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January/February 2010 Newsletter |
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DATES WEE WATCH
JANUARY 2009 New Year's Day
January 1st
Family Literacy Day
January 27th
Together Wee Can - "I'm On the Road to Reading Week"
January 25 - 29th
FEBRUARY 2009
Groundhog Day
February 2nd
Together Wee Can - "Winter Olympic Games"
February 12 - 26th
Valentine's Day
February 14th
Family Day (Statutory Holiday)
February 15th |
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Greetings!
We hope that you enjoyed some wonderful family time together over the holidays and created special memories to cherish with your child. The new year often has everyone thinking of changes they would like to make and resolutions they want to adhere to for the coming year.
One of the best resolutions you can make is to spend more family time together, whether it be taking the time each night to have a relaxed family meal, letting everyone have an opportunity to talk about their day or building a block tower together. Try turning the television off, putting away the video games and put on some quiet music and sit down together to play a game. There are so many fun family games depending on your child's age from Candy Land, Bingo, Monopoly, Go Fish or checkers. Rent or buy a movie to watch together. Make some homemade popcorn and curl up on the couch. Enjoy each and every day together and make new memories all year long.
Sincerely,
Leslie Wilson
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 TOGETHER WEE CAN
Wee Watch has a wonderful opportunity to bring all of our homes across Ontario together to participate in activities on certain days, weeks and months. These "Together Wee Can" events are exclusive to Wee Watch. All activities are carefully chosen for their importance to children and their families. These events provide a great learning opportunity that meets the needs of children of all ages and ultimately strengthens our Wee Watch community.
JANUARY 2010 - "I'M ON THE ROAD TO READING WEEK"
Wee Watch is excited to promote Family Literacy by participating in our "Together Wee Can - I'm on the Road to Reading Week". During the week of January 25 to 29, Providers and children will be busy participating in a number of fun literacy activities each day including: reading books, singing rhymes, object guessing games, letter recognition games, bingo, puzzles, and more.
FEBRUARY 2010 - "WEE WATCH WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES"
We are sure that everyone is excited about the upcoming Winter Olympics to be held in BC in February. To get everyone into the spirit of the games, Wee Watch has planned our very own Winter Olympic Games from February 12 to 26. Providers and children will have an opportunity to pick different activities to do each day and fill up their game board. All of these activities encompass different areas of development and incorporate fun while learning about the Olympics.
NATIONAL CHILD DAY
National Child Day was celebrated in November with everyone making a Wee Watch family wreath. It was wonderful to see the diversity in each of our Wee Watch homes.
In December, Wee Watch agencies, Providers and families participated in our Together Wee Can Collect Clothes for Kids Campaign. Thank you to everyone who donated gently used clothing which was used to help in their communities.
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Our exclusive "Wee Learn Program" is designed to meet the specific learning needs of each of our children enrolled. The Wee Learn Program provides the flexibility for each child to participate at his own pace and is designed to allow each child from the youngest Wee Beginner to the oldest Wee Mentor to learn as they play. As there is a mix of individual and group activities in the homes, the children are also given lots of opportunities to develop their social skills as well.
Your Provider is given resources that include age appropriate activities addressing areas of language, cognitive, math/science, fine motor and gross motor development. These resources include theme related activities, an Activity Handbook full of easy homemade activities for each age group, website activity pages to further build on fine motor, math and language skills they have already been working on in their Play and Learn booklets.
Each month, take a look at the progress your child is making in his Play and Learn booklet. These booklets are a great keepsake and give you an opportunity to see the skills such as cognitive, math, fine motor skills your child is working on each and every day.
Spending time together gives you an opportunity to see how your child is using the skills that he has learned at home and at day care. Each day your child is progressing through stages of development and continually working on new skills while mastering others.
We are pleased to provide your child with his/her very own portfolio "My Wee Watch Work". Look for opportunities to praise your child in new accomplishments and milestones achieved, however small they may be. Your child will be proud to show you the activities, crafts, Play and Learns and worksheets in his/her portfolio.
Please click on the stages below to find new ideas to do at home to assist your child in reaching his milestones.
Wee Beginners: 0 - 18 months
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WEE BEGINNERS
A child is in the Wee Beginner stage until 18 months of age. Wee Beginners are learning about their world by using their developing sensory skills (in other words, sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell) and motor skills (grasping, reaching, crawling, walking, etc).  Your child is working towards feeding himself, walking without support, saying a few words and pointing to body parts. Let your child try some of these activities at home:
FINE MOTOR ACTIVITIES
Put small nesting cups or margarine containers into bigger ones.
Colour with a thick crayon on paper taped to a table.
Drop juice or jar lids into an empty coffee can container.
Build and knock down blocks.
Fill and dump cups of oatmeal, cereal, rice, sand, water into a large container.
Stack pillows, large blocks, and books.
Grasp knobs on 2 - 3 piece wooden puzzles.
GROSS MOTOR ACTIVITIES
Roll large balls.
Throw bean bags or rolled up socks.
Maneuver riding toys without pedals.
Use push toys to use for balance when learning to walk.
Set out large boxes to make tunnels and houses.
Dance to music.
COGNITIVE ACTIVITIES
Read board books and books with pictures.
Repeat songs every day.
Name and find an object.
Talk to your child as he plays, during diaper change and dressing.
Look at photographs.
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WEE EXPLORERS
A child is in the Wee Explorer stage from 18 months to 3 years of age. Wee Explorers are beginning to actively explore their world. T here can be some direction in their activities, but the focus is on allowing them to explore, to learn and to develop skills. Wee Explorers are trying to master holding a brush to paint, use 2-4 word sentences, run and sort objects by colour. At home, try to provide some of the opportunities below:
FINE MOTOR ACTIVITIES
Use play dough with cookie cutters and small rolling pin.
String large beads or macaroni tubes.
Pour and measure rice and sand into a large container.
Lace pipe cleaners or ribbon through lacing cards.
Dress dolls.
Make collages and other crafts using paper, glue stick, crayons, finger-paint.
Tear paper.
Take out ribbon strips, cotton balls and pompoms from a container.
GROSS MOTOR
Climb on playground equipment, up stairs.
Provide boxes to climb into and through.
Kick different sized balls.
Maneuver riding toys.
Jump over pillows, paper shapes.
Sing action songs like "Head and Shoulders".
Dance to music with streamers, scarves.
Chase a rolling ball.
Squeeze play dough or wet sponges.
Blow and chase after bubbles.
COGNITIVE ACTIVITIES
Try 2-3 piece puzzles.
Play Follow the Leader.
Put shapes in a shape sorter.
Find objects of a certain colour.
Put connecting blocks or links together.
Read picture books and simple stories.
Make homemade books from magazines or catalogues.
Dress up clothes and other household items for imaginary play.
Sort laundry - towels, socks, etc.
Count during daily routines, out for walks, putting toys away, etc.
Make a shopping list cutting and pasting pictures from flyers.
Use puppets and felt board stories.
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WEE BUILDERS
A child is in the Wee Builder stage from 3 to 4 years of age. Wee Builders are introduced to more directed learning tasks, such as the introduction to numbers and letters, but continue to use exploration of their environment to learn.  If your child is a Wee Builder, she is working on naming colours, handling scissors, repeating rhymes and hopping on one foot. Try to make time at home for your child to try some of these activities: FINE MOTOR ACTIVITIES Colour and draw with crayons, pencils, markers
Paint with brushes, q-tips, paint rollers,
Play with play dough to mold and roll
Cut play dough and scrap paper
Pouring, measuring, and stirring while helping you in the kitchen
Using tongs, pick up pompoms or cotton balls and place in an egg carton
Place stickers on paper
Pour water in play tea cups
GROSS MOTOR
Toss socks or bean bags into bucket or laundry basket, moving it further away each time
Ride tricycle, riding toys, bike with training wheels
Jump through hula hoops
Jump over skipping rope
Do action songs like "Hokey Pokey" and "If You're Happy and You Know It"
Do exercises such as sit ups, jumping jacks, touching toes, etc.
Dance to the rhythm of music
Try bowling
COGNITIVE ACTIVITIES
Short simple stories with repetitive theme
Musical instruments, different types of music
Sensory bin
Paint and colour on different materials
Puppets from socks, paper bags, toilet tissue rolls
Felt board stories
Gardening
Dramatic play supplies and dress up clothes
Matching colours of socks, blocks,
Matching shapes of forks and spoons
Play a simple math board game like "Hi Ho Cherry-O"
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WEE LEARNERS
A child is in the Wee Learner stage from 4 to 5 years of age. Wee Learners are building and expanding the skills they will need as they enter school, by starting to focus on learning tasks (related to numbers, letters, printing, etc.),  and on continuing to develop their ability to work cooperatively with partners or in a group. Wee Learners are continuing to master skills in dressing themselves, balance on a board, carry out chores and count to 10. Provide opportunities to try these activities:
FINE MOTOR ACTIVITIES
Trace shapes made from cardboard or trace household items.
Paint using different sized brushes.
String beads, cheerios, and pasta.
Make collages from seeds, broken egg shells, etc.
Try paper weaving or weave fabric strips in a backyard chain link fences.
Play a game of pickup sticks.
Draw using sidewalk chalk.
GROSS MOTOR ACTIVITIES
Ride tricycles or bicycles with training wheels.
Bounce balls against a wall and catch it.
Play hopscotch.
Play soccer, basketball, baseball.
Play a game of tag, hide and seek or have races.
Go through an obstacle course of blankets, chairs, pillows and other objects.
Rake and jump in leaves.
Shovel snow.
Skip rope.
Follow a masking tape trail.
COGNITIVE ACTIVITIES
Read together non-fiction books about weather, animals or the world.
Let your child read a story to you.
Play a card game of Snap.
Make felt board stories.
Play a game of Snap.
Read the newspaper looking for letters or words.
Fill a cookie tray with flour. Let your child trace a letter in the flour.
Make up rhyming words.
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WEE EXPERTS
A child is in the Wee Expert stage from 5 to 6 years of age. Wee Experts are refining what they have learned, giving them more confidence at school, and take on the role of leader, helping with the younger children, so as to reinforce their own skills. Wee Experts are gaining more independence and like to be challenged, putting things in categories, drawing a person with more detail, jumping a short distance and remembering stories.  Let your child try a few of these activities at home:
FINE MOTOR ACTIVITIES
Make sculptures out of boxes, egg cartons, scrap paper, and Popsicle sticks.
Paint with other objects - feathers, q-tips, sponges, potatoes.
Play Tiddlywinks, jacks.
Learn how to do simple needlework.
Use woodworking kits.
GROSS MOTOR
Ride a two wheeled bicycle with or without training wheels.
Try skipping and jumping games.
Participate in relay and running games, action games.
Build a snowman.Move to music, alternate from fast to slow music.
Climb on play equipment.
Play a game of badminton, croquet, bowling, soccer, baseball.
COGNITIVE ACTIVITIES
Read together fiction and non-fiction books.
Make up a story using puppets and a box puppet theatre.
Sing counting songs.
Put objects in order of size.
Sort objects by characteristics (rough, smooth, heavy, light, etc.).
Work on a puzzle together.
Play card games such as Go Fish.
Recognize and read names on road signs, cereal boxes.
Play Connect Four, Snakes and Ladders.
Make patterns from household objects.
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| WEE MENTORS
A child is in the Wee Mentor stage from 6 years of age and up. Wee Mentors are attending elementary school and progressing in the three fundamental areas of education: reading, writing, and arithmetic as well as continuing to master gross and  fine motor skills. There are many fun ways to continue work on reading simple stories, adding and subtracting, throwing and kicking with accuracy and recognizing patterns. Let your child try some of these at home:
FINE MOTOR ACTIVITIES
Paint, draw, cut, paste.
Trace more detailed pictures.
Make small beaded jewellery.
Type on a computer keyboard.
Write letters to family and friends.
Make gift cards.
Help in the kitchen cooking and cleaning.
Build with Lego.
Provide smaller craft supplies to manipulate such as wires, string, ribbon, pipe cleaners, sequins, buttons).
Play Boggle Jr.
GROSS MOTOR ACTIVITIES
Play soccer, hockey, and basketball.
Exercise to music.
Play skipping rope cooperative games.
Ride a bicycle.
COGNITIVE
Try to knit.
Read books on history, adventure, outer space.
Play group games - competitive and cooperative.
Play board games - Monopoly, Checkers.
Play Crazy Eights.
Put on a play.
Do crossword puzzles or word searches.
Provide math problems during daily routine - ask for 6 orange slices, half of an apple, etc.
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PLAY IT SAFE!
PLAY IT SAFE - OVER THE COUNTER COUGH AND COLD MEDICINES
Not for Children Under 6
Health Canada has required manufacturers to re-label over-the-counter cough and cold medicines that have dosing information for children to indicate that these medicines should not be used in children under 6. The products affected are those containing any of the active ingredients listed below that are given orally:
Active Ingredients Affected by Health Canada's Decision on Cough and Cold Products for Children
Therapeutic Category (Purpose) Active Ingredients
1. Antihistamines in cough and cold medicines
(used to treat sneezing, runny nose)
brompheniramine maleate
chlorpheniramine maleate
clemastine hydrogen fumerate
dexbrompheniramine maleate
diphenhydramine hydrochloride
diphenylpyraline hydrochloride
doxylamine succinate
pheniramine maleate
phenyltoloxamine citrate
promethazine hydrochloride
pyrilamine maleate
triprolidine hydrochloride
2. Antitussives
(used to treat cough)
dextromethorphan
dextromethorphan hydrobromide
diphenhydramine hydrochloride
3. Expectorants (used to loosen mucus)
guaifenesin (glyceryl guaiacolate)
4. Decongestants (used to treat congestion)
ephedrine hydrochloride/sulphate phenylephrine hydrochloride/sulphate pseudoephedrine hydrochloride/sulphate Health Canada has concluded that while cough and cold medicines have a long history of use in children, there is limited evidence supporting the effectiveness of these products in children. In addition, reports of misuse, overdose and rare side-effects have raised concerns about the use of these medicines in children under 6. HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES: Do not use these over-the-counter cough and cold medicines in children under 6 years of age. With children older than 6, always follow all the instructions carefully, which includes the dosing and length-of-use directions, and use the dosing device if one is included. Do not give more than one kind of cough and cold medicine to a child. Cough and cold medications often contain multiple ingredients. Combining products with the same ingredient(s) could cause harm to a child. Talk to your health care practitioner (doctor, pharmacist, nurse, etc.) if you have questions about the proper use of over-the counter cough and cold medicines. The common cold is a viral infection for which there is no cure. Cough and cold medicines offer only temporary relief of symptoms such as runny nose, cough, or nasal congestion. Symptoms can also be managed using a variety of non-medicinal measures such as adequate rest, increased fluid intake and a comfortable environment with adequate humidity. For babies and young children, it is important to rule out serious illnesses that have cold-like signs and symptoms (for example, pneumonia, ear ache or other infections). This is especially important if symptoms do not improve, or if the child's condition worsens. If you are concerned about the child's health (such as if symptoms worsen, last for more than a week, or are accompanied by a fever higher than 38 C or the production of thick phlegm), consult a health care practitioner for a medical evaluation. For more information about Health Canada's decision and the use of cough and cold products in children, consult the Health Canada Web site or call toll free at 1-866-558-2946. | |
Wee Watch
105 Main Street,
Unionville, ON L3R 2G1
905-479-4274; 1-800-663-6072
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