Welcome Parents!
You are your child’s first teacher and you play an important role in your child’s development and learning. It’s exciting and special, but can be a little overwhelming, too.
I want you to feel like "You’ve Got This!" and make it as easy and enjoyable as possible!
As a primary teacher (Kindergarten to Grade 3) for 14 years and a mom for 12 years, I know very well both sides of the school experience.
Like you, I wish for my kids to be confident, curious, creative and kind. And I want to do what I can to support my child’s learning and help them succeed at school.
“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”
- Fred Rogers
Children learn through play. It is essential to a child’s cognitive, physical, social and emotional development.
I offer virtual consultations, working with you to create a playroom that is based on the principles of play-based learning.
Whether your home is large or cozy, you can have a space that encourages:
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unstructured playtime
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creativity
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organized toys
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reading, writing, math, science, building, art, drama, music
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fine-motor development
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relaxation
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less screen time
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family connection
Testimonials
My children and my home have been transformed!
After my first session with Connie, my 5 and 6-year-old came home from school and played together happily for over an hour. This was a miracle!
My kids have continued to play easily and have shown more imagination with the new set up. The toy clutter in my house is GONE which is another miracle! It always seemed like such an enormous task to organize the toys and keep the area tidy.... not any more. The toys are super organized and cleaning up is no big deal for me and the kids.
Connie gave me ideas about how to prompt my kids for creative play and I haven't needed to use them yet because just setting up the toys in an inviting way has been enough. I am thrilled and shocked! Who knew this simple change would be so profound and helpful?
- Kate Redford (parent of 5-year-old and 6-year-old)
Before working with Connie, I never gave much thought to playroom design, I just thought the toys needed to be available to my kids. But a lot of what she suggests makes sense. I didn’t know how to carry it out but with her hands-on help I was able to create a play area that was not only functional but aesthetically pleasing.
Prior to us meeting, we were having trouble with limiting screen time for the kids. They would turn into monsters craving their next fix and I was lost about how to change our unhealthy habits.
However with open-ended toys that foster creativity I was able to channel their attention into something more constructive and interactive. Now instead of fighting over what show to watch, they are playing together more and more.
The cleaning and sorting process was very therapeutic. I am more selective with the type of toys I bring into the home and more knowledgeable about how to get my kids to embrace drawing, arts and crafts, and dramatic play.
- Sara Fung and Kevin Burgess (parents of 4-year-old and 22-month-old)
I asked Connie to come to our home because our play space was always overwhelmed with clutter and many toys just sat collecting dust. She really helped me think about what our kids like to play with, how they like to play and how the space could be rearranged to reflect those things. Connie also gave me lots of great insight into ways to make little changes to the space every day to encourage the kids to play with something in a new way or use toys they may have forgotten about.
The kids have been spending tons of time playing in the space since Connie's visit and her suggestions and assistance have made it so much easier to keep everything organized, often without me being involved in tidying up at all.
What I really valued was how Connie helped me reconsider what we already had and see all kinds of potential I never would have discovered on my own.
- Katy Bartlett (parent of a 9-year-old and 6-year-old)
Connie, thanks for an amazing workshop on creating a great home playroom.
I came away feeling confident that not only could I better maximize the play area in our small home but that, through applying your tips, I could reduce screen time, increase my childrens' creative learning and expression, and likely reduce sibling tension, to boot!
Ten days later, our home feels so much cleaner, your methods are saving rather than requiring my time, and I have already begun to build up an 'art centre' that my children are excited and empowered to use.
Your one hour experience has been a game changer - thank you so much!
- Nicola Holmes (parent of two under 5) & Life Coach