What Do We Do All Day?

Our days are a blast!  Check out some photos here.

First thing in the morning we head outdoors, rain or shine, cold or hot. We make daily trips to either the Gordon Neighborhood House, YMCA, West End/Coal Harbour Community Centres or the Central Library. I also have memberships for both Science World and the Vancouver Aquarium.

On sunny days we visit the playgrounds of Stanley Park or the beach at English Bay, and when it's warm we check out the spray parks at Lumberman's Arch or Granville Island. During the school year we sometimes take part in Strong Start as provided by the Vancouver School Board. We also take part in local festivals and events for kids.

In the afternoon post-lunch/naptime when we are hanging around at home, I love to do art projects with the kids. Story time is also something I make sure to have for at least 20 minutes a day, although there are some days when the kids keep bringing me books and we read for as long as they insist! We also sing a ton of songs (The Wheels on the Bus being the number 1 hit around here). Most of all, I make sure the kids get plenty of time for unstructured play with myself, each other, and individually. After all, "play is the work of the child," right?

If your child attends preschool or two's time at the West End Community Centre or Little Rae I may be able to arrange pick up/drop off (depending on their time slot).

One of the greatest things about a family child care setting is that with so few children I am able to allow for the "programming" to occur in the moment, depending on the moods of the children.  With only my son and two other children present, I'm able to keep my focus on the children's interests and take cues from them.  In a larger child care setting, the activities, focus, and schedule are not often so flexible.