RisingOaks Early Learning

The preschoolers at RisingOaks Early Learning | Our Lady of Fatima showed a strong & growing interest in farm animals. Noticing this curiosity, educators introduced a variety of ways to support the children’s learning in meaningful and engaging ways.

The learning began with the creation of a pretend farm. The preschoolers & educators transformed the space using open-ended materials, encouraging imaginative play & conversation. The children helped create chickens using paper plates, explored how cows are milked using gloves, and deepened their understanding through books, group discussions, & shared storytelling. These experiences sparked excitement & curiosity, with children confidently sharing what they knew and asking thoughtful questions.

The children used pretend milk made from water and paint and began incorporating it into their play in new ways—creating pretend ice creams, cakes, and yogurt. This imaginative use of materials demonstrated their growing understanding of how farm products are used.

Some preschoolers began pretending to pick apples to make apple pies. Educators then extended this learning by making stewed apples with yogurt. This hands-on cooking experience allowed children to connect their imaginative play with actual food preparation.

An apple tree was added to the farm setup, becoming a much-loved feature. The children “picked” apples from the tree and created their own dishes, eagerly sharing ideas and working collaboratively. They also began picking vegetables to make pretend soup.

Recognizing this interest, educators further extended the experience by cooking soup with the preschoolers. With close supervision, the children used child-safe knives to cut vegetables, developing fine motor skills, confidence, and an understanding of food preparation & safety. They were proud to contribute and excited to see their play ideas come to life. The preschoolers led the direction of the project through their interests, imagination, and collaboration, while educators supported their learning. It was joyful to observe how curiosity, play, and real-life experiences came together to create rich, meaningful learning moments that continued to grow.

Celebrating Black History Month and highlighting past and present Canadian Olympic Athletes!!

Keri Neeb and our school age group are so excited to see this years Milano Cortina 2026 athletes compete!!

This past week the infants at RisingOaks Early Learning | St Brigid made a train out of boxes! The infants really enjoyed climbing in and out of the box we made for our ball drop activity and lately they’re noticing when the train goes by, shouting “train” or “choo-choo” as we watch it drive past either from our classroom window or on the playground.

Together the educators brain stormed some ideas on how we could combine those two activities and when our paper towel order came and we got all these boxes, that’s when it clicked, let’s make a cardboard train! Educator Michelle C made up a train out of bristle board and glued it to the front box and wrote “all aboard the infant express” on some of the other boxes “cars” of our train.

The infants babbled and smiled as they’d carefully climb into the train cars. “All aboard” the educators said smiling as they’d start to sing the good morning train song. “Choo-coo” we heard some of the infants shout as they did the horn motion. The infants babbled and clapped along as they sat happily in their our train car. Some of the infants even liked climbing from box to box to get closer to the front of the train!