• stem_education
    family

    STEM Camp – Summer Day Camps Building Curiosity

    June 7, 2018 - By 

    Imagine a camp where you build your own space suit, or monitor weather in space. A camp where your children explore the world around them, ask questions and create experiments. Building curiosity and engaging young people all summer long is the name of the game at STEM Camp. I couldn’t be happier to share Stem Camp with you. STEM Camp is one of my favourite children’s STEM summer day camps. You already know STEM is the future and maybe you wonder how to nurture that interest. Maybe you worry your kids don’t get enough STEM in school. Well, STEM Camp is…

  • ontario_pioneer_camp
    family

    Find Your Strength at Pioneer Camp Ontario

    May 28, 2018 - By 

    Every January my youngest daughter begins the camp countdown to Pioneer Camp Ontario. That’s six or seven months of anticipation before the eventual August drop-off every summer. In many ways this camp is the gift that keeps giving all year long. Of course there’s the week at camp, or lately the two weeks there and the enjoyment, independence and creativity she gets every single year attending Pioneer Camp Ontario. But long after camp itself, every single year Ainsley comes home inspired, engaged, confident, calm and grounded. How Did We Discover Pioneer Camp Ontario? Just two summers ago my family was…

  • stem_education
    family

    STEM Camp Brings STEM Education to a Wider Audience

    May 17, 2018 - By 

    STEM education has become a huge part of public, private, and homeschool curriculum. It is the focus of many toys and games. The world is changing. With more and more career opportunities surrounding STEM and the advancement of technology in general, it’s important for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) to play a larger role in children’s education. In a recent post, I talked about how STEM Camp makes STEM fun for children. A friendly atmosphere combines with experiments that promote critical thinking and hands-on learning making STEM Camp a joy. I couldn’t be happier to share two big ways that…

  • earth_day_books
    family

    Earth Day Every Day with these Great Books

    April 19, 2018 - By 

    Every year, people around the globe celebrate Earth Day. On this day, people often reflect on the environment, what’s happening to it, and how they can make a difference. It’s also a day all about loving the planet and remembering that it’s home to some of the most amazing creatures and places. All that is wonderful, but I think it would be so much better if we had the planet on our mind all the time. I’d love it if every day were Earth Day. That’s why I’m excited about these two Earth Day books I got for the kids…

  • interactive_play
    family

    Exciting Interactive Play with Hexbugs Nitro Circus Giganta Ramp

    March 25, 2018 - By 

    Interactive play is something I encourage with every child in my life. I’m a big fan of toys that foster creativity, and it’s important to me that I do my best to ensure that the kids in my family get those as gifts from me. Toys that allow kids to be creative encourage brain development and allow them to build their own fun, and that’s key to a young mind. Some of my favourite toys to gift are Hexbugs. Hexbug toys make great gifts for the kids in my extended family for birthdays, Christmas, and other special occasions. These days,…

  • Juvenile_arthritis_awareness_month
    Health

    Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month – Conor’s Story

    March 22, 2018 - By 

    This Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month a Winnipeg mom is sharing her son’s journey with juvenile arthritis. Diagnosis is rarely straightforward and there are multiple misconceptions about arthritis in children. Although the learning curve is steep when your child receives a diagnosis, there are resources available. This is Conor and Nicole’s story, from diagnosis to finding support and learning to live with the disease.   Conor was 8 when he came home from school complaining of a sore foot. His mom thought his shoes were too tight and bought him a new pair, but the pain didn’t go away.  Eventually, she…

  • striped_easter_lunchbox_jokes
    Printables

    Striped Easter Lunchbox Jokes to Jazz Up Lunch

    March 15, 2018 - By 

    Easter lunchbox jokes are just the ticket to jazz up your kid’s lunches. Spring is here. That’s cause for celebration. Easter can’t be far behind. By now, you and your children, are probably all super tired of repetitive lunches. But you have a few months left to go before summer vacation. You need help. Here’s a cute idea to liven up lunch time – striped fun spring themed Easter lunchbox jokes. How cute are these? If you want to print them out for your family feel free. Or click on the PDF link below and print them out from the…

  • how_to_be_a_friend
    adoption and tweens - Parenting - parenting

    Teach Your Child How to Be a Friend

    March 2, 2018 - By 

    This morning I have already connected with 3 of the parents I know who have kids with special needs. I am beyond grateful for their support. My kids are both having a rough week. Some part of that is life as a teenage girl. Another part of that is special needs. And yet a final piece of that is other people’s kids. Can’t control how other people parent, even though I wish I could. But I can reach out to my support network. And I can write. Sometimes that’s my therapy. Girl friendships are hard. I get it. I was…

  • English_Catholic_teachers
    family

    Registered for High School and New Adventures #ad #CatholicTeachers

    February 12, 2018 - By 

    This post is part of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers #catholicteachers sponsored program. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. This post reflects my personal opinion about the information provided by the sponsors.  It’s high school registration time. That’s right, this month, I registered my youngest daughter for high school. That’s huge. Any parent of a school aged child knows, we agonize over where to send our children and often we also wonder if they are ready. When your child has special needs you worry even more. As hard as these huge decisions are, I feel pretty…

  • tiny child wearing cut lion backpack while pulling red suitcase through an airport waiting area
    Travel

    Comfort Objects for Tiny Special Needs Travellers

    January 30, 2018 - By 

    Comfort objects are important to many kids. When you travel with a child who has a disability or is neurospicy, comfort objects can make all the difference to the transition process. We began travelling intentionally as a family when my youngest was about five. Why did it take us that long? Well, we were afraid to travel because my younger child has sensory processing disorder and FASD. We thought it would be challenging, and it totally is. BUT, it is also abundantly worth it, and then some. Watching my daughter make friends with children from all over the world, getting…