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Brain Builders introduces the different developmental areas of the brain and how to support a child's brain development in the critical early years. We will explore fun ways to build the brain through play!

Let’s discuss challenges and successes in navigating the emotional development of children. You will learn more about your child’s emotions as they move through the early years and gain insights into how to talk to children, how to teach children about emotions, and how to support children through their emotions.

This parenting program provides participants with a toolbox of parenting ideas, so they can choose which ones are the best for their family. Triple P can support families to: - raise happy, confident children - manage challenging behaviours - set rules and routines - encourage positive behaviours - increase parenting capacity and confidence. This eight session group provides an in-depth look at parenting strategies and opportunities to practice. Activities Include: - group lessons and discussions - opportunities to practice strategies - one-on-one coaching 4 classroom sessions: March 16 - April 13 3 telephone sessions: flexible dates/times 1 wrap up telephone session: May 11

(Updated November 28, 2024) The holidays are a wonderful time of year but it can also be very stressful with lots to do and having our children home with us, so we have put together some information to help you prepare for this holiday season!  Develop a Routine  The first thing you can do is create a routine for you and your family over the break while everyone is home. Keeping a consistent routine helps things run smoothly and helps your little ones know what to expect from day-to-day!   When you are creating your routine it’s a good idea to involve your children. This will give them an opportunity to ask questions so they understand what will be happening beforehand and what will be expected of them. You can sit down and talk with them about the routine you’ll be following over the break and utilize this opportunity to communicate the expectations you have for their behaviours while they are at home. That being said, keep in mind children need lots of reminders and they may not meet all of our expectations on the first few tries.   If your family has a hard time with routines, you can use images to create a visual schedule on a wall or even the fridge, as long as it’s a place where everyone can see it. This can support your children in following the routine you have set up.    Prepare Activities  Second, we can prepare activities to keep our children entertained and occupied while you’re home for the holidays. Children get bored quickly, so having activities prepared in advance means you won’t be scrambling to find something to do while also trying to manage everything else on your plate during the break. You can also put these activities in your routine/schedule so your children are able to see what’s going to be happening day-to-day over the holiday break.  First, you’ll need to decide which indoor and outdoor activities you’d like to do. You can do this with your children to get them excited for the holiday break!   Next, you’ll need to gather the supplies. Do you need to get more arts and crafts supplies from the ReUse Centre, find the sleds or buy ingredients to do some Christmas baking? Gathering supplies for the activities you’ve chosen means you won’t have to do it later and they will be ready to go when you need something to do!  Lastly, enjoy, everything is done, now you can enjoy time together as a family!    There are also lots of free or low-cost activities you can do as a family and there are lots of free or low-cost events happening all over the city you can attend! Plan both indoor and outdoor activities.   We have included a list of activities and events you can do together as a family below!    Create a Self-Care Plan  The next thing that can help reduce stress over the holiday season is to create a self-care plan to make sure you are taking enough time for you during all the holiday season chaos.    The first thing you can do to practice self-care is schedule in time for self-care into your daily routine. This will help to ensure you are taking time to care for yourself at least a little bit every day!1 You should plan to take 5-15 minutes every day to engage in some self-care. This could be reading a book, having some quite time before the children wake up/after they go to bed, having a friend over for coffee, journaling, cleaning, going for a walk, and so much more.   Another way to prepare is to plan some alone time for yourself. Having our children home more than usual can be stressful, even if we’re prepared and it’s important to dedicate some time for yourself too. Ask friends or family now if they can support you by watching your children for a few hours or even a day if they are able too. You can also access the Bissell Centre and Kids Kottage respite programs as they will be open during the holiday break! Having a plan in advance can help limit the stress of trying to find childcare when you really need a break and can help limit the stress you are feeling leading up to the break because you’ll know you have time to rest and recover.    Lastly, we have put together a list of free/low-cost activities, free/low-cost events happening around Edmonton and we have included resources you can access if you need support over the holiday while Norwood is closed.  Resources 211 For complete information on social, community, health and government services in Alberta, dial 211 811 For health information, simply dial 811 988 If you're having thoughts of suicide or are worried about someone you know, simply dial 988 911 For emergencies dial 911 Check out our resources page for more supports. December Activities If you’re looking for some fun family activities to get up to this December, check out Family Fun Edmonton’s Holiday Event Guide Holiday Events in Edmonton | Family Fun Edmonton ( familyfuncanada.com ) Winter Fun (Sledding) Looking for some sledding hills around the city here is a link to Curiosity’s 10 Great Hills for Sledding 10 great hills for sledding to check out around Edmonton ( curiocity.com ) You can check the conditions of the hills and outdoor skating areas on the City of Edmonton website Toboggan Hills | City of Edmonton Skates and Sled and other sport equipment https://www.sportcentral.org/families/ Skating Around the City Outdoor Skating and Ice Rinks | City of Edmonton Where to Skate for FREE In and Around Edmonton - Modern Mama Looking to get outside with your little one into the fresh air especially on a beautiful winter day. Check out some links below to find an Edmonton winter adventure such as adding to snowman to the snowman army in Louise McKinney Park to voting on ice sculptures at Ice on Whyte or even participating in the legend of the Flying Canoe festival and more. https://www.wintercityedmonton.ca/events/ https://exploreedmonton.com/articles/winter-festivals www.familyfuncanada.com/edmonton/festivals-in-edmonton/ Edmonton Public Library The Edmonton Public Library has various locations around the city with events for all ages. Libraries are closed December 25, 26 and January 1 but are otherwise open. Hours vary by location. Find the library that is closest to you at this link . Resources Winter Clothing Need a Coat? If you are looking for a coat, please call 211 or call 780-482-4636 (INFO) to find the agency distribution depot closest to you. Coats are not distributed by United Way directly to the public; all coats are distributed through various community agencies throughout the Alberta Capital Region. https://www.myunitedway.ca/how-we-help/basic-needs/coats-for-kids-and-families/ Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. This program provides free clothing donations for individuals and families. The phone number is 780-471-5577. They are open Mon-Thurs, 10:00am to 12:00pm. https://www.ssvpedmonton.ca/get-help Family Futures Resources Network FREE coats and winter items for all family members while supplies last. Call to find out more 780-413-4521. https://familyfutures.ca/community-connections-events/events/coats-for-kids/ Jasper Place Family Resource Centre This program offers a children's clothing exchange. 780-479-4504 They are open Mon-Fri, 8:30am to 4:30pm Elizabeth Fry Community Resources Program Has a clothing closet for Women. Hygiene kits as available which can include shampoo, soap, deodorant, menstrual supplies. As well of as other supports and resources. https://www.efrynorthernalberta.com/community-resources Other Clothing Resources (South Edmonton) https://carecloset.ca/category/clothing/ Thrift Stores are a great option for low-cost Winter Clothing. Some thrift stores will give coupons or discounts when you donate items. Bissell Thrift Shop Value Village The Salvation Army Thrift Store More Than a Fad The Mustard Seed Thrift Store Food Find recipes, a schedule of free community meals and community supports ( including Bread Runs ) on the Edmonton Food Banks website . Childcare over winter break Bissell Centre's Early Childhood Development Program provides full-time childcare as well as adrop-in/respite program that provides low-income families with free temporary childcare. Spots need to be reserved 1-2 days in advance. Bissell Centre is closed December 25, 26 and January 1, but are otherwise open for their normal hours: Weekdays from 8:30am - 4:30pm. Call 780-429-4126 to learn more. Kids Kottage's Crisis Prevention Shelter offers emergency respite to families in crisis by admitting their children from birth to the age of 10 for up to 72 hours, free of charge. For more information call: 780-944-2888

Halloween costumes do not have to be expensive! Here are some do-it-yourself, low-cost costume ideas. Each idea can be as simple or complex as you choose. Raid your child's closet and the recycling bin, add glitter, a hat, face paint and take the costume to the next level! A Dollar Store or Value Village are also great spots for low-cost supplies. Piece of candy  – clear wrapping paper, string, and colorful shirt underneath. Grapes  – balloons (green or purple), green pipe cleaner, construction paper. (WARNING - balloons are a choking hazard, use with caution) Cloud  – t-shirt/cardboard, pillow/toy stuffing, string, construction paper, glitter (optional), glue (for the stuffing and glitter if desired). Rainbow – construction paper OR colorful clothing (add cloud slippers).   Cat  – all black clothing, make ears out of a headband and construction paper, eyeliner nose and whiskers. Ghost  – bedsheet, sunglasses/hat/scarf/etc. (optional). Thomas’ snowsuit  – snowsuit. Mummy  – white streamers. Flower  – flower headband using glue and construction paper (glitter optional. Cut out flower petals, use glue to attach to headband, wear a skirt/dress the same colour or all green clothing (like a flower stem and leaves) Emotions  – t-shirt/cardboard, sharpie/fabric paint/fabric pen. Superhero in disguise  – wear normal clothing and use a bedsheet as a cape, fake glasses/make a mask using construction paper, superhero shirt underneath another shirt/button up. Teddy bear  –brown/black clothing, headband and construction paper to make the ears, construction paper tummy. Robot  – save paper towel rolls and other cardboard, grey/silver paint, construction paper, buttons/dials/level indicators/etc. Crayon  – same colour shirt, pants, and construction paper, sharpie, glue/tape to make a hat. Chef  – apron, make chef's hat out of construction paper, wooden spoon. Construction Worker  – safety vest, boots, hard hat, toy tools. Scuba diver  – black pants and long sleeve shirt, swim goggles, breathing mask (jar or container lid), tubing (vinyl tubing from hardware store, thick string) and oxygen tank(s) (old 2L pop bottle, pasta sauce bottle), fabric/ribbon/rope to use as straps, glue. Glue one end of what you are using for your breathing tube to the item that will be your breathing mask and the other end to what will be your oxygen tank. Next you will take two pieces of string to make straps for the oxygen tank, make sure you cut them to be the same length, attach one side of each piece of string to the top of your tank (this would normally be the bottom of the bottle but it is flipped for this costume) one on each side, then repeat for the bottom, once you have completed this you will have straps so you can wear your tank like a backpack. Check out our Instagram for a short tutorial on this costume!!! Farmer  – jeans/overalls, plaid shirt, bandana, hat, stuffed animal. Waving tube man  – cat toy tunnel, t-shirt the same or similar colour as the tube, sharpie, scissors, clear plastic, glue. Stand or lay next to the cat tunnel and mark where you will need to cut hold for your arms and eyes (make sure you leave some extra space for your feet so you aren’t tripping over your costume all night), draw on eyes, use glue and the extra fabric to create the arms. Wind up Doll  – cut a key out of cardboard, add a ribbon or strings to wear the key like a backpack. Ninja  – black shoes, pants and long sleeve shirt, black ski mask, red scarf to tie around waist as a belt. Dragon  – plain baseball hat, bed sheet/large piece of fabric (main colour of the dragon), felt (white for eyes and teeth, and a second colour for the dragon), glue. Glue the sheet/fabric to the hat, cut the sheet so that it hangs down in the back – this is the back and tail of your dragon – you can cut the sheet so it can be worn like a backpack, or let it hang down from the hat as shown in the photo. Use the white felt to make the dragons eyes on the front of your hat and add teeth to the brim, then take your second colour of felt to create spikes and spots down the dragons back. Angel wings - https://www.hgtv.com/design/make-and-celebrate/handmade/how-to-make-feathered-angel-or-fairy-wings Duck  - paint a baseball hat into a duck bill, wear clothes that are the colour of a duck. At Norwood Centre our team of qualified Early Childhood Development Subject Matter Experts work to provide tools that caregivers can use to support early childhood development. We hear you! If you have a question or concern, please ask us. We have a variety of Child Development Activities available on our website, find them at norwoodcentre.com/child-development-activities . For short-term one-on-one coaching, please call us at 780-471-3737.

There are many areas that make up a child’s whole development. These areas of development can be easily remembered by the acronym S.P.L.I.C.E, which stands for: · Social Development Social development refers to how a child interacts with those around them and their ability to create and sustain relationships. · Physical Development Physical development refers to the development of your child’s gross (large) and fine (small) motor skills. · Language Development Language development refers to your child’s receptive (listening) and expressive (speaking) skills and their beginning understanding of words and print. · Intellectual Development Intellectual development refers to your child’s developing brain! This includes the development of understanding of cause and effect (If I do ___ then ___ happens), the organizing of thoughts, feelings and ideas and their understanding of the world around them. · Creative Development Creative development refers to your child’s ability to think creatively, use their imagination, create with various mediums of art and see the world not just for what it is, but for what it could be. This could be through art, drama, imaginative play-the sky is the limit! · Emotional Development Emotional development refers to your child’s ability to regulate their emotions, “bounce back” from challenging situations and understand and process their emotions and the emotions of others. We know that every child develops at their own rate and pace, but are you wondering how you can support your child in these areas of development? Check out our activity sheets created by our skilled team of Early Childhood Educators here . Norwood Child and Family Resource Centre has supported vulnerable children, youth and families in Edmonton for more than 60 years.  We provide free programming that supports optimal child development, strengthens healthy relationships and well-being, breaks cycles of adversity, empowers people to successfully navigate change and life challenges, and connects people to communities.  Norwood Centre is inclusive and respectful of diversity, recognizing that each family is unique. Our work is strength-based, trauma informed and responsive to the needs of our participants. Our team of qualified Early Childhood Development Subject Matter Experts works to provide tools that caregivers can use to support early childhood development. We hear you! If you have a question or concern, please ask us. We have a variety of Child Development Activities available on our website, including the topics of Social Development, Physical Development, Language Development, Intellectual Development, Creative Development and Emotional Development. Find them at norwoodcentre.com/child-development-activities .  For short-term one-on-one coaching, please call us at 780-471-3737.