Kids & Company Blog: Play & Activities

Posted on: Thursday February 21st, 2013

Posted by: Victoria Sopik

We’ve always encouraged our children to take part in as many activities as they would like to. This of course has never got in the way of school work and we’ve ensured that their schedules still left time for homework and some down time. Our boys have all played football, baseball, rugby, hockey and skied and… [read more]

Posted on: Thursday January 31st, 2013

Posted by: Victoria Sopik

Over the years, I have gone on countless trips with my family: weekends to the cottage, weeks away at all-inclusive resorts, and even the dreaded twenty-eight-hour-drive down to Florida for March Break. My children are in their teens and older now, but I have definitely learned a lot over the last twenty-seven years of planes,… [read more]

Posted on: Tuesday January 22nd, 2013

Posted by: Victoria Sopik

Up until now, we’ve been spoiled in Ontario with such a mild winter, but it hasn’t always been this way… And I’m sure many other provinces and cities are not as lucky as we’ve been. We have always battled the frigid winter months with family skiing. We started skiing as a family when our eldest was 3… [read more]

Posted on: Tuesday November 6th, 2012

Posted by: Victoria Sopik

When my children were younger, Halloween was one of their most anticipated holidays. From carving pumpkins, to making costumes and painting faces, we always had a fantastic time. Come Halloween night, I would usually volunteer to stay home with the youngest and hand out candy to the adorable trick-or-treaters, and my husband would take my brood around the neighbourhood to fill their pillowcases with treats. As much as my kids loved candy, I did my best to ensure that they did not overload on sugar. After they returned with their loot, we would sort through the piles to make sure everything was safe to eat. I would usually allow my kids to indulge on that first night, and their consumption was much more controlled in the days to follow.

Posted on: Wednesday May 9th, 2012

Posted by: Victoria Sopik

In March 2012, The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) and ParticipACTION released fitness and activity guidelines for 1-5 year olds. The great news is that children in Kids & Company centres meet or exceed the recommended activity level with several periods of indoor and outdoor playtime. As we discussed these guidelines, our conversations jumpstarted a plan to make sure our kids were experiencing multiple types of movements – like stability, locomotoion and object control – in a way that was fun, fresh, non-competitive and consistent. We also want to provide parents with resources to transition from preschool play to activities at home.

Posted on: Tuesday December 20th, 2011

Posted by: Victoria Sopik

As many of you might already know, we have implemented some great computers in each of our centres. The computers are encased in beautiful Little Tikes work stations along with some great Canadian-made software from Kutoka.

These computers are intended to enhance your child’s learning and introduce them to different learning styles. As all children learn differently, this software is intended to promote co-operation, problem-solving and independent learning skills. Focusing on early literacy skills, science, math and co-operation this programming is self-correcting with immediate feedback for the children.

Posted on: Wednesday September 28th, 2011

Posted by: Kids & Company

The list of potential disorders and neuroses our kids can develop keeps growing longer. It seems increasingly unlikely that any child will have a “normal” childhood, whatever “normal” means these days.

Over the past decade, more children are getting diagnosed with attention deficit disorders, eating disorders, substance abuse disorders, and mood disorders like depression and anxiety at younger and younger ages, but what is the root cause of all these afflictions?

Posted on: Thursday July 14th, 2011

Posted by: Victoria Sopik

Summer is well underway and I hope that everyone enjoyed the first long weekend of the season. Along with the beautiful weather comes lots of water-related activities and as I was driving home from our cottage this last long weekend, I was astounded to hear about the high number of recent tragic lake drowning accidents. This reminded me of one of my own very sad childhood memories. When I was about five years old, my neighbour’s baby (he was about 1 year old) fell into a small puddle of water on their driveway and drowned. This tragic accident was not only terrible for the family but the entire neighbourhood.

Posted on: Tuesday July 5th, 2011

Posted by: Victoria Sopik

As learning styles and teaching techniques are vast, many parents ask about the learning opportunities within child care. Though there are numerous curriculum options, it is evident that children learn best by playing with each other, this is called Play Based Learning.

Posted on: Monday June 6th, 2011

Posted by: Victoria Sopik

One question I’m often asked is, “do you love playing with children?” Although this may come as a surprise to most, my answer to that question is “no.” I do have a special love for babies, nursing, cuddling and playing with them, but I have never had much of an interest in “getting down on the ground,” or playing house, cars, school, etc. I have always felt more of a pull in the direction of nurturing and loving them and I’ve left their playing and learning to be developed through each other and school.