Discovery Dome
57 T3E 1N1 Calgary, AB, Canada

It’s been nearly a year since Y has been inside a library but that hasn’t slowed down our borrowing of books! The Calgary Public Library has been providing curbside pick up for books and print jobs during the pandemic. Recently, it also launched a book bag program which allows us to request a bag of books based on a child’s age (and in some cases, interests). Y and I ventured out on Friday just as our polar vortex was starting, to pick up our books. Our toddler sled was the perfect way to tow these heavy books to our car! We absolutely love the Calgary Public Library and are so grateful for their continued efforts to support Calgarians during this challenging time. How have your libraries modified services to support patrons during the pandemic? #CalgaryPublicLibrary #CPL #Bookbags #polarvortex #fortheloveofbooks

When this pandemic started, one of the first things we did was make up flannel board characters for my son’s then favourite story, The Gingerbread Man. His big sister carefully crafted some of the characters (I did the others). 10.5 months later and he still loves this story ...and so many other folktales. When my daughter was this age, her favourite story was Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Other favourites in our house have been The Three Little Pigs and Three Billy Goats Gruff. What classic stories do your children most enjoy?

I love this combination of design, craft and play. Grandparents are so special

We had the chance to participate in a local #orangeshirtday walk this morning in #Calgary. Orange Shirt Day became a thing in 2013. It was started by Phyllis Webstad (look up her story) and is often observed in schools. This day (September 30) acknowledges the horrible history of residential schooling in Canada and reaffirms that #everychildmatters #chaqueenfantcompte . We were fortunate to find a local family-friendly event called #Pokaiks Theres a live concert going on now. You can watch it on YouTube here https://www.cifrs.ca/pokaiks Theres also a zoom event with sessions around various topics on the same page if you click on the menu.

Growing up, my backyard was my favourite place of my first house. I spent so many days and evenings there, escaping to other worlds. Some of my fondest childhood memories are from that area. Our backyard has always been a place of refuge and exploration for our kids. We live in a residential neighbourhood in the city. Our house is a townhouse in a small gated community which means, there's no space between our house and our neighbours' houses. [ 862 more words ] https://discoverydomeyyc.wordpress.com///backyard-upgrade/

Chicks usually hatch by day 21 but some may take a few extra days. We had to dispose 7 of our 8 eggs because they were not viable so all of our hopes were pinned to our last egg. This is not a probable scenario but is possible! Nanny McCluckins Chick Hatching Experience told me their hatch rate was 60% but everyone signs a form indicating this is a science experiment and nothing is guaranteed. [ 743 more words ] https://discoverydomeyyc.wordpress.com//chick-hatching-pa/

In the spring of 2012, I was taking a class as part of my Early Learning and Child Care certificate that required me to create a concept and activity web. I chose to create my webs in light of a kindergarten class I was volunteering with at the time. We had recently been on a field trip to a farm, and one of the girls in my group had become especially smitten with the chicks, les poussins (it was a francophone school). [ 476 more words ] https://discoverydomeyyc.wordpress.com//chick-hatching-pa/

I have a child who is sometimes adverse to going outdoors. Although they generally enjoy themselves once they get out, motivating them to get outside can be a challenge. This evening, I proposed a flower hunt. We made these quick little checklists and the children had fun spotting different coloured flowers. This also is an example of how an activity can be modified to foster different ages. My 3 year old practiced searching, coordination, and fine motor skills while my 6.5... year old counted and represented her findings, all while getting the physical and mental benefits of taking a walk outdoors. They had the chance to socialize as they chatted with neighbours, asked questions and reflected on their findings. They also saw the next stage in a plants lifecycle as flowers are giving way to fruit and vegetables like apples, and these peas they planted two months ago. #gettingkidsoutside #everydaylearning #flowers See more

Under natural circumstances, after a rooster fertilizes a laid egg, a hen sits on it for about three weeks until it is ready to hatch. An incubator takes the place of the hen, keeping eggs warm. Our incubator had a rotating feature so the eggs had even warming. Once the incubator was plugged in and set to the correct temperature, we just had to be patient as the days passed. [ 671 more words ] https://discoverydomeyyc.wordpress.com//chick-hatching-pa/

We picked up our eggs and equipment in NW Calgary on June 1st. The process was smooth and efficient and within the hour, we were back home. The colours of the eggs were beautiful! There were assorted sizes and colours and some still had dirt and feathers stuck to them. When I was in kindergarten, we had gone on a field trip to a farm. [ 461 more words ] https://discoverydomeyyc.wordpress.com//chick-hatching-pa/

When I was in grade one, we hatched duck eggs in my classroom. I remember the incubator used to keep the eggs warm, candling the eggs with Ms. Chang and helping to name the six yellow ducklings- my suggestion of Fluffy was chosen by the class and I was so proud. Those fluffy ducklings with their tan soft down feathers and little orange webbed feet were magic! [ 210 more words ] https://discoverydomeyyc.wordpress.com//chick-hatching-pa/

A sneak peek at what weve been up to this past month with Nanny McCluckins Chick Hatching Experiences

Some of the birds at our window. Hoping we see the Northern Flickers again this year!

This one was my favourite...what a glutton! Our entire bird feeder disappeared the next day!

What kinds of animals have been visiting you this year? Weve been getting our regular birds but the addition of a garden, lots of overturned soil for a patio renovation project, and some new bird feeders have attracted some entertaining squirrels. Yesterday, we even saw a Richardson ground squirrel trying to find his way back home.

Some self-directed loose parts play from yesterday morning. In the past, H (6.5 years old) would just play and create as she went. This time, she drew a plan in advance, helped herself to materials and enlisted her little brother Y (3 years old) to help out. Im amazed at watching how her play has developed over the years!

Ramadan this year was...interesting. I have been writing about Ramadan for the last 5 years, and for the last 4 of them, I have been doing a comprehensive series outlining what I've done with my kids during Ramadan. This year, I decided to take a different approach. I chose to focus on myself, prioritizing my own goals and experiences. That's not to say I didn't think about creating a pleasant environment for my children, but I didn't put as much pressure on myself to "do" things, especially specific things on specific days. [ 571 more words ] https://discoverydomeyyc.wordpress.com//ramadan-2020-quar/

We've been home-based for 3.5 weeks now. The days don't feel as novel now and we've fallen into a rhythm that works for us. That being said, every week, there's some sort of life change and we have to adjust things. Here are some photos of what we've been up to since I last posted. Online schooling started for us this week but the majority of our time is still spent doing our own thing. [ 116 more words ] https://discoverydomeyyc.wordpress.com//covid-19-quaranti/

Today we: practiced adkaar watched someone read The Rainbow Fish story online made our own rainbow fish which we are thinking of displaying in our front window for other children who might be out walking to see and enjoy; the children decided to paint further I made the missing fox for yesterday's story read - I've noticed we are reading from early readers/chapter books more than picture books [ 68 more words ] https://discoverydomeyyc.wordpress.com//covid-19-quaranti/

We live in a city that has been encouraging people to practice social distance since late last week. Over the weekend, an announcement came that all school classes would be canceled. While the implications of that haven't fully sunk in for me yet, I thought I'd share what we're up to in hopes it may be helpful to someone else. [ 539 more words ] https://discoverydomeyyc.wordpress.com//covid-19-quaranti/

Ive always been intrigued by homeschooling and even though my children attend traditional schools, I am a firm believer that learning is not limited to what happens at school (all of my past posts are testament to that). We were informed Sunday evening that in our province (Alberta) schools are indefinitely closed until September (at least for now). As schools and teachers scramble to figure this out, heres what weve been up to. [ 836 more words ] https://discoverydomeyyc.wordpress.com//covid-19-here-sta/

Today was one of those days that went very differently than planned. I had prepared an activity for a group of school-aged children I was supposed to work with today, but instead, we ended up having to call in sick to school and work. Too bad you cant call in sick to being a mom. Nevertheless, I decided my preparations shouldnt go in vain so I read the story I was planning on reading to my own kids. [ 345 more words ] https://discoverydomeyyc.wordpress.com//sick-days-and-sel/

When H was a preschooler, she loved using loose parts to create pictures. Today, I was thinking about something she could do while Y was napping so I decided to draw a design and left a box of markers and some loose parts for her. They included dry beans, wooden beads, glass pebbles, plastic pebbles, painted wooden cubes and pom poms. [ 195 more words ] https://discoverydomeyyc.wordpress.com//loose-parts-with-/

Years ago, I saw this book while I was buying groceries. I was instantly intrigued and the play enthusiast in me quickly bought two copies (it's all about spreading the joy, right?) A few years ago, I gave away the second copy I purchased as a gift to a friend, hoping it would bring some magic to her children and my own copy continued to hide away in a box in our storage room. [ 552 more words ] https://discoverydomeyyc.wordpress.com///15/dino-takeover/

DINOVEMBER - Days 1 & 2 Ive been sitting on the book What the dinosaurs did last night by Refe and Susan Toma for four years...maybe five. Im so excited to finally bring my family this truly magical opportunity for play. Enjoy! #dinovember

The leaves are changing. Pumpkin spice is everywhere. And if you're in Alberta, this is one of the many times of the year when seasons collide. It's been four years since I originally posted this fall scavenger hunt I created but it still continues to serve our family so I thought I'd share it again. To download the free printable or to see a few other fall activities, click [ 314 more words ] https://discoverydomeyyc.wordpress.com//free-fall-scaveng/

We welcomed our first snowfall last week. Y helped me make soup. His favourite part is smelling the ingredients, especially spices and peeling garlic! What aspect of cooking do your kids enjoy?

Yay! Were on summer holidays here- that means a return to learning about whats relevant to our daily lives. This is a photo of H this morning comparing photos of the Alberta Wild Rose (our provincial flower) with five petals that weve been looking out for. We also found the Canadian thistle (pokey plant) that she got pricked by yesterday

Weve been experiencing quite the downpour here in Calgary. In addition to finding some puddles to jump in after our errands this morning, we decided to make use of the fast moving water and experiment by throwing in different objects we collected. Y was seriously engaged (and drenched) refusing to come in. We busted out his winter jacket for our first lovely day of summer

My final post about Ramadan 2019 and the learning circle model we developed. Its incredible how whats destined for us will always find us. We plan and He plans.

What we did the final week of Ramadan. Some great new books and a special thanks to my neighbour for the lovely Eid Fruit Basket and to my other two neighbours for the tomato plant and sunflower plantS from earlier in the month https://discoverydomeyyc.wordpress.com//ramadan-2019-post/

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to return to Tiny Tots Daycare to do some storytelling with the children. Y and I had a great time and I was honoured to have both my past, and present mentor provide me with feedback. Storytelling in Ramadan has become a #RamadanTradition Alhamdulillah

Technical difficulties prevented us from sharing what we did the second half of Ramadan. Even though the blessed month is over, we hope you can benefit from what we did. The third week was all about community, H's progression with the Arabic language and flowers!

The morning after a rainy night is the perfect time to see spring in action: worms, squirrels, birds, bees, and blooming flowers

Week 2 is up! Cant believe were midway. Please share :)

Heres what the kids and I were up to last week during Ramadan. Im hoping to use these learning circles as a way to kickstart learning Quran (reading and memorization) in our home for my 5.5 year old. Inshallah we can continue even after Ramadan finishes.

Ramadan Mubarak! The day before Ramadan, the kids and I worked on this mosque. I talk about the first mosque I remember visiting (Jami Mosque in Toronto <3) and address something that I've been seeing more of among Muslim (moms) in the West.

Our first post for Ramadan 2019 - all about how we are planning for it, what changes we've made from years past and letting you know about the cool businesses we purchased our Ramadan books and cute PJs from (in case you're still looking) Two Craftistas Ruqaya's Bookshelf Eastern Toybox P.S. This is not an affiliate post ;)

Alhamdulillah we've had the chance to share lots about our Ramadan learning over the years. Here's a post with links to all of our past Ramadan posts so you can easily find what you're looking for. Skim it to see if anything stands out for you.