Daycare staff organized a Thanksgiving Luncheon on October 11th, welcoming families and caregivers of children enrolled to share in a beautiful, big spread of Thanksgiving foods including turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, salads, rolls and desserts. The smells of homemade food being prepared onsite permeated the classrooms and provided a warm, cozy feeling while those in attendance waited for the dinner bell to chime. This gathering offered a chance for the families of young children attending Daycare to meet one another and mingle together. They had a chance to interact with other parents and children in a community celebration and experience the learning environment their children are in every day.
Shki Waase Aaban Binoojiinh Gamik Staff organized a takeaway craft activity, a layered Dessert in a Jar, whereby the little children, with help from their parents and fellow classmates, explored concepts of measuring items, the various colours and textures of foods such as flour vs. sugar vs. cocoa or chocolate chips, and following the steps in order to complete a project. Their little hands operated funnels, scoops, measuring cups, and placed all the items into a large mason jar and tied everything up with a decorative bow and recipe card to complete the craft.
The Daycare’s classrooms were decorated with seasonal tablecloths, floral centerpieces, and the children’s creations of trees with autumn leaves made of scrunched tissue paper. The windows and walls displayed stained glass artwork that lit up the rooms with a kaleidoscope of colours. A long table at the head of the room held the festive spread, inviting everyone to come up to serve themselves with the fall bounty.
Fall colours, Daycare families and staff gathering to give thanks, aromas of a homemade turkey dinner, and offering a handmade gift to a beloved member – all these things combined to create the warm and cozy feelings associated with this time of giving thanks, enjoying fall’s bounty, and sharing community togetherness around a table.
