Sensory play has been proven to be beneficial for children of all ages. This type of play encourages the development of motor skills, problem-solving and language. Sensory exploration also encourages mindfulness and has calming benefits.

Loose parts play encourages creative and critical thinking in children of all ages by providing them the opportunity to use their imagination and experiment with new ideas freely. By not directing children on how to use the loose parts provided, educators create endless possibilities and invite creativity.

As children navigate changes in their lives at home, in their families, and in their schools, feelings of worry, anticipation, and excitement will be brought into classrooms and early learning centres. The ECCDC offers educators a variety of resources to help support children with emotional regulation, including resources which offer the opportunity to create safe spaces for calming down and the practice of mindfulness.

Dramatic play is an essential part of early childhood education development. Not only is dramatic play fun for children, but it also supports a number of skills needed for adult life such as social and emotional skills, language, empathy, and more. Featured below are a few of the many resources the ECCDC offers to bring Dramatic Play to life within your early learning environment.

Block and Construction play is an open-ended, creative and beneficial play learning experience for children. The opportunities for block and construction play are endless. Check out some resources the ECCDC offers to extend block and construction play in your early learning environment.

The transition back to early learning programs, school, or starting them for the first time can be challenging for children, families, and educators. Many feelings may arise such as fear, uncertainty, anxiety, etc. The ECCDC lending library offers resources that can help educators, children, and their families with transitioning back. We invite you to check out the provocation for learning kits below.

Birdwatching with children is a great outdoor experience. Children will love seeing the variety of birds in their early learning environment all while exploring the natural world around them. Building from children's natural curiosity will help extend these learning experiences and perhaps even create a lifelong hobby for the children beyond the early years.

With the warmer weather here, children and their families have begun enjoying the summer sunshine! It's a time of exploration and the discovery of summer critters and crawlers. Below we have shared some resources that the ECCDC offers which provide children with the opportunity to further investigate the summer season creatures.

Spring is that time of year when things start to feel new and fresh so what better time to share with you some of the new resources that the ECCDC has to offer through our Resource Lending Library and our E-store. We are always working on developing new resources so if there is something new you would like to see offered for borrowing through the library or an item to purchase through E-store, we would be pleased to hear from you. Click here to send your ideas to the ECCDC.

As we are navigating through the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, there are a lot of conversations happening about the effects on our mental health and wellness and that of the children in our care. We do not yet know the extent of them, but we can certainly offer opportunities to explore concepts such as mindfulness, relaxation, empathy, and resilience, which will provide us with the tools we need to support the families and children we work with.