Stressed About Finding the Right Care for Your Baby?

If your baby is turning one soon, or has recently celebrated their first birthday, then chances are you having been stressing about finding the right childcare for your precious little one.

Are you returning to work?

We know that along with such a celebration, many parents face the anxiety of returning to work. Maternity leave is ending and it’s time to figure out where the next path will lead. It’s not easy, there will be big changes happening for your family. It’s a difficult transition from being with your baby all day everyday to leaving your baby in someone else’s care.

How do you know which centre is right for your family?

How do you know you are making the right decision?
How do you know your child will receive the best care?

Many of the staff at Jolly Giant Childcare are not only Early Childhood Educators, but also parents too! We understand the stress of such important childcare decisions. We know that finding the right care and environment, while you are away from your baby, can weigh heavily and we want to help make your decision a little easier.

We want you to be able to return to work confident with the care your child will receive. We want you to be able to have a successful workday knowing your child is receiving care, education, and comfort in a fun and safe environment.

Our programs and facilities ensure the upmost quality supervision and care from loving and educated staff. Your child will grow and learn, build social skills and friendships. Our facilities provide developmentally age-appropriate programs, educated caregivers, and child-size equipment to ensure a safe and fun environment for your child to grow, learn and explore!

Go ahead, return to work at ease, knowing your child is receiving high quality care and comfort from loving and experienced staff, who truly value your child and your family!

Are you able to stay home?
What an amazing experience, to be able to stay home and care for your baby!
Have you thought about the important advantages of your child being in childcare?
Part-time care is a fantastic way to ensure your child gains important early learning and social skills. Your child will have experiences in building friendships and learning peer interaction skills, such as sharing and turn-taking. These opportunities are not always accessible in the home environment. Group care offers experiences in following gentle routines, learning through play and building self-help skills, all while having fun with friends and our experienced staff.

Our website offers an online application, a manager will contact you to arrange a no-obligation visit and tour of our facilities! We can answer any questions you have and hopefully help alleviate some of the stress you are feeling about childcare.

Nanaimo Trick or Treat Event Saturday October 29th

A reminder to all of our Nanaimo and Area families ~ Downtown Nanaimo is hosting a Trick or Treat event for the children from noon- 3pm TODAY! Check out the link for more details! Happy Halloween!
Downtown Nanaimo Trick or Treat

Mini Pumpkin Craft!

A great little craft for Halloween is to decorate mini pumpkins!

Materials you will need:

• Mini Pumpkins
• White Glue
• Small decorations such as sequins, googley eyes, feathers, buttons, whatever you have on hand!

Hint: The dollar store is a great place to get small craft decorations!

Autumn Songs

The Leaves are falling down

Tune:"Farmer in the Dell"

The leaves are falling down
The leaves are falling down
Red, yellow, green, and brown
The leaves are falling down

Author Unknown

Lots of LeavesTune:"London Bridge Is Falling Down"
Lots of leaves are falling down, falling down, falling down.
Lots of leaves are falling down in a flutter.

Take the rake and pile them up, pile them up, pile them up.
Take the rake and pile them up in a mountain.

Run and jump and roll around, roll around, roll around.
Run and jump and roll around. Whee! It's autumn.

Author Unknown

The Leaves on The Trees

Tune : "The Wheels on The Bus"
The leaves on the trees are falling down,
falling down, falling down.
The leaves on the trees are falling down,
Red, yellow, orange, and brown.

The leaves on the ground go crunch, crunch, crunch
crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch.
The leaves on the ground go crunch, crunch, crunch.
All through autumn (fall).
Repeat verse 1

Author Unknown

Leaf Pile

Tune: "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"

Crunch, crunch, crunch the leaves
Rake them in a heap
Run, run as fast as you can
Into the pile you’ll leap!

I just made this one up!

Have fun with songs and children, use any classic tune and sing about what activity you are currently doing whether it’s crunching in leaves or doing the dishes!

Halloween Songs and Activities!

This is a compilation of classic Halloween Songs/Chants and Activities that
we love as well as some great new ones we found online

Songs/ Chants

5 Little Jack-0-lanterns

5 Little Jack-O-Lanterns sitting in a row (hold up 5 fingers)

5 Little Jack-O-Lanterns faces all aglow (frame your face using your hands and smile) Along came the stormy wind (make swishing movement with arms)

Looking for some fun

Gave a huff and a puff (blow in and out)

And blew out every one (close fingers into fist and put behind your back)

Five Little Pumpkins

5 little pumpkins sitting on a gate.

The 1st one said "my it's getting late."

The 2nd one said "there are witches in the air."

The 3rd one said "I don't care."

The 4th one said let's run let's run."

The 5th one said "Isn't Halloween fun?"

Oooooo went the wind and out went the lights

and the 5 little pumpkins rolled out of sight!

Trick or Treat

(tune-Frere Jacques)

Trick or Treat,

Trick or Treat.

Halloween Night.

Halloween Night.

In our costumes playing

You will hear us saying

Trick or Treat! Trick or Treat!

Scary Witch
A scary old witch was stirring a pot

OOOO OOOOO

Three little ghosts say ‘what has she got?’

OOOO OOOOO

tip toe, tip toe, tip toe…

BOOOOOO!

HALLOWEEN SONG
There was an old lady all skin and bones oooo, oooo, oooo

She lived down at the old graveyard oooo,ooooo,ooooo

One night she thought she'd take a walk ooooo,ooooo,oooooo

She walked on down the old graveyard oooo,ooooo,oooooo

She saw the bones a laying around ooooo,ooooo,ooooo

She went to the closet to get a broom ooooo,ooooo,oooooo

She opened the closet and BOO!

I am the Great Pumpkin
(tune: Did You Ever See A Lassie)

I am the Great Pumpkin, Great Pumpkin, Great Pumpkin,

I am the Great Pumpkin,

Come dance with me.

For your friends are my friends,

and my friends are your friends,

I am the Great Pumpkin,

Come dance with me.

ONCE I HAD A PUMPKIN
Tune: Did You Ever See a Lassie?

Once I had a pumpkin, a pumpkin, a pumpkin,

Once I had a pumpkin, with no face at all.

With no eyes and no nose, and no mouth and no teeth.

Once I had a pumpkin with no face at all.

So I made a jack-o-lantern, a jack-o-lantern, a jack-o-lantern,

So I made a jack-o-lantern, with a big funny face.

With big eyes and a big nose, and a big mouth with big teeth.

So I made a jack-o-lantern with a big funny face.

We're Gonna Make Some Halloween Stew
(Tune of Grandpa's Farm)
We're gonna make, we're gonna make,
Gonna make some Halloween Stew
We're gonna make, we're gonna make,
Gonna make some Halloween Stew

In our Halloween Stew we'll put a round orange pumpkin
In our Halloween Stew we'll put a round orange pumpkin
A pumpkin, we clean it out like this (scoop, scoop)!
A pumpkin, we clean it out like this (scoop, scoop!)

We're gonna make, we're gonna make,
Gonna make some Halloween Stew
We're gonna make, we're gonna make,
Gonna make some Halloween Stew

In our Halloween Stew we'll put a black furry bat
In our Halloween Stew we'll put a black furry bat
A bat, he flaps his wings like this (flap, flap!)
A bat, he flaps his wings like this (Flap, flap!)

We're gonna make, we're gonna make,
Gonna make some Halloween Stew
We're gonna make, we're gonna make,
Gonna make some Halloween Stew

In our Halloween Stew we'll put a warty green frog
In our Halloween Stew we'll put a warty green frog
A frog, he makes a sound like this (ribbit, ribbit!)
A frog, he makes a sound like this (ribbit, ribbit!)

We're gonna make, we're gonna make,
Gonna make some Halloween Stew
We're gonna make, we're gonna make,
Gonna make some Halloween Stew

In our Halloween Stew we'll put a white fluffy ghost
In our Halloween Stew we'll put a white fluffy ghost
A ghost, he makes a sound like this, (woo, woo!)
A ghost, he makes a sound like this, (wwo, woo!)

We're gonna make, we're gonna make,
Gonna make some Halloween Stew
We're gonna make, we're gonna make,
Gonna make some Halloween Stew

In our Halloween Stew we'll put a yummy sweet treat
In our Halloween Stew we'll put a yummy sweet treat
 A treat, it tastes a lot like this (yum, yum!)
A treat, it tastes a lot like this (yum, yum!)

We're gonna make, we're gonna make,
Gonna make some Halloween Stew
We're gonna make, we're gonna make,
Gonna make some Halloween Stew!

Halloween Activities

Halloween Slime!

1 cup cornstarch

1 cup water

Green paint or food coloring

Mix together in a bowl or dish bin, and get 'slimed!'

Gooey Ghosts!

Glue ghost charms to have on necklaces or hang  in the window. Supplies needed are: squeeze bottles, white craft glue, wax paper, googly eyes and paperclips. Fill the squeeze bottles with glue. Children squeeze the glue out onto the wax paper in a ghostly blob. Then they can place their googly eyes. Have the child identify the "head" of the ghost and place one end of the paperclip in the head. When the glue is dry, peel off of the wax paper and string into a necklace. :)

Halloween Safety!

It’s almost dusk, the children look adorable in their sweet little costumes and you can’t wait to see their faces when they receive their first Trick or Treat! To ensure the evening remains a fun night, here are a few tips and the safety rules and expectations to go over with your little ghouls and goblins.

First here are a few helpful tips on ensuring they have a great head start on safety and spooky fun:

• Ensure your child is in a bright costume so others can see them. If their costume is dark in color, use reflective strips or have them carry a glow stick or bright flashlight.

• Ensure your child’s costume isn’t too long, tripping over it in excitement to rush to the next house can be a big hazard and bound to lead to the night getting cut short.

• Instead of masks, have your kids wear make-up so they can see where they are going. It’s more comfortable too! The masks build up sweat and condensation under it and guaranteed that your annoyed child will be ripping it off quickly. Make-up leads to happier trick or treaters.

• There’s a good chance (unless your child has a home-made costume) that other children are going to have the same or very similar costume and when it gets dark, distinguishing on ghoulish ghost, or cackling witch, from another can get difficult. A great thing to do is alter it in some obvious way to ensure you can see your child at all times. This can be anything from a specific design with reflectors on their back, or glow sticks sewn on the costume, anything that will quickly identify your child from the rest.

• Another tip for really little ones (under 3) is to put them in a stroller or wagon, not only will they last trick or treating longer, but it will also ensure they won’t get run over by bigger children zipping around.

And now the safety rules for the little ones!

• Review road safety rules such as, look both ways before crossing, stay on the sidewalk or close to the side of the road if there is no sidewalk, and use crosswalks when available.
  
• Remind them to watch for other people when hurrying from house to house. Bumps and falls can easily happen when there are groups of children running for candy! Keeping their head up and watch where they are going.
• Remind them to not eat the candy before you inspect it for safety.
  
• Here’s a little song that will easily remind them of the rules!

Trick or Treat

(Tune: I’m a little Teapot)

I am a trick or treater ready to go,

Here is my flashlight, I'll walk slow.

When I get all dressed up here me say,

‘Thank you for my treats today!’

I am so excited, ‘Trick or Treat!,"

I always look both ways across the street!

When I get my candy, can’t eat it, no, no

Until it’s check by people I know!

Toddlers, Preschoolers and Essential Social Skills!

Are you concerned about your toddler or preschoolers social skills?

Research suggests that a child’s social skills by age three could predict his or her future social and academic performance.*

Children with a head start on social skills and self-esteem are more likely to be able to focus on school work with out the distraction of peer conflicts and other social behavior problems.

Ask yourself these questions with regards to your child:

Do they have opportunities to build friendships, learn turn-taking and co-operation, effectively communicate with others, problem-solve, share, or recognize boundaries and social cues?

Do they have experiences in building self-esteem and independence, by successfully joining group play, learning self-control while gaining confidence in expressing their needs and wants to others?

The group childcare environment is the ideal learning space to build essential social skills that every child should be developing in their early years. Social skills are important in establishing the foundation of your child’s life experience!

Does your child know how to:

• Play effectively with others
• Build self-esteem in group situations
• Recognize peer boundaries, social cues and communication
• Successfully communicate their needs and wants to others in appropriate way
• Understand appropriate social behaviours – such as managing emotions and empathizing with others who are sad or angry, and learning how to react in these situations
• Discover leadership and following roles, determining group roles and co-operation
• Encounter sharing concepts – turn-taking and waiting, communicating and problem-solving
• Build peer friendships and determine which peers they will find connections with

Ensure that your child is receiving the upmost opportunities to build these important social skills and early learning! Ensure that your current childcare program is meeting these needs, ask:

• Do the programs and caregivers promote early social skills such as problem-solving, turn-taking and group play entry?
• How many children are in the group? Is this group large enough to create valuable group interactions such as building self-esteem in leadership roles, and discovering where they can contribute in group activities?
• Are the children the same peer age as my child? Does my child have daily interactions with children his/her own age to develop these social skills and important peer friendships and experience and manage peer conflict?
• Are there opportunities for my child to gain independence and discover self, as well as be involved in being a part of a group?
• Are they exposed to books and real situations everyday that teach them about peer social conflict situations and how to manage internal feelings, and problem-solve during these conflicts, resulting in a compromise or positive outcome?

• Our experienced educators provide these daily opportunities for your child to grow, learn and build upon all these essential social skills with their peers! We want your child to have these significant experiences! Our licensed childcare facilities provide developmentally age-appropriate programs, toys and equipment, educated caregivers, ensuring a safe and fun environment. Your child has the opportunity to play and create friendships with children their own age, be a part of co-operation activities and learn team-building skills, as well as learn self-esteem by leading groups or voicing their thoughts/ wants/ needs with in a group.

These are all fantastic skills to learn prior to the school years! Children will have team knowledge if their join sports. They will be more confident to stand in front of the class to present school projects because they have had experience voicing themselves in large groups and building the confidence to do so. They will be able to focus more on school work if they have good friendships and less peer conflicts. It’s really an endless list of positive outcomes when children learn early the social and emotional skills that will carry them throughout their lives!

Are you a stay at home parent?

Part-time care is a fantastic way to ensure your child gains important early learning and social skills. These opportunities are not ideally accessible in the home environment. Group care also offers experiences in following gentle routines, learning through play and building self-help skills, all while having fun with friends and our experienced staff!

*Michigan State University. "Childhood Social Skills Linked To Learning Abilities." ScienceDaily, 21 Jun. 2007. Web. 28 Sep. 2011.,

Is your child ready for Kindergarten?

If you have a Pre-K, you will probably be asking yourself many questions over the next year...

'Where will my child go to school?'
'Where's the best place to get school supplies?'
'How will I arrange transportation?'
'Who will my child be friends with?'

One very important question you should be asking:

'Is my child ready for kindergarten?'

Do they have the important skills that teachers want all their new students to have prior to entering their classroom?

• Does my child enjoy learning and discovering?
• Does my child have the opportunity for peer social interaction? Do they have opportunities to build friendships, learn turn-taking and co-operation, effectively communicate with others, problem-solve, share, or recognize boundaries and social cues?
• Do they have experiences in building self-esteem and independence, by successfully joining group play, learning self-control while gaining confidence in expressing their needs and wants to others?
• Are they having regular opportunities to sit in circle times? To listen and follow instructions for group games, to learn basic concepts such as days of the week, letters and numbers? Are they building confidence to stand up in front of a group and voice themselves?
• Has your child had enough experience being away from you all day, to cope with morning drop-off and sustaining independence throughout the day?
• Do they have regular experiences with fine-motor development?
• Can they effectively communicate with others?

Our qualified caregivers are educated and experienced in developing and implementing age-appropriate programs to ensure that your child has the best preparation when entering into kindergarten. We provide a fun and safe environment with ideal equipment and supplies to build these essential skills. We want to ensure that your child has the best Pre-K opportunities and experiences in our Daycare and Preschool Programs!

Preschoolers and Early Reading Skills – 5 Easy Activities!

How Can You Help Your Pre-K Learn to Read? Easy!

There are many activities you and your child can do together to build pre-reading skills. These are skills your child will need to learn prior to learning to read in their school years.

Here are 5 easy activities to do together:

• Reading out loud to them - ask them questions about the story and what’s happening. Encourage their involvement in telling the story. This activity builds vocabulary and language skills. Your child is learning new words and more ways to communicate about the world around them. When reading, run your finger across the words as you say them, to help your child understand that you are reading the printed words in the book, not the pictures.


• Ask you child ‘where else do you see words?’ Cereal boxes, road or store signs, flyers, grocery lists, etc.


• Sing phonics songs such as the ABC song or BINGO (try changing the words to use your child’s name as the letters ~ ‘There is a boy who is so sweet and ___ is his name-o…’)


• Try sound games such as rhyming or ‘starts with.’ For example, find an object in the room, what does it start with, what sound, what other things do we see that start with the same sound? Or rhyme with the object.


• Make a rhyming basket with several small objects, or pictures, that rhyme. For example: Have 10 objects in pairs that rhyme (tree/bee; boat/coat, etc) have your child find the matches that rhyme.

The most important key is to focus on fun, togetherness and quality time!

If it becomes a chore for either of you this process with not be a positive one and can be detrimental to their eagerness learn and to reach reading milestones. You want your child to love to do these activities, not dread them. Take the pressure off of you both by just enjoying the activities and forgetting about the need to make your child ‘ready’ for school.

With your support and gentle, positive encouragement, they will be. J

The Leaves are Falling Down!

Autumn is here and we couldn’t be more excited! The air is crisp, the morning is fresh, the cozy feeling has returned and the fall season is such an exciting time with children!

The temperature is not unbearably hot nor is it painfully cold, it’s the perfect time to spend a lot of time outside! We pull on sweaters, we search our drawers for matching socks, that have some how gotten lost over summer, and we head out into Autumn!

Everywhere we look the leaves are transforming into beautiful colours and falling to the ground, the perfect opportunity for a leaf-crunching walk around the neighbourhood or the local parks! The air chills noses and we breathe in deep, crisp air that refreshes and exhilarates us.

We wrap ourselves in warmth and indulge in the festive fall activities!

• Making homemade applesauce ~ Peel and slice apples. Place in saucepan with water and yummy spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg or cloves. Cook until apples mash easily. Use a potato masher to mash into sauce. Get a spoon and enjoy!
• Sit by the fireplace with a warm drink and read stories. Fall themed stories about Thanksgiving and Halloween. What great opportunities to talk about what we are thankful for or review Halloween Safety. (Look for up-and-coming blog regarding Halloween Safety)
• Rake up the leaves in the yard as the children jump into the piles! You too, go ahead, we won’t tell!
• Decorate the house with fall items such as acorns, cranberries, pinecones, pumpkins and leaves. Place fall scented potpourri or candles around the house, such as eucalyptus or pumpkin spice!
• Look at pictures of past Thanksgiving celebrations, write down all your family has to be thankful for this year.
• Create Halloween decorations to spook the neighbourhood on Halloween Night! A quick and easy craft to do is: get a tissue and either cotton balls or extra tissue balled up, place the ball in the centre of the open tissue, close up the open tissue around the ball and tie a string or twist tie around the ball and fluff up the excess tissue. Quick and easy tissue ghost! Make a few and hang them around the front of your house or trees (under cover is best to save them from the rain!) If you are concerned about them getting wet, re-use white grocery bags cut into small tissue –size squares.

Take in the season and really welcome it, the children will have warm and cozy memories to cherish as they get older and will look forward to the fall traditions you create as a family!