Play & Learn with Friends Daycare
3324 Parish Rd. v0j 1z0 Houston, BC, Canada

We have spots open for September!

I wrote this on my personal profile, yet I feel this needs to be shared here as well and am making it my mission, my pledge, to use the next 3 years to find my key to Play.

Today is Play & Learn’s 7th year anniversary, one that’s joyful and yet bittersweet. For 7 years ive shed blood, sweat, tears and torn muscles as I’ve grown, discovered my teaching heart and literally built (with my husband’s amazing help!) a program I can be proud of, that children and families love. It’s also been 7 years of wonder, magic and connection as I came to understand that the most important thing I can give the children is my authentic myself. It’s been 7 years of... fighting to understand how and creating a program that embraces all children’s needs and skills in a way that works for them individually. 7 years of facing old scars and overcoming them to become the educator I want to be, that the children deserve. This 7th year in particular brought many hardships but even more celebrations. It entailed the completion of our environments, indoors and out. And oh! I was so happy that I would be able to put the heavy physical work behind me and really dive into building even stronger connections with the children, to deepen my understanding of what observing truly is and be in the moment more without the extras raring in my head. Then Covid19 hit and the world was shook. I felt fear and anxiety like never before, so scared of what changes I’d need to bring and how it would affect my program, and therefore the children. Yet I found a way through it, a way that ensures the children have as close to the program they know as possible. And even though my teachers heart cried at some of what needed to be done to our environment and the program, the joy and wonder the children continue to experience each day makes it worth it. I don’t know what the future holds, all I know is this is what I was meant to do, and will continue to do so for as long as I can. Happy Anniversary Play & Learn! See more

Wishing a wonderful Father’s Day to all the dads out there!! We hope your day is as super, as giving and as incredible as you!

As the pandemic continues, we are continuing to operate for as long as we can. Our families: parents and children need us and we are here. We are doing all we can to provide a safe and clean environment for the children and consistency in our program. For the time being, we have been left to figure out how to ensure our families’ safety all on our own. We have stepped up cleaning and sanitizing protocols and will be taking more steps here shortly. Supplies are non-existent in... our area and we have had to scramble to ensure we have enough. The fear is real, the stress is high and the anxiety is through the roof. Yet we are humbled and thankful as in our little community people have stepped up to ensure we have the necessary supplies for cleaning and sanitizing. To those who have been so kind and so giving, from the bottom of our heart and with tears in our eyes we say THANK YOU!!! Your generosity and thoughtfulness ensures we can continue to operate and be there for our families. To the world we say: be strong, stay healthy, we will get through this! And thank the people you know who are helping keep things going: health workers, firefighters, police officers, early childhood educators, grocery and drug store clerks, truck drivers, etc. See more

I have been waiting for this post for two months!!! I’m a gardener, I have discovered over the last couple years that plants and caring for them is something that brings me joy, that calms and soothes me when things get to be too much. I have plants everywhere, including our classroom, and the children have seen, and helped me care for them. However they wanted to do more. They had started to notice roots in their plant books, how light and water are essential to caring for ...these beauties and they wanted to try it themselves. So two months ago we pruned the Wandering Jews on our nature shelf, they’re quick and easy propagators, and put the cuttings in water under a grow light. Each child did their own, doing the cuttings themselves, pulling off lower leaves to make room for roots, and placing them in jars of water. They kept an eye on them, looking for the first show of roots and noticing as they grew. The children showed amazing patience. As we waited we also explored dyed flowers, pulling them apart and grinding them. We have plans to do art with them and talked about how we could dye our own flowers (the ones we used were from the store and not in the best condition). But how to do so in the middle of winter??? Grow them! the children said. Well it’s looks like I’m buying supplies for indoor growing and getting some seeds but this will take some time and we’ll need to be patient until I can get what we need. I replied. They were perfectly fine with that. Thanks to our new greenhouse, we potted our Wandering Jews today. During a lull in their individual play, each child mixed and dampened their own soil, showed tenderness in gently washing the roots in fresh water and potted their plant babies. We now have little ones to care for! Now it’s on to our next project, as we have the supplies and room in the greenhouse: growing Sunflowers and Lobelia from seed! One for exploration and one for our Outdoor Classroom. See more

Nearly two months ago we finished our classroom transformation. I knew that that wasn’t the end of it, however, as there were a few smaller rainy day projects that needed to be done (tables turned into one large one, greenhouse built) and I had yet to see how the children interacted with the space. Would their ideas align with mine or would some changes still be required? It was a little bit of both. The Build/Home and Reading Forest areas were a hit. No changes there exce...pt for materials as interests moved and flowed in and out. The Sensory/Studio area was also well received and yet this is where the children showed me a few changes were required. For one, the water table, which was supposed to be an ever changing sensory table between wet and dry, has become a permanent fixture. They can’t get enough of it!!! The studio was great, only we discovered seating was required. And the carpeted area in the sensory space was used by the children as a secondary calm space where they’d go for a breather. So...the changes...stools were made for the studio table, the water table and sensory/manipulative tables were moved a spot over, creating their own little spaces with the greenhouse added into the sensory/manipulative space, the light boxes were replaced and given a brand new spot with a corner shelf for materials, the tables were turned into one whole family style table and the carpeted space turned into an area for calming sensory play. Soon the children will be arriving and I’m excited to see how they respond to the new changes and if I read them right. Now to go add some new materials to a few areas... See more

We have spots open! Enroll your child in a Reggio-Inspired child care facility with a child-led curriculum that aligns with the B.C. Early Learning Framework and follows an early years method called Following the Child. Through our 3rd Teacher (the environment), routine/rhythm, and strong relationships, your child will have the opportunity and freedom to learn and grow at their pace, with a curriculum based on their interests, strengths and developmental needs all throug...h the incredible magic of PLAY. With a foundational belief that children are to be valued and respected for who they are and what they feel, your child will learn mindfulness, independence and self-regulation skills in a nurturing atmosphere while fostering deep and meaningful relationships. Come join our Play & Learn family and see the wonder take place!! Spots available are (preferably full time): 1 -infant/toddler (under 3 years) 2-preschool/school aged (3-8 years) For more information, or to schedule a meet & see, please contact us by message through this page or the facility number, preferably by text message (250-844-1458). **Due to covid, meet and see will be scheduled for Friday, September 18, 2020. Play & Learn with Friends Daycare is a licensed in-home multi-aged child care facility, owned and operated by an 8-year ECE. Through self-reflection, professional development and a passion for early childhood education, Play & Learn strives to provide high quality care in a nurturing and respectful environment.