The Altona and Area Family Resource Centre (AAFRC) is into their final month of programming before they take their usual Summer break, but they have packed June with a bunch of fun and activities that even carry over into the Summer!
Take-Home Kits
AAFRC Coordinator Nina Edbom-Kehler told us all about their "Take-Home Kits", "So these take home provide some information on child development and the importance of using scissors, color recognition, number recognition and usually have it in a theme. So some of the ones we've done, with process painting, where we'll include some paint in there and then random things to paint with, different things to paint on, and the kids get to explore with them. Sometimes we'll have like a frog theme, so then we'll have a little play frog in there, talk a little bit about frogs. We've done a sensory kit where we'll use a little Tupperware.
We do it about 40 every other week and families are grabbing them up! We give them out in Gretna, Rosenfeld and Altona, because sometimes transportation is an issue, so we'll deliver them to the schools and the other communities, and the families will pick them up there."
There was a take-home kit that was available for pickup today (June 12th) and then there will one final bigger take-home kit to tie over some of the kids into Summer with activities!
Stay & Play Programs
Nina also touched on their Stay & Play programs, "Stay & Play is kind of our staple program, we run it in Altona in our play space here in the same building as public health, we run it in Rosenfeld, this year we were at the Good Neighbor Center and then in Gretna, we're also in the school in the library. It's just a chance to come out once a week in the morning in those three communities from 9:30 to 11:30 and it's kind of a drop in. You don't have to be there, right at 9:30 and it's a chance to meet other families in the community that have kids same age as you. It's play, we tend to have centers and then up for like to help with child development when it's kind of like, sneaky learning... playing, but there's so much they're learning during play and snacks always involved in those kind of things cause playing takes up a lot of energy, so they need some snacks."
The final three Stay & Play programs will be June 17th in Altona, June 18th in Rosenfeld and June 19th in Gretna! All starting at 9:30am.
Messy Play in the Park
Finally, AAFRC Coordinator Nina Edbom-Kehler filled us in on their "Messy Play in the Park" activity! "So we have some things planned, like, you know, Tonka trucks and that get kind of dirty so we're going to have some wash bays set up with sponges, they're going to do that. They're going to go digging for treasures, so we have some frozen ice blocks with various treasures in them that they're going to use to dig some prizes out of. We're going to have a mud kitchen, we have some, you know, muffin tins and bowls, and we'll have some water with the mud in the ground and that and they'll make up some mud soup and stuff like that. Just make a mess!"
Messy Play in the Park is taking place at the Altona Centennial Park on June 24th from 10:00am-11:30am and they strongly encourage dressing your child in clothes that they can get dirty and bringing water bottles to stay hydrated.
Board Members Needed !
Nina also mentioned they are looking for a few more board members at AAFRC, "As with any organization it it takes a village and volunteers are spread thin. So what we would like is some more board members. We're running a little bit low right now, specifically some board members that have some (experience with) PR, fundraising, social media would be helpful. I am not tech savvy by any means. I kind of do the bare minimum, but if we could have somebody with some a little bit of expertise there that would be great!"
If you are interested in getting volunteering on the board for the Altona and Area Family Resource Centre, get in contact with them at aafrc1998@gmail.com
Enjoy the full conversation between AAFRC Coordinator Nina Edbom-Kehler and CFAM Morning Show co-host Zack Driedger below: