Humber ECE graduate Chantal Tomé has been an Early Childhood Educator for the past 20 years – currently working with the TDSB in a full-day kindergarten program.
Chantal recently self-published a children’s book series called ‘The Adventure Of The Junior Detectives,’ which includes two titles: Hibernation and Butterflies.
The series is an interactive, engaging, and educational adventure where children explore fun facts about science and nature. The lead detective’s profile is never shown, allowing every reader to picture themselves as the lead detective, playing the hero of their own story.
We tapped into Chantal’s expertise to discover learning-through-play ideas, including sensory-inspired activities for parents and their children during the holidays and beyond.
For the holidays:
Baking is always a good activity because it not only teaches kids life skills but also creates memories. It appeals to their senses, and we know how much kids love sensory activities. This can include decorating cookies, cupcakes, or cakes – whatever you decide to make with them.
Kids love decorating gingerbread cookies or houses: it’s sensory, and they get to create something of their own. They can unleash their artistry, always feel proud of their work, and this is a great way to keep them entertained for quite some time.
Another way to keep children engaged during the holidays is with the toy boxes from their presents. There are endless possibilities for what they can create. I’ve seen everything from coffee shops to McDonald’s drive-through to Pizza Hut, and they absolutely love it. As a child, my mom always kept boxes, and we made houses out of them. She said that we were more entertained by the boxes than the actual toys. Many parents experience the same. It’s the gift of imagination!
Holiday crafts can start outdoors, by collecting pinecones or needles from pine tree sticks (carefully, of course). Finding specific materials for art projects can be a scavenger hunt, giving a little fresh air to kick off an indoor activity. The piece truly feels like their own when they’ve put forth the effort and creative vision, which leads to exciting conversations about why they chose each object.
Finally, there’s the traditional snowman or snow angels, but winter also offers endless opportunities for art using the ground as your canvas. All you need is a spray bottle filled with water and some food colouring. If your kids love animals, talk with them about which ones they might see during the winter months and which of their favourites could be hibernating.
When the seasons change:
Going outside in your yard or to the park can fill hours of exploration. In the spring, when the flowers are blooming and sweet scents are wafting, talk to children about which scent they may be smelling. This can expand to caring for plants and how to be gentle when we touch them, or even to planting at home!
In the summer, children can explore the insects they see or find. Kids love bugs and have no trouble picking them up. This is a teachable moment to be gentle with them and understand that all insects serve a purpose in our ecosystem. It’s also important to explain which bugs NOT to pick up and to teach them awareness of their surroundings.
Fall brings the colours of leaves changing, and what’s more fun than raking a pile and jumping in to hear a loud crunch! Animal watching is a joy as we see them gathering their essentials to survive the winter – another great teachable moment!
Have a story, content or expertise you’d like to share with the Humber community? We’d love to hear from you!