year-old Lauren Jane Hudson reflected on her tentative entry into classes at OYP Theatre School five years ago. “On the first day when I walked in, I was very shy and I didn’t really interact with anybody,” said Hudson. “Then […]