Oak Park Neighbourhood Centre
2200 Sawgrass Drive L6H 6M8 Oakville, ON, Canada

One of our favorites...

An fun, easy activity- colour recognition, fine motor. Try it with shapes and letters too

Happy Friday after school friends, I hope you have had a wonderful week. As always it is important to move your body and take the time to care for your body. A great option for both is Yoga, it allows you to move your body while caring for it as well.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMMRb10LtGM However, it is not made for everyone, and some of us prefer to get up and dance to music in which case as we have done before Zumba is for you. Do you have a favorite song you like to dance to rather than following a routine, put it on and dance freely. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj9NA3flLoI Remember there is no right or wrong to getting up and doing a fitness activity, you have to listen to your bodies and do what you enjoy doing most. We are always discussing healthy food options and ways to incorporate new food into our weekly meals. I wanted to give you some new options that you and your family can make together. Sometimes finding treats that are not full of sugar so I found a few options that you can try out. https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/carrot-cookie-bites/ http://www.eatingwell.com/r/281601/banana-zucchini-muffins/ https://meant2preventkitchen.ca//peppermint-black-bean-br/

Important information! We have an opiod crisis. Please pick up Naloxone to have on hand if you know someone at risk.

While almost everything is shut down, our Preschool continues. Shout out to the most amazing Preschool teachers Shannon & Andree. If you are looking for a Preschool progam we have 3 spots open right now. Here are the highlights of this weeks half day program. "Good morning Preschool Families, Welcome back! We read the perfect square in circle time this week and the children took their squares and cut and ripped them to make new creations. We also brought out the paint and hav...e posted their work in our classroom. We estimated with penguins and the children had remarkably close if not exact guesses. This experience helps to build their cognitive ability to visualize and determine quantity. Outdoors we enjoyed colouring the snow blue, red and green. Our letter next week is the letter B. We will explore in math and science with some birthday fun. Everyone is doing a great job at getting themselves ready to go outdoors with taking off their shoes, then putting on snow pants, boots, jackets, hats, and mitts. We are so proud of their accomplishments! Enjoy your weekend!" See more

Hello after school friends, I hope you are staying warm on this cold day. While we continue our online program today, I wanted to bring you back to our conversations about being kind to ourselves and others. It is important to be kind to one another while using caring language and encourage each other. We can spread kindness to others with a simple smile or compliment. I want to encourage you to part take in Kindness Friday, to each person in your household give them a comp...lement or thank them for something they do. It is important that we work on knowing what bullying is and how to identify it within our daily lives. https://youtu.be/eAj2kTQyEGw Remember that getting out and active daily is important for your body and mind. Why not get the whole family involved and get up and move your bodies with a dance battle, pick your favorite music and get up move your bodies. You can change up the pace and keep your heart working by changing between fast and slower songs.

Good afternoon my after school friends, While we have spoken about keeping up with the needs of our bodies, we also need to care for our brains and how we maintain the requirements of each day. We have spoken about how we should take time daily to do something simple like writing down everything we have in our brain like a "brain dump" exercise; or even taking time to do something calming to help relax your brain like colouring. For some people reading or having "quiet time" ...is their way of relaxing their brain from the stressors of their day. Even physical activity is a great way to provide a break for your brain to step away from the routine that you have. While you are doing online schooling it is important to remember that stepping away from technology is good for your brain and allows it to relax from the information it must process. So take time to go outside and get some fresh air and enjoy the weather. I suggest you give one of the following a try for your mental relaxation: colouring listening to music go for a walk read a book brain dump exercise simply sit in silence for a few moments What are things that you do to help relax your brain and take a moment to step away from your day? Which did you try? As we know that nourishing our bodies is important and maintaining a healthy outlook on what we put into them is important, I wanted to encourage you to try some new recipes with your families while at home. Simple recipes that allow for a great snack after a long day of school, so here are a couple that I encourage you to try: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/healthy-banana-oat-muf/ https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/tomato-basil-mozzarell/

Good afternoon after school friends, Income/wages, you may have heard your parents or school speaking about what income is and how understanding the difference between income and expenses work. Around the world there is a large variance in what the average income is. It is important to understand that we all live differently based on our incomes and how we spend our money; this is not to say that one way of life is better than the other as we all view life differently. Our ...income is the money we make from having a job, whereas expenses are the things we pay for like bills and food. Here is a video to further explain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2wcbUNZ-yo As I said around the world the income rate is different and the way of living reflects the differences of the value put on money. I want to encourage you to take a few moments and see how different incomes in different spots around the world look when it comes to living. These families have been kind enough to share what their monthly income on average is and how their living looks; along with a short bit of information about them. Please remember that currency and money value is different all over the world but for the sake of this page they have put the currency into American Dollars. https://www.gapminder.org/dollar-street/?topic=families Have you done your daily exercise getting your bodies up and moving? Well, here are two great options of easy workouts that can get your heartrate up and your bodies moving. Remember to always have water handy when doing physical activity and to ensure you have a clear space to work out. Take 5 minutes and move your body! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rN0h6EZd6TM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MBEyQIlrfo It is also a lovely day for a family walk, I want to encourage you to get outside and enjoy the fresh air. After dinner tonight go for a family walk around the neighbourhood and enjoy the time together.

Still feels like Christmas at OPNC! Thank you to Winners for the 10 huge bags of products to share with the families who come out to our food bank. Thank you to The Home Depot for the $10,000 grant to do renovations (floors, new furniture, fire extinguishers and a new office added) at our Harm Reduction Program at OakHaven. The floors were completed today! and finally to a local family who has supported us for sometime who are providing a plexiglass barrier at OakHaven to keep our staff safe. So grateful to local business and the community for helping us meet the needs of the most vulnerable in our community

VALENTINES...... Under normal circumstances the children who come out to our programs complete 500 valentines and they are delivered to seniors at Posts Inn & chartwell residences. This year we are asking children connected with OPNC to send us short videos and photos with a valentines message for us to send a virtual valentines message to every senior's residence in Halton! Deadline is February 1st. please send to [email protected] In addition we are asking families to decorate the trees outside seniors residences with hearts- please send us photos to share of your decorating!

Hello after school friends, With the weather being so nice today, I thought it would be nice to get outside for some fresh air. Being active with your family, going out for a walk around the neighbourhood, playing a game, or going on a bike ride. Changing up a walk around the neighbourhood by doing a nature walk being aware of your surroundings or even doing walking and jogging intervals can make a large impact.... Might I suggest even a simple Zumba that the whole family can part take in, this can be a great activity that to do outside. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHo9QaJ1DyI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoYxG0avSfY We know that sleep can affect your overall wellbeing and your mood. How about your hydration levels, did you know that your hydration is important for your mental health as well? It is important that we drink lots of water daily to maintain our hydration. Water, water, water. Water is not only important for hydration, but it is also needed by the body to: Carry nutrients and oxygen to working muscles, Remove toxins and waste products, Keep joints moving well, Regulate body temperature , and Maintain normal blood pressure and heart rate. How much water do you drink on a regular day? Did you know that there is a way of telling how dehydrated you are, well not only can your skin be dry but we also know based on the colour of our pee? Well, here is a chart to tell you how hydrated or dehydrated you are. Are you drinking enough water?

4. Use time-ins rather than time-outs.

Thank you to everyone who has been dropping off small gifts and encouraging cards to brighten the day of people who are shut in and alone at this time. We have received 75 thus far! and know that another 50 are on their way.

Good afternoon after school friends, I hope your day is going well. Being able to center yourself and be mindful helps keep your mind decluttered. Remember that taking care of your body is super important and taking time to care for it is something that you should do daily, whether it be simple relaxing like this yoga: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X655B4ISakg&feature=youtu.be or a mindful activity:... 1. Take a second close your eyes and note all the senses your body has: what do you hear what do you smell what do you taste what do you feel now open your eyes what do you see 2. Take a moment with a piece of paper and some coloured pencils, markers, or crayons. Draw an animal whichever comes to mind first, remember it doesn't have to be perfect. The idea is to take time and create something and take your mind of everything else. I would love to see where your mindfulness activity has taken you today.

CURRENT NEEDS LIST: Someone to pick up Starbucks every Tuesday morning for our North Service Rd Location foodbank We have members who are in need of.... drip coffee maker... medium mens winter coat Size 4 & 5 diapers Size 8/9 women’s winter boots Thanks for your support! UPDATE: All set now with volunteers and only remaining need is diapers and boots See more

Good afternoon after school friends, Welcome back and Happy New Year! While we are starting the year off virtually, I look forward to seeing you in person again soon. Being at home gives us some different opportunities to get active, I thought it would be fun to kick off with some at home activities.... As we have discussed being active and keeping our bodies moving is important, going on a walk outside, around the house or playing in the yard. Here is a scavenger hunt that you and your family can participate in, you can submit a picture when you solve/find the answer to a clue: 1. Find something that starts with the first letter of your name. It must be outside. 2. Sometimes I bloom, in seasons I lose them, but I always stand tall. 3. I am a place where people sit but not in a yard but more in a field, sometimes I stand on pavement. 4. I can brighten up a room with a simple switch. 5. I fall to the ground when the weather gets cold, but I am always brown. 6. I am typically grey or black, I part every few feet, but I see sky all day. 7. I am something that you see every day, but you don't give me a second thought. I express myself with every emotion and show my teeth to spread cheer. I hope to see your solutions/answers to these clues while you participate. Along with getting our bodies up and moving it is always good to have delicious and healthy snacks that are great for after school. Have you ever made your own crackers or pretzels? Well, here are two fun and easy ways to do both. Remember that it's always a good idea to get the whole family involved in creating these recipes. Pretzels: https://www.foodnetwork.com//kids-can-make-healthy-cinnamo Crackers: https://www.foodnetwork.com//kids-can-make-healthy-gluten-

Our Before/After School Program for grades JK to 3 has space currently available for registration. This is a licensed program for maximum 12 children. We pick up and drop off at Post's Corners school For more information contact [email protected]

Please note changes to this weeks storytime registration. Tickets are required for each person( adult/child) attending to a maximum of 25 people.

So many great books on this list!

Thank you to the Meeting House grade nine group for the food donations they collected.

Cool painting idea for the New Year....how fun! Directions --> http://www.learning4kids.net/2015/12/27/painting-fireworks/

Some art fun from a fellow Neighbourhood House

Artists age 10 or younger are invited to colour this year’s Oakville Santa Claus Parade cartoon for a chance to win a phone call from Santa! Email all submissions to [email protected] by November 15. Winners will be announced during an online broadcast with Santa on November 21.

Urgent Needs: 2 size 7 girls winter coats, 1 size 6 boys winter coat. Blankets- 3 twin size and one double bed size

Thank You to 100 Women Who Care Oakville for the Purses with a Purpose donation. Your purses filled with gifts made some women struggling in poverty very happy! Thanks so much for all you do to make Oakville a great place to live!

LETS KEEP THE GIVING GOING.....Many people struggle during the drab months of January and February. We invite you to extend your giving spirit for an additional 10 weeks to take us through to March by donating a small gift and a card with an encouraging message. This is just a small gift like - a word search, tic tacs, werthers, pair of socks (cozy ones for ladies too), dial or other disinfectant liquid soap, a plant, hand cream, tea towel, or hand towel, chocolate, candy, hot chocolate, baked cookies, markers & colouring for adults, all with a small card with an encouraging message. If you don't have an isolated neighbour you can do this for then just drop off at the centre after January 4th 9am to 6pm Thanks! OPNC Team

We forgot to acknowledge an amazing Christmas elf- Ilona Kopriva. Every year Ilona and her team of volunteers hold a large Christmas party for children who live below the poverty line. This year her party was not to be, so she put together and delivered gift bags to each child. So grateful to be a part of such a giving community!

What a whirlwind of a month. Thank you so much to the whole community for supporting the most vulnerable and isolated in Oakville for the holiday season. We could not provide support to over 3,300 people a year without the help from local businesses, churches, local foundations and community members. THANK YOU! Our amazing staff team who went above and beyond to meet the needs in our community this month and for this whole crazy pandemic year are taking a well deserved two week break. We'll see you on January 4th. (Our Oakhaven program and our virtual tax program will be open for limited hours)

Kyle at Maplegrove Home Hardware we are overwhelmed by your generosity in supporting a single mom who was recently homeless to get her restablished in her new life. You went above and beyond providing everything she needed for her home. We’re so grateful to have you be part of the OPNC team.

Thank you to Bronte Grandmothers for Africa for the beautiful hand knitted scarves in support of Aids Network of Hamilton/Halton, Kerr Street Ministries and OPNC. Our families selected a scarf in support and to raise awareness.

Thank you King's Community Church - Oakville for the donation of Tim Hortons gift cards and cookies for the people we support who are precariously housed.

Thank you KB for the individually wrapped toys for our families!

Thank you B for assisting with a last minute family sponsorship! Very kind and generous

Thank you St. Simon's Anglican Church, Oakville for the generous donations for each of our food bank recipients to ensure their cupboards are full for the holidays

Munns United Church a big thank you for ensuring our Teens 11-18 were taken care of this holiday season.

Thank you The Meeting House for the gift bags full of goodies. They’ll definitely come in handy for our clients.

Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh......Outdoor holiday concert by our Preschool children!

Thank you to Chris, Emma and Zachary for dropping off holiday crafts for our after school programs.

Thank you to Anna and her family for their generous donations in supporting one of families for this holiday season.

Thank you to all of those that generously donated this holiday season. Here is a small clip of our team prepping all the donations we recieved.

Thank you to Oakville Fire Fighters for holding the toy drive and the generous donations they brought over. We are so thankful for the donations and being able to support so many families. And all the families that brought donations to their toy drive.

Thank you to C and his family for sponsoring one of our families for the holidays. Your generous donation was greatly appreciated.

A huge thank you to Diana C and her team for sponsoring 2 of our families.

Thanks to Oakville community foundation for their support of local agencies!

Looking for a High School student to shovel a drive way after snow falls for student hours in the Kerr & Rebecca area. Email [email protected]

Bronte Creek this morning

Shout out to a few special storytime moms who purchased items and wrote beautiful cards to ensure one of our families needs were met this holiday season

Special thank you to the Oakville Hornets Girls Hockey Association U13 B team for their generous donation of 50 bags filled with Tim Hortons gift cards and toiletries.

Beautiful day for a Holiday outdoor sing-a-long Chartwell Oak Park Retirement Home

What a wonderful morning! Our Preschool children and Strollers and Storytime group walked up to Chartwell Oak Park Retirement Hometo sing Christmas songs from outside to our grand-friends. Bells were ringing as seniors watched from their open windows and we all sang together

Another family sponsorship. Thank you to the M family for their kindness and generosity!

Thank you Renewal by Andersen of Greater Toronto for sponsoring one of our families this holiday season!

Way to go TELUS! Providing free mobile phone, and discounted cell service to low-income seniors. telus.com/mobilityforgoodseniors.

We have a need for a Women's XL & women's a medium winter coat.

Thanks to a wonderful group of High School students for taking the time out of their weekends to bake 50 dozen cookies for us to distribute to those in need this holiday season.

Are you a senior who could use some help with snow shoveling, a light shop or help to get your mail over the winter. Let us know and we will match you up with a youth volunteer in your community [email protected] or 905 257 6029

SundaySeeds because everything starts with a seed.... Fine motor skills are the last physical skills to develop. As we learn to control our big muscles (gross m...otor skills) we are able to move, to jump and dance. Fine motor skills help with self-care buttons, zippers, opening containers, and also colouring and writing. As with all skills, the more we practice, the better we are at the tasks. Crafts are a fun way for children to develop fine motor skills along with their imagination and problem-solving skills. Have fun with your child as you do these two crafts together! You can introduce the polar bear craft by listening to the story Polar Bear, Polar Bear,What Do You Hear? at this link https://bit.ly/33JsSEw and then make the face together. For the polar bear face you will need A paper plate - the face Two white circles - the ears White tissues - the fur Glue Black marker - the eyes and nose Optional - an empty fruit cup for the nose Thank you Rachel from I Heart Crafty Things 2. Make your own snowstorm with this snowglobe. http://ow.ly/TMzQ50CD0xH http://amelieshouse.blogspot.com//holiday-projects-1-snowg #mcrcHalton #oakvilleparentchildcentre #oakvillelibrary #earlyonburlington #burlonlibrary #haltonnewcomerstrategy #miltonnewcomers

Thank you to all of our friends Chartwell Oak Park Retirement Homefor the generous donation of gift cards.

We are assisting a member of the community that is in need of a microwave, rolling laundry basket, shower fixture, bean bag chair, dish clothes/tea towels, broom, 2 wall clocks, iron and ironing board. Items can be pre-loved so long as they are in good, working condition.

Thank you to the Oakville Quilters' Guild for the lovely quilts they donated.

A huge thank you to Halton Regional Police Service for their generous donation this holiday season.

'The charitable sector is inextricably linked to the health and well being of the economy'. Our President & CEO discusses the impact of the pandemic on charities with Amanda Lang on BNN Bloomberg https://buff.ly/37EcNRs

NEW downloadable worksheet: Bringing a tree into the home to decorate for the holidays is a popular festive tradition that dates back to Germany hundreds of yea...rs ago. Conifer trees come in many shapes and sizes. How many of each conifer tree icon do you count below? Download pdf: https://bit.ly/3ly1mji More activities: rbg.ca/athome-families

Learn more about the traditions behind holiday plants PLUS learn to make a small evergreen decoration, all from the safety of home! UPCOMING PROGRAM: Plants for... December Holidays December 9, 7 p.m. (virtual) https://www.rbg.ca/ev/plants-for-december-holidays-virtual/

A BIG thank you goes out to the Oakville Hornets Girls Hockey Association teams U9 Blue, U9 Red, U11B, U11BB, U11A, U15 BB and U18BB for the generous donation of pyjamas, socks, food, toys and gift cards.

Registration is open for our last week of outdoor Christmas storytimes before the holidays. There are limited spots a available for Friday’s walk to Chartwell Retirement Residences to sing Christmas songs outside to our grand friends. Hope you can join us. Please dress for the weather

Due to the wet weather, storytime is cancelled today! Have a wonderful weekend.

Our outdoor Christmas themed storytime was a huge success! See you tomorrow for Strollers and Storytime

A huge thank you to Kelly Fox for donating and creating our two new seasonal planters. They are absolutely gorgeous and are a wonderful addition to our porch this season.

We have an urgent need for 2 girls 6x snow suits.

Due to the weather, storytime is cancelled today! Enjoy the snow.

What a cute little craft. Perfect afternoon to get creative with your little ones.

Due to the weather, outdoor story time will be cancelled today.

December 4 Oakville Firefighters drive by Toy Drive. Please donate. Toys are distributed to local agencies to provide to children in need. https://www.oakville.ca/residen/firefighters-toy-drive.html

We have an urgent need for a girls snow suit size 6 and boots size 12, boys snow suit size 3 and boots size 8/8.5 as well a boys snow suit size 2T. Update: still in need of boys 2T snow suit, size 8/8.5 boots