Seeds & Sprouts Childcare

I was proud to share the spotlight with so many passionate, resourceful, and empathetic early childhood educators!

I am so excited to be presenting in beautiful Charlottetown at the Early Childhood Development Association of PEI Spring Conference!

I have some exciting news to share! I have been selected as the recipient of this years Minister’s Award for Excellence in Relationship-Based and Responsive Environments.

I am deeply grateful for the beautiful community we have cultivated here at Seeds & Sprouts that supports my passion and my work and to have the opportunity to make an impact on the lives of little ones each day.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you!

I am very excited to be a a presenter today at the ASD-W Regional Professional Learning Day! I will be speaking about Embedding Consent and Bodily Autonomy into our ECE Pedagogies!

This is what reading books looks like in my multi-age, child-led school.

I don't call it "story time" because it's not a "time", it's not scheduled.

It is in-the-moment, at the request of a child.

A ritual has evolved and currently we read "song books" first: I Aint Gonna Paint No More", "What a Wonderful World", "Yellow Umbrella" then move on to "How Will We Get to the Beach?". Then we get out our "ice cream lotion" (just some almond-scented lotion the children LOVE and think it smells like ice cream)and read "Ice Cream King". Then, we sometimes continue with "Spooky Old Tree" and "Silly Sally".

It is not mandatory for children to come and sit like a mountain, mermaid or a pretzel. It's not mandatory for them to join in at all, but if they do, they may be laying down, spinning, swinging etc. The only expectation is they may not hurt anyone or anything. Children are encouraged to move if they cannot see. The children have created the rule that if you are in the front you need to sit on your butt (and yes, we say butt here)

It is made very clear that every child BELONGS, with zero pressure to "fit in".

During this session of reading books: there is a child just to the left and behind a bit who is in the midst of his play, listening to the story, not in the pic.

Four of the children in the pic are playing with fidgets or still have in their hand what they are currently playing with, they just hopped in for their favorite part of the book and will return to their play when they choose.

I wish I would have trusted Bev Bos back in 2004, when she said "Children do not need to be sitting still, eyes on you, in order to be listening."

I think of all the miserable circle time routines I drug children through over the years.

No one belonged...I made it clear they all needed to fit in to my expectations.

I wasted so much time micro-managing children. Little did I know none of that was necessary nor good for children.

I want to shout from the mountains: "RELAX!!! Early childhood should NOT be so formal!!!! These are children ❤️❤️❤️"

I want to yell: "TRULY, the only thing that matters and is a MUST in early childhood education/care is CONNECTION, RELATIONSHIPS and BELONGING"

There are so many excellent options for kids offered this summer - including a Learn to Skateboard Camp for girls!!

Being in Fredericton during the summer just got better, with all the incredible programs available. This summer you’ll find us at the parks, trails, pools, and rinks with day camps, drop-in programs, and swimming lessons. 😎

🏖️ Afternoon Adventure Crew: NEW this summer our leaders will be rotating between the parks at outdoor pools and Killarney Lake Park for water games and play. Please note that Afternoon Adventure Crew is a drop-in program, and parents are expected to supervise their children in the water.

🛝 Zig Zag: Travelling to different parks every week, bring your kids for a morning of games, crafts and fun! Our Zig Zag leaders provide a safe and inclusive environment at our parks. As a reminder, Zig Zag is a drop-in morning program where youth are free to come and go as they please.

🛹 Northside Youth Centre: From daily drop-ins to day camps and girls only lessons, there's no better place to skateboard and scooter this summer. Learn new skills from our skilled staff and build new friendships!

🏊 Swim Lessons: NEW for Summer 2026 - Register for a FREE 2-week session grouped by age regardless of swimming level. Swimmers will have their skills tested and be grouped by the instructors on day 1.

🛟 Junior Lifeguard: Get your feet wet in the world of Lifesaving, Lifeguarding, and Lifesaving Sport. Strengthen your swimming skills and develop your leadership skills with the Junior Lifeguard program.

👣 Wednesday Walkers: A social walking group that meets every Wednesday morning for an hour-long walk. Explore the trails of Fredericton and make meaningful connections with others.

Be the first to know when schedules are released and registrations are opened by following our page and visiting our website! We can’t wait to get out and play this summer! 👇
https://app.amilia.com/store/en/city-of-fredericton/shop/programs