Holiday Lights & Tree Lighting Ceremonies in Mississauga 2013

There are many tree lighting ceremonies planned throughout Mississauga this holiday season.  Visit one with your family and celebrate the Magic of the Holiday season.

 

momstown Mississauga Families join together to attend these great local events. If you are looking for company visit our website and get started building traditions within your own community in Mississauga.

Streetsville Village Square: Friday November 22nd at 7pm. Join together at village main street square at 7 p.m. for the traditional lighting of the Christmas tree.  Horse & wagon rides, hot chocolate, sweet treats, and of course Santa! Celebration Square Saturday November 23rd 6-9pm

Bring your holiday cheer and see Mississauga Celebration Square dazzle at the 2013 Tree Lighting Celebration. There will be Food Trucks, Fun for the kids and live music! Tree Lighting at 7:30pm. Clarkson Village Tree Lighting Thursday November 28 7-9pm Location: 1880 Lakeshore Road West, Mississauga Join us 5th annual Christmas in Clarkson sponsored by the businesses in the Clarkson Village. Enjoy hot chocolate & cookies, sing along with the carols,  visit the petting zoo and fire truck. PLEASE BRING A NON PERISHABLE FOOD ITEM FOR THE COMPASS Light Up the Lighthouse in Port Credit Location: Lighthouse on Lakeshore in the village  Join your neighbours for an evening of festive fun for the whole family including a visit from St.Nick. Free crafts & refreshments.  Bring a donation to the Food Bank or a new pair of Mittens for the Mitten Tree!

Junior Chef: Remembrance Day Poppies

Remembrance Day is recognized by all Canadians in different traditions, parades and ceremonies. momstown Mississauga is no exception.  Our Junior Chefs met on Remembrance Day to make “poppies” out of fruits and veggies.  

momstown moms and kids used cherry tomatoes, strawberries and red peppers for the petals, blueberries for the middle and celery and cucumber for the stem.  They were excited to make their poppy masterpieces all by themselves, but their favourite part was eating it once they were done!

Once the kids had their fill of yummy snacks, they were given an opportunity to colour a poppy wreath with the famous poem “In Flanders Field” printed in the middle.  This was a great way for our moms to speak to their children individually about the importance of Remembrance day, and start the conversation about why we take time to remember.

At 11am the mamas agreed to have a minute of silence, to remember and honour those who gave their lives for our freedom. Sensing the importance of that moment, the children followed suit.  Needless to say, we had a group of very proud mamas!

Junior Chef is a monthly program run by momstown Mississauga.  It is a great way to get young kids involved in the kitchen. They have the chance to prepare simple, toddler-friendly recipes in a group setting!  Not only will the children feel accomplished, but it’s also a fantastic way to encourage healthy eating and trying new foods. 

Our mamas have found the group setting makes even the most unadventurous child want to try something new.   We hope to see you at our next Junior Chef next month! All of this is included in the annual family membership - buy yours today! 

Little Scientists Program: Discovering What Floats or Sinks

momstown Missisauga mamas brought their Little Scientists out to Whole Foods Square One to do a fun craft and experiment to discover the principles of sinking and floating.  The kids were given a chance to touch and feel each object. There was a pine cone, an apple, a leaf, coin, rock and a safety pin. 

The children measured each item's  size and weight and then were asked to guess whether each object would sink to the bottom of a vase of water, or float back to the top.  

They were extremely contemplative and took their time to fully assess each item, which paid off since they were correct for nearly every item!  Their favourite part was taking turns to drop each item in the water and shout out the result; especially the apple, since they all got a little wet from the splash! 

After testing each item, the kids each took a cut out of that item and glued it to a paper jar they coloured to look like it was full of water.  The items that floated to the top were glued to the top (pine cone, apple, leaf), and the items that sunk to the bottom were glued to the bottom (coin, rock, safety pin).  

momstown Missisauga meets monthly for this science program, focused on fun, hands-on & toddler-friendly experiments!  We hope to see you next time - join us today! All of our programs (as well as much more) are included in 1 low yearly fee - sign up today!

McDonalds sponsored Tales for Tots: Bookclub for Kids

momstown Mississauga's monthly literacy program Tales for Tots our monthly bookclub for kids,  was sponsored by McDonald's Canada this month. momstown partnered with McDonalds across Canada to help them to announce the new storybooks they are distributing in their Happy Meals. 

Our moms and kids loved reading the cute stories about growing up to be strong and healthy by eating right and getting exercise. These books are a super addition to Happy Meals, enjoyed by both parents and kids. 

Our Tales for Tots event was a hit! Our Clarkson Village McDonalds in Mississauga hosted us and delivered McCafe products, milk and juice for the kids, as well as apple slices and yogurt parfaits for a snack!

The 4 different story books are available until Nov 15th. The momstown Mississauga moms got to take home a great lootbag - supplied by McDonalds & stuffed with coupons for free Happy Meal & free drink as well as 3 of the 4 books and a treat for moms.  

Our toddlers also made a cute craft right in the restaurant (crafts go together with storytime at Tales for Tots). They had fun gluing healthy foods onto a plate, and choosing "sometimes foods" to add around the plate outside. The theme of the Happy Meal books is nutrition and how healthy choices help kids to grow up to be strong and active.

Tales for Tots is just one of the monthly programs run by momstown in Mississauga. We meet all over Mississauga for fun programs that get moms and kids active and trying new things! Join us today - sign up to start having fun with us!

Halloween Events for Families in Mississauga

There are so many fun events happening around Mississauga this month to celebrate Halloween. Here at momstown Mississauga we wanted to share our favourite events in the city and let you know where you can find our moms and kids celebrating! 

momstown Mississauga's Halloween Haunt October 30th 10am -12pm

Lots of Halloween crafts, costume contest, fun preschool and toddler activities like pumpkin bowling, pin the nose on the Jack 'o Lantern, a Parachute & Circle Time, a pot-luck buffet of Halloween treats and gymnastics fun from The Little Gym - East Mississauga - there will be fun for everyone! 

The Trick or Treat Festival October 26 10am - 4pm

The Mississauga Mompreneurs has organized a Trick or Treat Festival at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga. 

The Trick or Treat Festival is an Event where you can bring your family including your kids to play, shop, and connect with local Mississauga and Area Businesses. This Festival will feature kids in Costumes and Candy of course! FREE ADMISSION with Donation to Eden Food Bank

Clarkson Village Halloween Fun Fest October 26th 10 am - 2pm 

Trick or Treat through Clarkson Village. Colouring contest, Bouncies, magician and more!  Bring a non-perishable food item donation to Lakeshore and Clarkson Rd North. 

Historic Halloween Fun at Benares Museum October 27th 12pm - 4pm

Benares Museum is hosting a Halloween Event. Cost is $15/family. Reptilia shows, live music and entertainment, face painting, children’s crafts, games, tours of the historic house & more! The first 250 kids in costume will receive a loot bag!

Can't make it to one of these events? Click below for great ideas for Halloween Crafts & Treats from momstown! 

Alphabet Play - Now Sponsored by Alpha-Bits Cereal

momstown Mississauga mamas were very excited to have our Alphabet Play program sponsored by Post Alpha-Bits Cereal. Our monthly event will now include a snack station by Alpha-Bits, where the kids can have a snack while making their crafts. 

Our kick off event was held at The Fun Side - a unique Mississauga indoor playground & party centre that caters to the whole family. 

The event started off with a circle time where we sang all kinds of silly kids songs and tried to fit in our letter of the month as much as possible. This month featured the letter "T".  Our moms and kids were smiling trying to figure out what sound a Tyrannosaurus makes on Old MacDonalds farm... never mind the fact it would likely eat the farm... 

Our craft element this month was a leaf craft  T is for Tree. The kids got to choose out some beautiful leaves to stick on the construction paper Ts. Glue and leaves makes for happy kids (and some happy mamas too)! 

From Alpha-Bits each kid had a cup full of the yummy letter shaped cereal to snack on while gluing... then it was back to some free play time. Every family was able to take home a box to enjoy as well!  momstown Mississauga moms & kids meet monthly for this program focused on literacy, learning and FUN! Join us next time. Sign up today on our website or like us on Facebook to see all the fun events we do each month! 
  

When Should My Child Take an Interest in Reading?

The benefits of reading to your children are well documented. While it’s a good idea to do many other things to enhance your child’s education, reading is a simple, effective way to boost brainpower while bonding with your child. 

Here are just a few of the many benefits:

• Reading to children increases their vocabulary. A recent study of eight month old babies conducted by the Child Development Center at Rhode Island Hospital showed that the ones whose parents read to them frequently understood far more words than children who were not read to as often.

• Language, speech and communication skills improve when children are exposed to books. By reading to your children, you will be helping them learn to speak correctly. In addition, you will be improving their mastery of the language, and teaching them different ways to communicate.

• Young children love to snuggle up for a bedtime story, but even older children benefit from reading time with a parent. In today’s hectic world, reading together can be a special time, an oasis that allows you to share a meaningful experience.

• Students whose parents read to them tend to be academically advanced. Several domestic and international studies, including an article published by the British Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, found that children who are read to before preschool have a better chance of performing at above average levels throughout their school careers. That’s because reading helps them to master other skills too, like logic and empathy.

• A love of books is one of the benefits of reading to your children that has lifelong implications. People who love to read will continue learning throughout their lives, and this will enrich their world and make them more interesting people. Teaching your children that books are wonderful and reading is fun is one of the best gifts you can give them.

While the benefits of reading to your children can be obvious, what is less obvious is the best way to make sure they get off to a strong start. 

If you are unsure as to how your child is doing or you want to be certain they are well prepared for JK/SK or Grade 1 then you should consider some outside help.  The Education Directors at the Sylvan Learning Centre in Mississauga have a great deal of expert knowledge and experience and also offers FREE useful online resources at www.sylvanlearning.com.

For children who do seem to be struggling and need a little bit of extra attention Sylvan Learning offers a Beginning Reading program as well as a Handwriting Course to teach a young child how to hold a pencil and to how form letters carefully and confidently. 

If you are interested in improving your child’s reading level at any age or grade or are looking for a reading, writing or math tutor then give your local Sylvan Learning Centre a call. There are three locations to serve you across Mississauga. 

North Mississauga

South Mississauga 

Erin Mills