My Top Five Online Resources For Parents
We have been members of Kids & Company for almost six years- since Hudson was a baby!
Now that the twins have settled into the toddler room, the seasonal curriculum is all coming back to me and it’s so nostalgic. The kids are continually doing something- whether it’s sitting together for family-style meals or working on thought-provoking art projects- I feel confident that Kids & Company stimulates their development in the best way.
What’s more is Kidco’s commitment to supporting families at home. In a post lockdown world, they wanted to ensure parents were well equipped with various resources to navigate learning and development at home. It got me thinking how grateful I am to have online resources at our fingertips so I wanted to share a post about my favourite go-to’s.
Here are my Top Five Online Resources For Parents: to encourage early development and to stay connected in the Vancouver Island community.
KidCo at Home
I love Kids & Company’s Kidco at Home resource. It’s packed with tips, tricks, and activities for you to stay creative and engaged in your child’s education at home. The resource room is home to hundreds of activities that can be done as a family or that your children can do on their own- like virtual story times! Many of the activities and art projects done in the classrooms at Kids & Company are available online for reference as well.
Within Kidco at Home, you can also find nutritious, child-friendly recipes created by the Kidco Kitchen. All of these recipes are featured on the seasonal menus at the child care locations! Each day I receive a virtual update that includes information on which meals my children enjoyed eating the most, and then I can refer back to the online menus and make it for them at home.
We did this here!
If you’re interested in registering for Kidco, mention my referral code MOMMAMILLS in the comments section of this inquiry form for waived registration. (approximately $200 value).
Earlybird
The only app parents need in the early years to track early childhood development, get educational play ideas, and find all the workshop content needed to make sense of the baby and toddler years. Designed for moms, by moms, Renee and Sarah both have impressive credentials and a passion for early childhood development. Together they have captured and created playful learning ideas for kids 0-5 to ensure every child has a strong start. They are so excited to launch their BRAND new app for parents and caregivers worldwide. It’s the perfect at-your-fingertips solution for monitoring and encouraging early development.
Vancouver Island Kids Guide
@victoriakidsplay is an Instagram account created by a Victoria-based mom and it’s your all-access pass to what’s happening in town for your kids. Stay in the know by following this local mom and receive updates on where to go, when to go, as well as thought-provoking ideas of what to do. Whether it’s how to set up a lemonade stand, activity ideas all across town, or discovering other valuable local resources- it’s all here.
Island Parent
This magazine has been a trusted resource for Vancouver Island families for over 30 years. You can find issues free at various newsstands across the island, but they are also available for your reading leisure online. I remember growing up with this magazine and how much my mom loved to grab one anytime we got groceries. This is especially serendipitous now because I’ve been submitting my own articles for the past few years. Find my latest contribution here where I share our experience camping in an RV on Hornby with three kids! I always love reading the diverse, relatable publishings from various authors. This magazine truly stays aligned with the seasons and has always been a wholesome source of useful inspiration.
Little Stories for Tiny People podcast
After a jam-packed day of learning and growing, what’s more important than drifting off in a calming, productive way too? Little Stories for Tiny People is a podcast featuring original audio for little ones before bedtime. I like to listen to it on Spotify with Hudson as a means for him to wind down earlier (so we can get a bit of alone adult time, too). It was created for parents and caregivers to lean on as an engaging, non-annoying bedtime source when they are just too tired to read themselves. I can relate to this all-too much so I have definitely enjoyed playing these whimsical, humorous stories for my littles before bedtime. I trust that the stories will elate their senses in a way that I may not have energy for before bed, and so it’s a win-win for me!
I hope these online sources are as useful to you as they have been for me. Let me know in the comments if you enjoy!
#childcare #early education #twins #victoriachildcare
