Infant-Parent Program

Upcoming Events: Avoid using commands, directions and yes/no questions

Right from the Start Thursday afternoons Some Springtime Activities To Do With Your March 26 - May 14, 2009 Children 1:30-3:30pm Hamilton West OEYC Join in and play face-to-face with your baby - have FUN! 155 Queen Street, Hamilton Take a walk in the sunshine. Look around at your child's eye level...what Wednesday evenings are they seeing? April 22 - June 10, 2009 Go on a treasure hunt...you can hide toys or objects that are familiar, or for 6:00-8:00pm Hamilton Mountain OEYC older children encourage them to look for new things in nature e.g., stones, 465 East 16th Street, Hamilton leaves, sticks etc. Blow bubbles outside - encourage your baby to reach for them and as their COPEing with Toddler gross motor skills develop encourage them to chase after them. Behaviour Wednesday mornings Plant a flower or herb garden. This can be started indoors NOW - some April 8 - May 27, 2009 potting soil (encourage your child to touch it), seeds and empty egg cartons 9:30-11:30am (great fun to stack!). Keep moist by a sunny window and watch them Hamilton West OEYC sprout! 155 Queen Street, Hamilton Draw with sidewalk chalk, or tempura paint on the sidewalk, driveway or Signing with Babies and even the side of the house - will wash away by the next rainfall, or Young Children Bring an easel outside and let your kids finger paint. With very young Thursday, April 16, 2009 children you can use pudding paint (vanilla pudding with a couple drops of 9:30-11:30 am Hamilton Mountain OEYC food colouring will make makes neat colours!) and you don't have to worry 465 East 16th Street, Hamilton about them eating it or putting it in their mouth! To register for any of the above listed Play hopscotch. Holding your baby and helping them jump when they are courses, please call Mary young, and as they grow, showing and encouraging them to jump on their at 905-521-2100, ext. 77406. own. When playing with your child Read a book together outside...play tag...have a picnic. remember to follow their lead: Clean and spruce up your outdoor toys - even a young baby can be given a Imitate and label your child's sounds, words, gestures, actions and signs clean cloth to 'wipe' a stroller that they are sitting in, while an older child may become more actively involved. Comment on what you child says/does using short and simple sentences Participate in a spring clean-up day in your local community. Interpret utterances that are unclear On a rainy day... Expand on your child's sounds, words, ...tackle an indoor spring cleaning project together - one of the biggest gestures, actions and signs by adding parts of spring cleaning is getting rid of clutter that you don't need. Your longer comments young baby can 'help' by practicing sitting in a laundry hamper while you Repeat your child's actions, sounds and talk about what you are doing, and as he/she gets older they can help to words sort laundry/clothes/toys or other things that you may want to keep or give Reinforce your child's communication away. attempts ...have your little ones 'help' in the kitchen. Give them a birds-eye view, Be animated - vary your pitch and whether they are sitting in a highchair or standing on a step-stool. There is loudness levels. Use your eyes and facial so much to see, smell, touch and taste! Even a baby can touch and feel expressions to get and keep their interest some ingredients and a toddler can help wash vegetables and tear the Pace yourself to your child to help ingredients for salads or stir ingredients in a bowl. And if there isn’t actually him/her remain involved in the interaction anything for them to do, they’ll still enjoy watching you cook and it’s a IPP Spring 2009 Page 1 great opportunity to chat. A set of measuring cups and spoons are great fun! ...make a simple bird feeder - a bagel, peanut butter and seeds - hung with some string! ...make a wind chime - again, anything that can be hung with string can be attached to a clothes hanger - experiment - see how different objects make different noises when the wind blows - great for young babies to look at and listen to.

IPP Spring 2009 Page 2 Family Fun Looking for some fun activities to do with your children this spring? Check out these upcoming events.

Visit your neighbourhood library. They offer a variety of children’s materials including books, videos and dvd’s. Toys may also be available for your children during your visit. If you find that getting there is difficult, try the bookmobile. This library on wheels brings library materials to neighbourhoods that are distant from branch libraries. Visit www.hpl.ca for more information.

Try the Hamilton Children’s Museum. They offer a variety of interactive exhibits for young children as well as other fun events and activities. Check out their website at www.myhamilton.ca for a list of upcoming events.

March break family fun is offered at the royal botanical gardens. Crafts, games and entertainment are available for children and their families. Visit www.rbg.ca for more information.

For the Sweet Taste of Spring Maple Syrup Festival visit the Westfield Heritage Village. Here you can explore the making of maple syrup in three different time periods. Go to www.westfieldheritage.ca for more information.

Looking to get outside and explore our city’s conservation areas and trails. Visit www.conservationhamilton.ca for a full listing of what’s available.

IPP Spring 2009 Page 3 SILLY FACE SANDWICHES: Ingredients: English muffin half, cream cheese, 2 banana circles, Making raisins and 1 apple wedge Directions: Spread cream cheese on the English muffin using a meals...FUN! plastic knife. Have your child create a funny face using the bananas, raisins and apple. You can also try different ingredients such as Cooking with young children can blueberries or strawberries for a fresh fruit sandwich! be a fun activity as well as a valuable learning experience. Ingredients: English muffin half, slice of deli meat, mustard, olive Children can learn how to work halves and cooked carrots cooperatively with others, learn Directions: Place the meat slice on top of the English muffin. Have how to follow directions and can your child create a funny face using mustard, olives and cooked be given a chance to express carrots. themselves creatively. Cooking activities can also help children to TRY THESE ADORABLE BULLFROG CUPCAKES FOR DESSERT! develop fine motor skills and to Ingredients: Cupcakes, blue frosting, green gumdrops cut in half, use their senses to explore the white chocolate chips and black icing feeling, textures, smells and Directions: Frost cupcakes with blue icing using a plastic knife. Take tastes of different types of foods. 2 half gumdrops and press the tip of a white chocolate chip into the Even toddlers can assist with cut surface of each half. Squirt a dab of black icing onto each chip. simple tasks in the kitchen which Then press the frog eyes into the frosting. can help them to feel involved and If your child is too young for gumdrops try using fresh fruit such as also build their sense of self blueberries, bananas or strawberry slices. confidence and self esteem. Remember to keep the age and stage of your child in mind when looking at what is appropriate for them to help you with in the kitchen. Try out some of these fun lunchtime treats with your little one. They are sure to bring a smile to the table!

FUNNY FACE GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH: Ingredients: 8 single slices of cheese, 8 slices of bread and 3 table spoons of butter, softened Directions: To make each sandwich, place 2 slices of cheese on 1 slice of bread. From the remaining bread slices cut out eyes, nose and a mouth using cookie cutters, a round cup or a plastic knife. Place the cut-out bread slices over the cheese forming sandwiches. Spread the outside of the sandwiches with butter. Place sandwiches in frying pan on medium heat. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Turn and continue cooking on the other side.

IPP Spring 2009 Page 4