All Early Years – Groups

Landmark 26 (Volunteering)
Before Pathways is completed I wanted to share the ways we have been working towards this Landmark in our program! Little people can make a big impact! When I reflect back on the ways these friends already bring joy and make Peterborough a better place-teaching checkers to newcomers, delivering bikes to kids who need them, visiting our elderly over zoom and in person, growing food and plants to share, and cleaning up our road-I am filled with hope for a better tomorrow.
Babbling Brook Daycare – June 30, 2023

Landmark 5 (Garden or care for an animal)
We went over to our community garden plot and planted the pea and cucumbers we started from seed in our classroom. First we weeded the area and then the children took turns planting the seedlings and watering them afterwards. Then we added the weeds to the compost and added some cages over the plants to help the plants grow up. We were all surprised how fast the seeds grew compared to waiting for our sunflowers. I wonder when we will get to harvest these yummy vegetables?
Peterborough Daycare – June 28, 2023

Landmark 3 (Exercise the senses)
International Mud Day had our whole program out playing in the mud! This day celebrates the importance of connecting children to the earth and soil, while enjoying the mess and play outdoors. We set up multiple stations for the children to explore including dinosaur bone digging, pigs in mud, boats and puddles, search and find sensory bins, brick laying construction and mud kitchen pie making!
Peterborough Daycare – June 29, 2023

Landmark 8 (Nature art weekly)
For Canada Day we decided to make our own nature wands to celebrate the day! The children painted a real maple leaf red and made a print on paper. We then cut the leaf shape out and attached it to sticks we collected at the park. Finally we added lots of ribbons! The children loved dancing around with their finished wands and maybe even take to the parade with their family.
Peterborough Daycare – June 29, 2023

Landmark 7 (Books, songs, games weekly)
Colour Scavenger Hunt. The children really enjoyed the scavenger hunt provided by Pathways and we decided to make another version for outside. This one has just colours. The children have to find colours in our natural world that match the colour on the paper. “The sky’s blue” said one child and “the leaves are green” said another. Great way to explore our environment ! Pearson Child Care – June 29, 2023

Landmark 1 (Explore outdoors together)
Students engaged in an outdoor fun day together. We had a parent volunteer to do face painting, water table play, huge bubble play, chalk, outdoor painting and games. Students enjoyed exploring the many outdoor activities set out! rfdowneylgk – June 27, 2023

Landmark 6 (Play in nature a full hour)
This year in our class, we made it our focus to play freely outside for about an hour each morning. We are so proud of the gains the children have made in their social and emotional skills and we attribute much of this growth to the children having daily time for unstructured play outside of the confines of a classroom, and the benefits of fresh air. When we do our “morning walk”, as we call it, climbers and trikes etc. are closed, and the kids play with found items from nature, loose parts, and best of all each other. They have been so engaged in their play, being imaginative, active, and collaborative, learning to solve small problems, social or otherwise, along the way. The Pathway project guided us to creating this flow of our school day that regularly includes an hour of play in nature and we are all benefiting from it! Queen Elizabeth K1 – June 26, 2023

Landmark 4 (Favourite place weekly)
A huge thanks to Brady and the Holy Cross construction class for building us a new outdoor house! We can’t wait to bring out some pillows and books, and cover the roof with beautiful coloured material to make the best cosy corner ever. Spending quiet time out in the sunshine and fresh air is very calming for many of our children who don’t want to run and be loud.
Sunshine Daycare – June 26, 2023

Landmark 5 (Garden/Care for an Animal)
Oops we did it again!!! This was such a great experience last year we did it again! We hatched 8 little duckies! We even got to see one come out of his shell. Best hands-on learning for children by far. Watching the eggs from day one, misting and turning them. Then candling them to see the ducks grow inside. Then patiently watching for cracks to see them pip out! And the best part- we get to play with them until they go back to the farm!
Sunshine Daycare – June 26, 2023

Landmark 5 (Care for a garden and/or animal)
Our class regularly goes out to water our school’s new pollinator garden. The children are very careful around the new plants and make sure they pour lots of water right on the roots. Since we water regularly, we have had the opportunity to watch the plants develop. One looks like a rabbit might be eating it and others have yellow and purple flowers! Queen Elizabeth K1 – June 14, 2023

Landmark 7 (Books, games, songs weekly)
We had a great day at the Warsaw Outdoor Education Centre with Sharon today. We did so many things! We searched for hidden creatures, played the rabbit game, and found insects, snails and even a salamander under rocks and logs. Thank you Sharon for such a wonderful nature experience!
Queen Elizabeth K1 – May 24, 2023

Landmark 5 (Garden and/or Care for an Animal)
For about a month, our class has been going out to work on our veggie garden a few times a week. We have been busy preparing the soil, planting seeds, watering, weeding, and mulching. The pumpkins and beans look so healthy!
Queen Elizabeth K1 – June 19, 2023

Landmark 7 (Songs, stories, games weekly)
We celebrated the solstice with a big playtime outside with water! We had pools, sprinklers, balls, sponges and a water slide. It was so much fun!
Queen Elizabeth K1 – June 21, 2023

Landmark 8 (Nature-based art weekly)

To recognize National Indigenous People’s Day we gathered together to create feather artwork and talk about the importance of feathers in Indigenous culture. We looked at a real feather we found on the playground and wondered what bird it might be from. We then read Indigenous stories with animals and pointed out the eagle, raven, owl, hummingbird and thunderbird. Feathers can symbolize respect, honour, strength, courage and wisdom and used in different ceremonies and traditions. The children were then invited to paint feathers and make feather prints on their paper. We have displayed the children’s artwork to acknowledge this important day and the learning that happened in our room.

Peterborough Daycare – June 21, 2023

Landmark 12 (Nearby Plants and Animals)

Scarlett, Claire, and Ava found a harvestman on the wall of the school today! They spent some time trying to decide what it would eat, and Claire mentioned that her worm friend was afraid the spider would bite its head off! Claire and Scarlett were pretty comfortable being around the spider, but Ava kept her distance!

Strath Maclean Child Care Centre – Junior After school – June 15, 2023

Landmark 7 (Books, Songs, Games Weekly)

Scavenger Hunt in the Sandbox! Today we hid letter in the sandbox for the children to find

Pearson Child Care – June 20, 2023

Landmark 7 (Books, Songs, Games Weekly)

We love when Kelly from the library comes to visit. She brings books , scarves for dancing and puppets for the children. We enjoy sitting under the tree while Kelly shares her stories with us!

Pearson Child Care – June 22, 2023

Landmark 1 (Explore Together Weekly)

The rain has come, the trees are budding, the sun is out and Pre 3 children have been fascinated by creepy crawlers. The children head over to the fence line to dig in the soil and leaves to find the worms, spiders, beetles and snails. We talk about their life cycles, habitats body parts and where these critters have been all winter. We have had discussions about which bugs are harmless and which bugs should be left alone! We love to observe this learning and grow their appreciate for nature.

Peterborough Daycare – May 5, 2023

Landmark 5 (Garden/Care for Animal)

We were very lucky to get a community garden plot right across the street from our daycare. This is going to be a great opportunity for the children to learn about growing and harvesting their own vegetables and herbs. Today we started the process of digging and weeding the plot and planted our first plants! We are so grateful to all the families who contributed and donated seeds, plants and gardening materials to make this garden grow! We look forward to many trips to care for the garden over this growing season.

Peterborough Daycare – June 9, 2023

Landmark 7 (Books, Songs, Games Weekly)

We learned about turtles today! We played a sorting game with turtles after we learned about them!

Kawartha Heights Kinders2 – June 8, 2023

Landmark 7 (Books, Songs, Games Weekly)

We dove into the world of reptiles! We played and sang Down Around the Corner at the Snake Pit and used these snakes!

Kawartha Heights Kinders2 – June 7, 2023

Landmark 5 (Garden/Care for Animal)

We discovered that there is a bunny nest under our slide! The children were careful not to touch the bunnies and watched as they were hopping around. We talked about how to care for the bunnies outside by not getting too close and letting them be safe in their home. Today the bunnies were more adventurous and came out to explore. We saw them eating the grass and hopping around the yard. What a great experience for the children to watch!

Pearson Child Care – May 31, 2023

Landmark 7 (Books, Songs, Games Weekly)

We are beginning to learn about amphibians and reptiles. We dove into the world of frogs today! We sang 5 green and speckled frogs to start learning about frogs and learned hot to play the leap frog game!

Kawartha Heights Kinders2 – June 6, 2023

Landmark 7 (Books, Songs, Games Weekly)

We read the Big Butterfly Book and learned more about different kinds of butterflies caterpillars can turn into. We also learned that it is fun to watch them metamorphosis into a cocoon then pupa and finally a butterfly. Then it’s time to let them go!

Kawartha Heights Kinders2 – May 26, 2023

Landmark 6 (Play in Nature a Full Hour)

We went to the Warsaw Education Centre, where we learned all about nature outdoors, bugs, insects and more! We then made butterflies with materials we found

Kawartha Heights Kinders2 – May 26, 2023

Landmark 5 (Garden/Care for Animal)

The children wanted to plant beautiful flowers all around the yard!

CELC-Peterborough – June 1, 2023

Landmark 8 (Nature Art Weekly)

The children drew the flowers we planted

CELC-Peterborough – June 1, 2023

Landmark 10 (Grow and Eat Food)

The toddlers have been working hard on growing their own vegetables they started off planting the seed then watering them. Watching them grow inside. Then they transplanted them outdoors. They can’t wait to eat all the healthy vegetables this summer!

CELC-Peterborough – June 1, 2023

Landmark 3 (Exercise Senses Daily)

After a rain storm comes our favourite thing PUDDLES! Children love exploring in puddles jumping really high and making big splashes. We ended up with a long puddle that the children were able to start at one end and run all the way to the other end.

CELC-Peterborough – June 1, 2023

Landmark 3 (Exercise Senses Daily)

On a hot not day what’s better then cooling off with some water play

CELC-Peterborough – June 1, 2023

Landmark 7 (Books, Songs, Games Weekly)

Today we did the Spring Bingo that was given to us by Pathways. We used it as a scavenger hunt and went walking all around the playground looking for the objects that matched the bingo card. It was such a great activity for the children to see nature in another perspective. We looked high, low, under rocks and up in the trees! Great language and social activity!

Pearson Child Care – June 1, 2023

Landmark 7 (Books, Songs, Games Weekly)

We explored the wonderful world of spiders and looked at all the different spiders there are, how they spin different webs, body parts and how they differ from insects

Kawartha Heights Kinders2 – May 30, 2023

Landmark 7 (Books, Songs, Games Weekly)

We watched a video about fireflies and learned some interesting facts about fireflies that a lot of us didn’t know. We did a follow up book called The Very Lonely Firefly

Kawartha Heights Kinders2 – June 2, 2023

Landmark 1 (Explore Together Weekly)

We did a nature scavenger hunt up in the nature area exploring our neighbouring

Kawartha Heights Kinders2 – June 1, 2023

Landmark 6 (Play in Nature a Full Hour)

We played with our kites for an hour outside! The kids had to problem solve and innovate as they were flying their kites!!

Roseneath CPS SK/1 – May 23, 2023

Landmark 1 (Explore Together Weekly)

The children are participating in setting up a campsite. Now that they have learned what we need they will be actively making campfire materials (logs, binoculars, flashlights etc )

Kawartha Heights Kinders2 – June 5, 2023

Landmark 3 (Exercise Senses Daily)

Bubbles! The best sensory activity! we can see them, feel them and even taste them Yuck!

Sunshine Daycare – May 31, 2023

Landmark 7 (Books, Songs, Games Weekly)

Best game ever! McDonald’s Drive thru. Learning patience and motor skills while balancing food and driving!!

Sunshine Daycare – June 05,2023

Landmark 5 (Garden/Care for Animal)

We are hatching duck eggs! We have the incubator in the hallways so we can see them everyday. Each playroom takes a turn to mist them and check they are OK. Hopefully we will have lots of ducklings at the end of June!

Sunshine Daycare – May 29, 2023

Landmark 7 (Books, Songs, Games Weekly)

Drawing with chalk outside-great way to practice our fine and gross motor skills!

Sunshine Daycare – June 5, 2023

Landmark 1 (Explore Together Weekly)

Today we brought in dandelions that were closed up and had a little bit of fluff sticking out the top. We talked about how when the dandelions are done being yellow the seeds get ready to fly away. To save the seeds from blowing in the wind we used wire, rocks and glass jars to get a closer look at the puff balls opening. We wondered how long it might take to watch the dandelion open? We look forward to getting a close look at what’s happening with the life cycle of a dandelion and also the best part of taking them out to blow and make a wish!

Peterborough Daycare – May 26,2023

Landmark 11 (Celebrate each Season)

We have been documenting the season change by photographing the tree on our playground each week. It’s been so amazing to notice how quickly the leaves produce and grow. The tree offers so much great shade on hot summer days and we love seeing so much green! We put all the photos in an album and we look forward to documenting the whole year to use as a teaching tool for future reflections.

Peterborough Daycare – May 29, 2023

Landmark 5 (Garden/Care for Animal)

We were invited by the Grade 1/2 class to visit their baby chicks! We went in small groups and got a chance to pet them! We talked about how they grow, move, make noise and need heat!

Kawartha Heights Room 3 – May 9, 2023

Landmark 6 (Play in Nature a Full Hour)

Room 3 welcomed Emily from Camp Kawartha. She guided us to make beautiful gnome homes!

Kawartha Heights Room 3 – May 12, 2023

Landmark 2 (Animal Friends Monthly)

We were SO excited to welcome the baby chicks into our classroom! They explored our carpet and we laughed at how they moved, jumped at each other, and we had a talk about how big they have gotten!

Kawartha Heights Room 3 – May 19, 2023

Landmark 8 (Nature Art Weekly)

After meeting the baby chicks, we made our own using stamps made from cups. It was students ideas to make circles for the chicks to match their shapes!

Kawartha Heights Room 3 – May 19, 2023

Landmark 3 (Exercise Senses Daily)

We had an abandoned robin’s nest from Ms. R’s house and looked at how it was made very carefully using magnifying glasses. We then used different markers to make our own nests!

Kawartha Heights Room 3 – May 24, 2023

Landmark 1 (Explore Together Weekly)

We have had a busy time reading stories about nests, investigating old nests and new, and drawing nests. We took our reading buddies into our school nature area and made bird nests out of nature materials!

Kawartha Heights Room 3 – May 24, 2023