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Learning Through Routines, Words, and Wonder
- HIPPY Halton
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
This September, we are helping preschoolers adjust to routines, explore words and numbers, and connect with friends through fun, hands-on activities. Each week focuses on building school readiness skills that nurture confidence, curiosity, and creativity.
Welcoming Week 2025
🌍 September 12th–21st is Welcoming Week 2025!
At HIPPY Halton we are proud to walk alongside newcomer families, offering free preschool learning programs, parent support, and resources that help children prepare for Kindergarten and beyond. This week is a reminder that belonging matters and that every child and family strengthens the fabric of our community.
Explore more ways we support newcomer families through our Newcomer Resources.
Hosted by: YMCA
Location: 420 Crerar Drive, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Event Details: Thursday, September 18, 2025Time: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
The YMCA of Hamilton/Burlington/Brantford is excited to be hosting a community Open House as part of Welcoming Week 2025! We hope you can join us and we look forward to meeting and engaging with our community for this special event.
Hosted by: Progressive Training College of Business & Health
Location: 1550 Enterprise Road suite 224, Mississauga, ON, Canada
Event Details: September 18, 2025 - 1:00 pm
Welcome to the Mississauga Newcomers Career Workshop! Join us at PTC Progressive Training College of Business & Health for a workshop filled with valuable insights and resources to kickstart your career in Canada. Whether you’re new to the country or looking to make a career change, this workshop is designed to help you navigate the job market and achieve your professional goals. Don’t miss this opportunity to network with industry professionals, gain valuable tips on resume building and interview skills, and learn about available job opportunities in Mississauga.
Week 1: Ready for School and Routines
What we’re learning: This week we practice daily routines, build independence, and start noticing numbers and weather patterns.
Skills: self-help, organization, early math, observation, and storytelling
Activities:
Morning Routine Chart: Use drawings or stickers to practice getting ready, packing a toy backpack, and singing a morning song. 🎵 Sing along: Daily Routine Song
Storytime Picnic: Read a favourite picture book outdoors, then act it out with homemade props.
Counting Treasure Hunt: Hide small items, find and count them, then sort by colour or size.
Weather Watchers: Observe the weather, create a chart with simple pictures, and talk about it each day.
Book Recommendations:
📚 The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson – Encourages confidence as children start new routines at school.
📚 Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney – A gentle story about the first day of school.
📚 Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes by James Dean – Fun and musical, perfect for routine songs.
📚 Weather (National Geographic Kids) – Simple nonfiction with bright pictures to tie into Weather Watchers.
Week 2: Words, Numbers, and Science Exploration
What we’re learning: We dive into rhymes, shapes, nature, and feelings to spark early literacy, numeracy, and self-awareness.
Skills: rhyming, creativity, counting, science observation, emotional awareness
Activities:
Silly Rhyming Poem: Clap when you hear rhymes, then create your own with drawings. 🎵 Sing along: One Potato, Two Potatoes and Fruit Salad, Yummy Yummy
Shape Scavenger Hunt: Find or cut out shapes around the house or yard, counting as you go.
Plant Explorers: Collect leaves, use a magnifying glass to look closely, and sort by colour or shape.
Feelings Faces: Use a mirror to make expressions and talk about when you’ve felt each way.
Book Recommendations:
📚 Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas – Silly rhyming fun, perfect for clap-and-rhyme activity.
📚 Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3 by Bill Martin Jr. – A lively counting and number story.
📚 Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert – Vibrant illustrations connect perfectly with Plant Explorers.
📚 The Way I Feel by Janan Cain – Great for Feelings Faces activity.
Week 3: Curiosity and Connection
What we’re learning: This week is all about building friendships, exploring patterns, and discovering how the world works through stories and experiments.
Skills: sequencing, storytelling, pattern recognition, science inquiry, kindness
Activities:
Story Sequencing: Read about the first week of kindergarten. Draw and order pictures of what happens first, next, and last.
Pattern Play: Use beads, pasta, or buttons to create and extend patterns.
Sink or Float: Test household items in water and discuss observations.
Friendship Bracelets: Make bracelets to share with friends or family with kind words. 🎵 Sing along: This Is the Way We Make Friends
Book Recommendations:
📚 The Day My Mom Came to Kindergarten by Maureen Fergus – Playful look at the first week of school.
📚 Pattern Fish by Trudy Harris – Supports math activity with beads, pasta, or buttons.
📚 Sea Monkey & Bob" by Aaron Reynolds– A science-focused early reader that matches the water activity.
📚 Should I Share My Ice Cream? by Mo Willems – Simple story about kindness and sharing, ties in with friendship bracelets.
Week 4: Expression, Counting, and Exploration
What we’re learning: Children explore creativity, practice counting, and express kindness in playful ways.
Skills: self-expression, storytelling, math, sensory exploration, social skills
Activities:
Character Dress-Up: Pretend to be a favourite storybook character and share their story.
Hopscotch Counting: Create a hopscotch game with tape or chalk and count as you hop.
Sensory Stations: Explore smells, textures, sounds, and sights while talking about each experience.
Kindness Jar: Add a bead each time your child helps or shows kindness, then celebrate together at week’s end.
Book Recommendations:
📚 The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt – Fun for dress-up and storytelling.
📚 Hopscotch (Dottie Dotts the Cat Books) – A playful story that pairs beautifully with hopscotch math.
📚 Five Senses by Aliki – Classic nonfiction that matches the sensory stations.
📚 Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud – A kindness classic, perfect for the kindness jar.