Three Sneaky Ways To Get Your Whole Family Reading

 

Reading, for many of us, is as natural as breathing. But what about those people for whom reading is a challenge? A struggle? A stress?  Here are three fun and sneaky ways to get your whole family reading without anyone’s even realizing it. Try these new approaches to reading to see some big payoffs.

 

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1. Travel (even if you stay in your own hometown!). When you’re out on the town, even if it’s in your own neighbourhood, environmental print — text on signs, posters, billboards, you name it — is a great way to get kids reading in a new and fun way.

Have your child “help” you read street signs in order to get you to your destination. Even beginning with a simple stop sign will get your child reading. Have him yell “STOP!” when he sees that big red sign, and soon he’ll recognize the letters when he sees them on the page.

Ask your child to find the big “H” for the community hospital, or to locate the EXIT sign in the movie theater or the elevator in the parking garage. Have an older child help you write grocery lists or to-do lists, checking off each item as it’s found.

If you really can skip town, travel brochures and menus will get everyone reading, as you work together to plan itineraries, meals and more.

2. Go Digital. If your child hesitates to pick up a traditional book, then don’t wait — go digital. Thousands and thousands of books and media are available to borrow on various electronic devices, and you can find them by checking your local library’s website.

Often these digital books, magazines and newspapers are interactive, which really helps engage reluctant readers.  Reading comes to life in new and exciting ways, and often if a child finds something that works for him digitally — a series or new magazine, for example — he’s more likely to want to pick up the hard copy.

3. Research. Is your daughter totally into LEGOs? Does she design bridges for bugs, plant tomatoes for you or draw amazing amusement parks? Work together to find some books on these topics or on topics that relate, connect or inspire.

Does your son go nuts for Skylanders or Minecraft? Find books about the elements, about engineering or about the games themselves. Reading books about these topics will be both interesting and engaging.

As a family, research and plan something together. Research a weekend getaway. Do some Internet searches; pore through travel guides. Plan an easy gathering, and from creating invitations to facilitating the event to e
xpediting the menu, kids will be doing so much reading they won’t even realize it.

It all counts, and often parents just need a little reminder that reading comes in many shapes, sizes and colours. So what are you waiting for? Start that sneaky reading!

*This is a guest post written by Amy Mascott, originally posted on the Sylvan Mom Minded Blog.  Sylvan Learning Centre in Mississauga can assist your child by creating a customized tutoring plan (JK and up). There are 3 locations in Mississauga, Contact the location nearest you  for more information.  

Who Knew A Visit To The Dentist Could Be So Much Fun?

momstown Mississauga mamas and little ones had a fun time at our Discovery Field trip to City Heights Dental. There was a lot to learn! Did you know that dentists recommend that you take your baby to her first dental checkup at 12 months? Dr Rai from City Heights Dental recommends bringing your babies with you to your checkup so they are familiar with the dentist’s office. This familiarity will help when it is time for baby’s first checkup.

Dr Rai showed us how to brush baby’s teeth and gums and answered many questions about ensuring that you and your child are maintaining great oral healthcare. If you give your baby milk before bed, Dr Rai advises wiping baby’s gums and teeth with a textured cloth or giving them some water to remove the milk residue from their teeth. It is also recommend that you assist your child with brushing their teeth until they are at least 8 years old. Young children do not possess the dexterity to properly clean all of their teeth.

 

Our little ones had a great time playing and colouring in the waiting room. They loved wearing cool sunglasses and sitting in the big chair to get their teeth examined.  We have another field trip to City Heights Dental in March so be sure to sign up. Spots are limited!

 

 

Junior Chef: Valentines Day Pizza and Chocolate Strawberries!

Valentine’s Day is Friday, so we thought our momstown Mississauga members deserved a special Valentine’s Day themed Junior Chef – heart shaped pizzas and chocolate covered strawberries!  This monthly program is part of our nutrition pillar at momstown. We teach our kids about healthy eating - right from the start!

 

Each child received a small piece of dough that they stretched and flattened before using a heart shaped cookie cutter to create their perfect little hearts, then topped it with pizza sauce, cheese, mini pepperoni (so cute!) and peppers.  We opted for a red pizza to go with our Valentine’s Day theme.   

 

While their adorable little pizzas were baking, they got to work on their strawberries.  Long stemmed strawberries were dipped into melted milk chocolate, then rolled into mini heart candy sprinkles.  We placed their prepped dessert into the fridge to set, just as their pizzas were finishing up in the oven.  We were all impressed with their little creations, especially the kids. 

 

They were so excited that they even asked to have their pictures taken with their meals!  Not only did their pizzas look impressive, but they were delicious too (yes, at least one mama stole a taste!)  Once their little bellies had had enough pizza, and leftovers were packed up to take home, out came dessert! 

 

 

Their strawberries were beautiful and from the looks on their faces, were just as tasty.  Our afternoon together also included some free play for the kids, as well as some great down time for our mamas with a cup of tea and conversation. 

 

Developing new friendships in a fun and inviting environment is what momstown Mississauga is all about.  Our quality programming teaches you how to teach your children about nutrition in a fun and nurturing environment. We hope to see you and your junior chef at our program next month!

momstown Mississauga's Valentines Day Party

Families from momstown Mississauga gathered on Sunday to celebrate Valentines Day with some crafts, food, friends and fun! We meet for fun crafty events all month long with our moms and tots but its nice on the weekends to get out and about with our whole families and have some fun!

 

Our creative families brought some tasty treats to our potluck party! We love potlucks and trying everyone's family favourites. Nori was the big surprise hit of this party, but we also had heart shaped cheese, fruit, and cookies on offer as well as dips, candies and more!

 

 

The children enjoyed doing a variety of crafts. Using a resist painting technique with tape and sponges and some paints, they created a variety of words, love, their names etc. Miss Caroline came up with that craft. Bingo Dabbers also came into play (oh so irresistibly messy)!

Miss Kelly made a Valentines Day matching Game with hearts and Disney characters cut out and pasted on the hearts. Kids found matching pairs like Mater and Lightening McQueen or Mickie and Minnie. For the younger tots the game was played with the hearts facing up, for the older kids it was a true match game experience. 

Lots of running and free play was followed with a small parachute session and a Valentines Day story time! We meet monthly for fun weekend events with the kids! Join us next month at our March Beat the Winter Blues Party!  Sign up for your membership today!

Don't Forget To Love Your Smile This Valentine's Day!

An Important Message From Our Sponsor:

 

Hello Moms!

With Valentines Day just around the corner, we at City Heights Dental Centre wanted to give you a few tips for a beautiful white smile on that special date night with Dad.

Best time to whiten your teeth is just after your dental cleaning so that you can get maximum absorption of the whitening product. So book your cleaning and brighten those teeth! If you have touch up kits at home, just use them for a night or two to get the desired smile.  

Avoid coffee/tea/red wine and any dark sauces for about 48hrs after whitening to get the maximum benefit.

Wearing a dark lipstick is the secret to making those pearly whites look even brighter, it's also the secret weapon to get Dad to splurge on a fancy dinner that night...he won't even know what hit him!

Enjoy your Valentines Day, and we hope these tips will come in hand. At our office, we offer in-office laser whitening where you will walker out with a brighter smile, and we also have take home kits for our patients.  

If you have any questions or want to book an appointment, don't hesitate to call us at 905-272-3575

 

Cheers!
Dr Rai


Follow our Facebook page
Vsist us at http://www.cityheightsdental.com/ 
600 Burnhamthorpe Rd. W.,
Suite 1A
Mississauga, ON 
L5B 2C4

Art & Play: January's Theme was Transportation

Each month momstown Mississauga moms and kids enjoy our signature Art and Play program. momstown's January curriculum focused on Transportation.

We gather at different spots around Mississauga monthly for programming. The Creative Kids Place was our host this month. This is a large facility that offers birthday parties, classes and so much more!

The Art & Play program featurs a mix of storytime, an activity (in this case sorting transportation vehicles) as well as a cool sensory craft. The children loved painting with different cars, running the wheels across the paper in paint.

We meet monthly for Art & Play Program. This is one of the events we're famous for at momstown.
Check us out for a free trial to have a look at our calendar - you can buy your membership HERE.

Eating Healthy: Apple Cinnamon Crepes

momstown Mississauga members are on a journey this month to get healthy! This easy recipe is made from scratch with ingredients most people have right in their pantry. Modify with whole wheat flour, egg replacements, almond milk or gluten free flour - make these with whatever you have on hand and fit this delicious recipe into any diet.

 

Ingredients:

 

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbs brown sugar

2 Tbs butter - divided

1 cup milk

1tsp vanilla

3 Eggs

3 Apples

Cinnamon

 

To Prepare the Apples:

 

Peel and thinly slice 3 apples. Cook in frying pan with 1Tbs of butter until soft. Add in cinnamon and brown sugar and cook for a few more minutes. Keep warm until crepes are ready.

 

To Prepare Crepes:

 

Combine all the dry ingredients and set aside. Whisk eggs and milk in a bowl, add in vanilla and the remaining Tbs of butter (melted and cooled). Whisk in the dry ingredients.

Pour by 1/4 cup into heated non-stick frying pan - tilt the pan to spread the batter in an even thin layer.

 

Cook for 1-2 minutes until the top appears dry, then flip over and cook an additional minute until lightly browned. Keep warm until ready to serve.

 

Layer apples in the middle of crepe, roll up and eat with fresh fruit on the side!  

 

 

 

Fitness Challenge

momstown Mississauga moms are getting fit in 2014! Starting on February 10th participants will be evaluated by a personal trainer and stats will be recorded for the start of the challenge. The mamas who are members will all contribute $20 to the challenge, there are no additional fees for any of the activities or services in our 6 week challenge.

Non-members will pay $30 and enjoy access for the duration of the Fitness Challenge to momstown calendar & events as well!  

 

Six weeks of workouts are planned (for both daytime and nights to try and accommodate all our mamas) including nights where we will hear advice on nutrition and diet. Support from a trainer is planned for the entire journey as is the built-in support of working out with the other mamas!

Try a variety of classes! Members should sign up on our Message Board by leaving a comment. The $20 fee is payable in cash on the first night.

Non-Members should email info.mississauga@momstown.ca for details on reserving  a spot and payment arrangements.

Deb from Fitness by the Lake is our Personal Trainer for this challenge. She will be supporting challenge members throughout the 6 weeks. 

Elizabeth from Muse Fitness will lead participants in Pole Dance. An exciting workout that teaches fitness using the pole as a workout tool!

Brenda from Zumba with a 'B' will have show participants how to combine their love of music and dance into a fun and challenging workout.

    Mary from Yoga City will lead the participants in both Mom & Baby Yoga as well as a session of Candlelight yoga. Namaste

 

 

Carol from Zawada Health a full service Naturopathic Clinic will be offering a talk on Nutrition to Complement our Fitness Challenge.

 

 

We also have a few other sponsors who will be joining our challenge. Check back for a complete list!

 

Healthy Eating: Cutting the Calories in Your Coffee

Guest Blog from our mama Kelly

Last year, I changed my eating habits and not only did I feel better, but I lost some weight as well!  I managed to maintain my results for several months, but then recently found that my lazy habits were slowly making their way back into my life and a few of those unwanted pounds too!  I decided enough was enough and decided to clean up my eating once again.  I had been doing so well, and I wasn’t going to throw all of that away. 

Previously I had given up my coffee completely, because, let’s be honest, if I can’t have it with my milk and sugar, I don’t want to have it at all.  So, I began to do some research to see if I could still have my coffee (and enjoy it!) without using milk and sugar, and I came across some recipes for homemade non-dairy creamer.  

Here's the recipe I tried.  Let me know what you think?

 

 

French Vanilla Coffee Creamer

Ingredients

1 cup coconut milk


1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons date paste* ( recipe below)


1 tablespoon vanilla extract

 

Instructions

Whisk all ingredients in a bowl. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Will store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for one week.

 

*Date Paste: Blend 1 cup of dates with 1 cup of hot water - added slowly. Leave to blend until smooth (about 1 minute).

 

Store in a glass container in the Refrigerator up to 1 week.

Adapted from a recipe on The Deliciously Organic Blog

Rhyme Rhythm & Read: A monthly bookclub for Babies in Mississauga

momstown Mississauga Babies were lucky this month to have Miss Caroline running Rhyme Rhythm & Read. They went on a transportation journey with our train book this month, I am a Train by Ace Landers.

Scholastic Canada sponsors RRR each and every month with a new baby board book. Reading to your children as infants will inspire a love of reading and a close bond with your baby that will set you up as a family for a lifetime love of reading.


momstown understands the importance of early literacy. It is one of the pillars of our programming. Our curriculum is written by a teacher and each month our coordinators develop new sensory and literacy activities to engage young minds.

Our happy winner - already reading!

Consider joining us, for a yearly fee, the whole family will have access to all of our programming and special events. Not to mention our special discounts, our partner's special promotions and the support of meeting friends who are just like you - in the same stage of life!

Sign up today!

Backyardigans Sponsor Music & Movement Class in Mississauga

Who explores a coral reef, plays in an octopus garden, and joins the jellyfish ballet - all before snack time? The Backyardigans! Koba Entertainment's hit theatrical production, "The Backyardigans: Sea Deep In Adventure" is returning to Canada!

momstown Mississauga moms and kids were thrilled to be part of an exciting event sponsored by Koba Entertainment and featuring the Backyardigans. This month's Music and Movement class had an undersea circle time theme as our kids went on an underwater adventure in our circle time.

 

Miss Sonia led our circle time and brought some fabulous friends to swim and play with the kids. We had an Octopus, Starfish, Sea Turtle and a Whale join in the fun while the kids sang along to the popular songs adapted to our sea theme.

 

Parachute time was terrific! We stomped, clapped, hopped and shook our sillies out, as well as rowing our boats.   The parachute is always a hit with the kids and the parents!

 

Our very talented event coordinator Caroline made a great aquarium craft. There were also Backyardigans colouring sheets, great bookmarks to take home and one lucky famkily won a prize package of tickets to see the show live in Mississauga! This kind of great sponsored event is just one of the many perks of a momstown.ca membership!

Would you like to see the Backyardigans Live too? You can on March 16th, in Mississauga at the Living Arts Centre! 

Little Scientists: Preschool Science Discovering Sense of Touch

momstown Mississauga is full of curious little minds, so what’s better than putting those minds to work - At our monthly Little Scientists program.  Hosted at Whole Foods Square One, this month our Little Scientists had an opportunity to learn about one of our senses – touch!

 

 

The activity consisted of seven paper bags - prepped in advance, each containing a single item.  By putting their hands into the bag, and using only their sense of touch (no peeking!) the kids were asked to guess what they thought they were feeling. 

 

 

Moms prompted them with questions like “Is it hard or soft?”, “Is it smooth or bumpy?”, and “What shape is it?”  Once they thought they knew what the object was, they glued a picture of it onto their sheet.  They each took the task of discovering each object through touch very seriously.  Their concentration and determination were admirable. 

 

 

 Once everyone had a chance to go through all seven bags, Miss Kelly pulled each item out one at a time, taking the time to discuss with the kids what they felt through touch to help them determine what each item was.  Some common answers were “fluffy” for the cotton balls, “bumpy” for the pine cone and “hard” for the rock.  Once the little ones were done, they opted for some free play, weaving in and out of the underside of the tall tables, while our mommas were able to sit back and catch up with each other.  

 

Remember, momstown Mississauga isn’t only for your kids, it’s for moms to connect as well!  Both our kids and moms are always open to meeting new friends, so why not join us next time?

Rhyme Rhythm & Read a Bookclub for Babies

momstown Mississauga families met for our Rhyme Rhythm and Read program at The Creative Kids Place in Mississauga.  

 

Our December bookclub for babies had a special guest attend via songs and stories as our group read Frosty the Snowman!  This classic tale was part of our storytime and then of course the kids sang the song in the Rhyming portion of the program.

 

Have you sung the song the whole way through? It's a challenge to remember all the lyrics - you can get so caught up in the Thumpity Thump Thump part!

 

 

 

 

This family was our lucky winner of the Scholastic Board Book. Each month Scholastic sponsors momstown literacy programs right across the country.  momstown chapters offer a full range of early education-based, whole child-focused programming that seeks to connect moms in our local communities.

 

Consider joining us with your baby and make the most of your maternity leave. We also welcome grandmas, daddies and other caregivers! Membership is only $45/year per family (for a limited time)!

Toddler Time: Active Kids Equals Great Naps!

momstown Mississauga knows the importance of physical activity with our little ones, which is why our members met weekly last fall at Canlan Sportsplex for our Program Toddler Time.  The kids practiced their ball skills, burned off some energy running around and spent time socializing with their friends. 

We were lucky enough to have one of our momstown dads join on this week, which was a real treat for the kids!  They all took turns playing ball with him, chasing him and then tumbling with him on the green.  Our moms all agreed that he was SuperDad!  Once Super Dad and the kids had their fill of play and they were ready for a rest, everyone gathered together to work on a fun leaf rubbing craft. 


We had some pretty interesting colours for the fall – blue, lime green and purple!  Timing couldn’t have been more perfect, since all the leaves have since fallen off the trees, and snow is now in the forecast!  Our momstown moms and kids always have a blast at Canlan Sportsplex, so why not join us next time! We are working on more dates through the winter for our Toddler Time Program!


Membership is only $45 for a year (for a limited time)! All the events (such as this) are included in the yearly fee.

Tales for Tots in January: Reading Superworm

Our momstown Mississauga moms recently braved the roads with their little ones after a wintery storm, to attend our Tales for Tots program at Whole Foods Square One, and they were not disappointed.  It was the perfect day to get out of the house for some crafting, story time and socializing. 

 

  

Keeping in line with January’s theme of Planes, Trains and Automobiles, the kids each crafted a name train!  They each made an engine and then added enough cars behind for each letter in their name.  The finishing touch to each picture was cotton ball smoke coming out of each engine stack. 

 

Once their masterpieces were complete, they all sat back to enjoy a reading of this month’s book, Superworm by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.  The story is about a friendly worm who is a superhero in his community, whether it be by rescuing a bug who has fallen in the well, or becoming a skipping rope to keep his friends entertained.  When he gets captured by a wicked Wizard Lizard, his friends decide they need to rescue him this time! 

 

Our moms loved the story and the kids loved the rescues and silly rhymes.  It was a huge hit across the board and like every month, Scholastic Canada provided a book for a draw so one family could take the book home!  Tales for Tots runs monthly and is a great way to promote literacy and build friendships with your little one. 

 
 

Membership to momstown Mississauga is still only $45 per year (for a limited time) and includes all of our events so why don't you join us next time?

 

New Years Eve - Noon time celebration for Preschoolers

momstown Mississauga families had a great time at our "Noon" Countdown on New Years Eve. Hosted at The Fun Side this was our second annual Noon Years Eve Countdown.

The smaller kids enjoyed playing in the toddler room on the fantastic assortment of baby equipment. While the bigger children spent their time roaming through the 3 story play structure. The slides at the Fun Side are incredibly tall and fast and keep the adults and the kids coming back for more!

Our creative coordinator Kelly made some simple shakers for "ringing" in the New Year out of toilet paper rolls. With some cardstock, stickers and help from Mom and Dad there were some fancy party hats too!

Once Noon arrived there was a countdown and everyone enjoyed an apple juice toast! Thank you to our families for coming out to celebrate. Consider joining us in 2014 as we have a great year lined up at momstown Mississauga. Membership is still only $45 for the year (for a limited time) so get yours today and start having fun all month long with your family!