YMCA of Southwestern Ontario Children's Educational Services
165 Elmwood Ave N6C 0A8 London, ON, Canada

Child Care Spotlight!! JMCC (Windsor) "play is the signature of childhood. It's a living visible manifestation of imagination and learning in action." Martin and Huggins, YMCA Playing to Learn, 2015 pg 67... : JMCC (Windsor)

We are very excited to announce that we have launched our first ever YMCA of Southwestern Ontario online 50/50 draw sponsored by Drewlo Holdings! 50% of the money will go to supporting the YMCA of Southwestern Ontario while the other 50% could go to you! It’s a win win! Get your tickets now as we’ll be having an early bird draw for $1,000 if you purchase your tickets by February 16th!

"Play nourishes every aspect of children's development - it forms the foundation of intellectual, social, physical and emotional skills necessary for success in school and in life." Martin and Huggins YMCA Playing to Learn, 2015 pg 56 : Northbrae Child Care

Child Care Spotlight!! JMCC (Windsor) "We must play." Martin and Huggins, YMCA Playing to Learn, 2015 pg iii... JMCC (Windsor)

Happy Hanukkah!

TOMORROW! Now that we have your attention, we’re super excited for our big announcement tomorrow. We bet that you’ll be at least 50% excited about this too!

Child Care Spotlight!! JMCC (Windsor) JMCC Child Care is located in Windsor, ON They offer Toddler and Preschool Programs Contact: [email protected]... We will be showcasing photos from JMCC all week!!

"By using and creating environmental print in their pretend play, children begin to understand what reading is and how print works. Pretend play helps children develop schemas and scripts as organized mental structures that are applied to understanding print." Martin and Huggins YMCA Playing to Learn 2015, page 204 : St. Annes Child Care (Sarnia)

"Play helps children learn to subordinate desires to social rules, cooperate with others willingly, and engage in socially appropriate behaviour - all skills vital to adjusting well to the demands of school." Martin and Huggins, YMCA Playing to Learn, 2015 pg 49 : St. Annes Child Care (Sarnia)

Next Tuesday is Giving Tuesday, a day to give to a cause you care about and support your favourite charities. This year, you can help our Y respond to the changing needs during COVID-19 and to help our community recover. Together. Learn more at https://www.ymcaswo.ca/donate-now

We’re less than a week away until our big announcement! What do you think it could be? Make sure to stay tuned to our social media pages and your email on how you can Win Big with the YMCA!

"Babies are born equipped to learn about the world through interactions with caring adults, with their own bodies, and with the objects, textures, sounds, tastes, and smells they encounter." -Susan Linn Martin and Huggins, YMCA Playing to Learn, 2015, pg 18 : East London Child Care

"Free from the restriction of set activities, the early educator and the children are free to explore exciting occasions for discovery." Eden and Huggins, YMCA Playing to Learn, 2001, pg 4 : East Carling Preschool Room

"Children require an environment that reflects and respects their interests and ideas, provides creative and open-ended experiences, offers opportunities to work alone or alongside each other and promotes a sense of authentic choice." Martin and Huggins YMCA Playing to Learn, 2015, page 90 : St. Annes Child Care (Sarnia)

"An attachment relationship between a young child and a caregiver requires suffiecient ongoing interaction between the two so the child learns to seek comfort, support, and nurturance selectively from that caregiver." Martin and Huggins, YMCA Playing to Learn, 2015 pg 38 : East Carling Child Care (Preschool)

We also strive to have beautiful, aesthetically pleasing learning environments because children deserve them and thrive within them. The physical environment is made up of space, time, equipment and materials. All of these elements combine to create an aesthetic quality, forming the physical scaffolding for early learning. Martin and Huggins, YMCA Playing to Learn, 2015, page 90 : Lucan Child Care

We are hiring!!!

There may be some things we can’t do right now, but there is also so much we CAN do! Be an advocate for peace and make a difference. Choose a cause you care about and take action! Sign a petition, donate, volunteer, or support a local business - the options are endless... #YMCAPeaceWeek #actforpeace

"Pedagogies of literacy, mathematics, science, outdoor education, music and movement and the visual arts all form part of the rich, culturally diverse and creative early learning and care environments that competent staff teams collaboratively understand, negotiate, plan and set up." Eden and Huggins, YMCA Playing to Learn, 2001, Page 231 : St. Anne Child Care

if you love the feeling of getting a letter or postcard in your mailbox . Never underestimate the power of a handwritten note! Write a letter, send a compliment card, or reach out to someone who might be struggling right now. It will go a long way to help people feel connected and like they belong. #actforpeace #YMCAPeaceWeek

"Numerical thinking begins early in life. Young children's informal mathematical knowledge is broad and complex. They begin to understand the language of numbers when they recognize quantity differences, the role of special numbers like five and 10, and the relationships between big and little, large and small, more or less, tall and short." Eden and Huggins, YMCA Playing to Learn, 2001, Page 198 : St. Anne Child Care

"Curriculum is not a pre-packaged document or series of activities planned months in advance. It is the actualization of authentic learning experiences. It is an ongoing series of decisions made by the early educator in response to expressed interest and perceived potential of the individual children." Eden and Huggins, YMCA Playing to Learn, 2001, pg 3 : East Carling Toddler Room

November 20th is Transgender Day of Remembrance. At the YMCA we are dedicated to creating a welcoming environment for everyone and we hope that you will join us in observing this day.

The educators at Windy Woods Child Care made their very own Rock Climbing Wall for the children! How Fun does this look? Great Job!!

Shared recipe from East London Child Care Baked Potato Pancakes 4 medium potatoes (shredded and drained very well) 1/4 C shredded onion... 2 cloves garlic minced 1 tsp parsley -chopped 2 whole eggs 1/4 C all purpose flour 2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1/4 C parmesean cheese 1 tbsp olive oil Sour Cream for serving Extra parsley for garnish Preheat oven to 400 degrees Combine potatoes, onion, garlic, parsley and eggs in a large bowl. Add in all purpose flour, and bread crumbs. Mix to combine. Try not to over mix. We want our pancakes to be light and fluffy Add in salt and pepper, and parmesean cheese. Fold to combine Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread 1 tbsp of olive oil onto the parchement paper. Do not rinse your hands. With your oiled hands portion out 8 potato pancakes. The thinner the better, we want them to be crispy. Not to thin or they will fall apart Place in oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway. Pancakes should be nice golden brown colour. Serve immediatley with a dollop of sour cream on each and fresh parsley for garnish.

We have an amazing surprise for you - a full 45-minute yoga class in honour of #YMCAPeaceWeek! Peace starts with YOU. We all need to make time for self-care so we can better serve others. Join us for this peaceful yoga session with Y staff Mellissa. See you on the mat!

"Play is not knowing where you're going, but having a great starting point." Martin and Huggins, YMCA Playing to Learn, 2015, pg 71 : East Carling Child Care

"Play creates new neural connections and tests them. It creates an arena for social interaction and learning. It creates a low-risk format for finding and developing innate skills and talents." Martin and Huggins, YMCA Playing to Learn, 2015, pg 14 : St. Theresa Child Care (Byron)

Like if you could use this with your kids right now! Kindness and empathy are nurtured in the home. What’s a fun way to encourage this with your family? Make a kindness tree. Every time someone performs a kind act, add a leaf to the tree and watch it grow! Follow our activity guide: https://bit.ly/3fcRmuo #ymcapeaceweek

Shared Recipe from our John McGivney Child Care in Windsor Alphaghetti 1C alphabet pasta (uncooked) 680mL Pasta Sauce... 1.5C Vegetable Broth 1/2C 2% Milk 1tsp sugar 2tsp onion powder 1tsp fresh garlic 1tsp italian seasoning (optional) 1/4tsp ground oregeno 1/4tsp paprika 1/4C shredded zucchini or carrot (optional) 1/4C shredded parmesean cheese Salt and Pepper to taste Cook noodles until el dente In seperate pot, add broth, pasta sauce, milk, spices, garlic and veggies Bring sauce to a slow simmer over med heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes Stir Noodles into sauce Stir in cheese Let stand for 5-10 minutes, sauce will thicken as it sits

Did you know today is the 20th annual Child Care Worker & Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day? The YMCA congratulates our Child Care Workers and Early Childhood Educators for all they have accomplished this year, and deeply respects their continued dedication to children and families. We invite families to send a special note to your centre’s educators today to let them know you appreciate the role they play in the development of your child. #ThankAnEducator Read more about our incredible Children's Educational Services staff: https://ymcaswo.ca//y-celebrates-child-care-workers-and-ea

A HUGE Thank you to all of our wonderful Educators in all our Programs!! You make our centers what they are!! All of your hard work and dedication is amazing and so very APPRECIATED!!! Happy ECE and Child Care Worker Appreciation Day!!!

"The positive social environment created by early childhood educators is key to the development of young child's pro-social skills and behaviour. Pro-social behaviour refers to positive actions that support acceptance and friendships." Martin and Huggins, YMCA Playing to Learn, 2015, page 73 : Lucan Child Care

Shared Recipe from our St. Josephs Child Care Easy Meatloaf 1.5 lbs ground beef 1 egg... 1 onion-chopped 1 C milk 1 C dried bread crumbs salt and pepper to taste 2 tbsp brown sugar 2 tbsp mustard 1/2 C ketchup Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine beef, egg, onion, milk and bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper and place in a lightly greased loaf pan. In a seperate bowl, combine brown sugar, mustard and ketchup. Mix well and pour over meatloaf. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

"Play is not knowing where you're going, but having a great starting point." - Tom Hunter Martin and Huggins, YMCA Playing to Learn, 2015 pg 71 : East Carling Child Care

"No physical environment for young children is complete without an outdoor play area. Outdoor play should be a natural part of the daily activities of young children." Martin and Huggins, YMCA Playing to Learn, 2015 pg 98 : Sir John A MacDonald Child Care

Shared Recipe from Jerry McCaw Family Center Teriyaki Turkey Bowl 1 tbsp Oil 1/2 onion - chopped... 1lb Ground Turkey 1 tbsp garlic 1-2 C shredded carrots 1-2 C chopped broccoli Teriyaki Sauce: 1 C Water 1/4 C soy sauce 5 tsp brown sugar 1 tbsp honey 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/4 tsp garlic powder 2 tbsp cornstarch 1/4 C cold water *Combine 1 C water, soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, ginger and garlic in saucepan over medium heat. Cook 1 minute. Mix cornstarch and 1/4 C water together in a bowl, until dissolved. Add to the saucepan, cook and stir until thickened, about 5-7 minutes Heat oil, add onions and turkey meat, cook. Add garlic, then add carrots and broccoli. Cook until veggies are tender. Add Sauce, cook for 5 minutes. Serve with Rice.

With the Fall upon us, we want to take a moment and express our gratitude to our donors for supporting the Y during this unexpected year. Because of this generous support, we were able to pivot and adapt to address the new reality faced by our members and participants. You are helping us build a vibrant, healthy, and inclusive community. THANK YOU!

"Spontaneous and self-directed play affords the most fruitful context for authentic assessment. During play, children are totally absorbed and focused. The interplay of every domain of a child's development is evident as children engage in socio-dramatic play and other types of rich spontaneous play." Martin and Huggins, YMCA Playing to Learn, 2015, pg 84 : Our Little Place Child Care (Chatham)