Toddlers are constantly communicating their ideas and making connections through endless avenues of expression. Inspired by the principles of Reggio Emilia and being guided by Ontario’s Framework, “How Does Learning Happen?”, educators offer immersive materials and environments that allow for deep discovery and exploration. Our carefully curated spaces seek to inspire wonder as the toddlers express through many instances of light and reflection, musical interactions , loose part construction, sensory and natural explorations. We believe that by introducing very young children to many diverse, intelligent materials early on, that they will feel confident in expressing themselves and their connections, now and as they grow. Nurturing their natural search for community, educators facilitate fluid gathering spaces and group collaboration as children make meaning in relationship with others.
We carefully collect recycled, thrifted, new and natural materials for the toddlers to explore in our programs. Nothing seems to captivate the toddlers quite the same as the natural materials that they gather themselves out in nature, such as: sticks, leaves, stones, pinecones, etc. Both our indoor and outdoor spaces are full of baskets with natural materials for the children to interact with. This could be crab apples from our trees offered in our mud kitchen, wood cookies set out with paint or herbs from our garden with mortar and pestles. Offering natural materials inside the classroom not only reduces waste but fosters a deeper connection to the land and provides limitless possibilities for discovery. Being mindful of sustainability and fostering environmental stewardship to the living world we seek engaging ways to lessen our impact.
Fostering a connection to the land is deeply rooted in our philosophy and practice. Outings to connect to our local community and environment are planned weekly via walks and buggy strolls with the children seeking out diverse landscapes, wildlife and all of the moving parts and people that make up our community. The natural world provides diverse terrain, promoting opportunities for the toddlers to be physically active and engage in challenging body movements such as climbing, jumping, running, and balancing. Engaging in these landscapes stimulates not only physical exploration but stimulates imaginative, inquisitive and adventurous play interactions between peers and the land. During adventurous play there is ample opportunity to assess and navigate safe play interactions, problem solve, explore new skills, build self-confidence & resiliency while connecting with all that nature has to give. Viewing the world through the eyes of a toddler, we are reminded to slow down and connect to the land we live on.
Educators, children and families are partners in all that we do. Educators make the children’s learning visible to parents through documentation and with this insight families contribute their ideas and questions which help to form the foundation of our curriculum. Through engaging in conversation, sharing stories and insights, photos and videos, ideas and theories, together we grow relationships between educators and families. These relationships build a foundation of support between The Family Centre and home, helping children to feel safe and eager to learn. This foundation of trust also allows educators and parents to learn and grow together in a safe space.
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