Why Hey Daycare!

 So I used to work at a centre for 6 years. I got to know extended families. Cousins, Uncles, Aunties, Kookums, Lolas, Grandmas, older siblings, really good friends, you know all those people who become family. I got to know all these people because this centre had family dinner once a week, every week. Well one time when I went to go and collect the kindergarten children form their school, across the street, and one of the cousins saw me, forgot my name, and yelled out, "Hey Daycare!" and giggled. I said, "I like that. But you can call me Quincey as well." He called me Hey Daycare quite often after, even when he could remember my name, it made us both smile. That is why Hey Daycare! is the name of my blog. To honor that relationship I have with families. Families are why I have this amazing job. 

Last day in the Infant Room.

 I had a 6 week practicum in an Infant room. Those little humans showed me just how capable they are. When they know they can trust you to be there for them, listen to them, and stand up for them they will share their knowledge with you. It did not take long for them to pick up my mannerisms. Walking with a stopping march, you know so they would follow me. When it would be time for someone to come with me they would look at their feet and start the march. It was a kind of signal to say we are in this together. Sometimes they wanted me to go somewhere and they would do the march, to show me that it was important for me to come. But the thing that made me smile the hardest was when we would be looking for something and I would say, "Hummmm," and point my finger to my chin. There is nothing so joyous than some year to year and halves pointing their fingers to their chins, humming, and stomping off to find the thing we were looking for. 

I am quite sure they will
remember me like this.
And I am OK with that. 

Mix Shredded Paper and Water and you get...

 

Some paper on the floor.

Mixing paper in water to create pulp.

Tossing handfuls of pulp into try.

Moved tray to up top to toss pulp in.

Mould to create blocks.

 

Blocks took days to dry.

Balancing blocks on educators head.

Children trying out balancing on their own heads.

...a lot of fun exploring the properties of paper when you add water and then let it dry out again. This is what science looks like in an Infant Room.