WILD WONDERS 

Welcome!

I have been operating my dayhome for almost 15 years because I truly love the business of learning along side children – it is so joyful and rewarding to me. Every day is full of magical wonder! I look forward to each day with my team of adventurers, working with their families, the experiences we have and the challenges it brings.

I am invested in providing children in my care with what matters most in early childhood; to feel the warmth of the sunshine, a safe, relaxed, stress free environment where children are lovingly cared for, valued and feel like they belong, build heartening relationships, experience lot's happiness, lots of laughter, and PLAY!

My dayhome is a legal, privately operated business, licensed with the town of Cochrane. The health and safety of all children in my care is of utmost importance to me.

Children are innately curious and scientists by nature.  The outdoors provides the perfect environment for them to wonder, explore, build and manipulate!  Connecting to nature is definitely one of the highlights of the children's day. They crave the freedom to run around uninhibited, to explore and are delighted to engage in thrilling and challenging risky play . They go home excited to share stories of climbing trees, wading in the creek, spotting wildlife like herons, eagles, deer, moose, coyotes, foxes, snakes, squirrels etc..., and have a true appreciation for their natural surroundings. 

The children develop a deep connection to and reverence for the land they regularly adventure on and explore - Cochrane Ranche. The connection establishes a love for the place and the wonders it holds and a desire to protect and care for it.

Visiting their beloved nature sites daily and given unhurried time and freedom, the children are deeply engaged in playful learning and it is a truly beautiful thing to observe!

I love to see the children so aesthetically aware, pointing out the soft, silver fuzz on a new crocus or the curl of a dried out sepal on a rosehip etc... I am so fortunate to see things I might overlook. 

I notice ruddy cheeks, bright eyes and "I am strong and capable!" attitude as they master and practice emerging physical skills, climbing trees, leaping across boulders, balancing on a log to cross a creek, bike riding all the way to the Bow River, scrambling up steep banks, etc...

Always entertaining is watching the children's creativity and their imaginative play; a bent over tree trunk "tree trampoline" and collaborating to take turns bouncing on it, pretending the log across the dry creek bed is their horse, pounding Juniper berries with rocks to make fragrant "cookies" or crawling under the trees where only small people can squeeze to discuss plans for soup made from pine cones, mud and grass, playing deer hiding in the grass, howling wolf pack running through the Ranche etc...

Working together to lift a heavy branch, catch a water strider, pull a struggling friend up a bank, build a fort, etc.,  is teamwork, trust and problem solving in action!

The younger toddlers love the full-body, sensory-rich experiences of the outdoors too! toddling around in the grass, dipping their toes in the creek, filling and dumping containers with pine cones, mud etc..., crinkling crunchy leaves in their hands, squishing moist moss etc.

A person once chanced upon our giggly play as he was out for a walk. He observed my team playing in the creek on a hot summer day at the Ranche and paused to smile. The children were absolutely exuberant, jumping off a log into the shallow water, lining up mud pies to be baked in the sun and splashing each other.  He wisely told me, "these kids won’t remember the shows they watched or the video games they played this summer...this is what they'll remember". Some of the most memorable early learning happens in wholesome joyful experiences like these.

It's lovely for me to bump in to children I've looked after over the years, who have since grown and moved on from my care (some of whom are adults now!). After the hugs and chit chat, the conversation inevitably turns to "remember when we... built that fort, went sledding and saw a moose, had a fire, swam in the creek!". It fills me with warmth and joy to hear their most memorable experiences were playing outside.

I am very passionate about the importance of outdoor play in childcare and beyond. I get to see first hand the many benefits of outdoor play and connecting with nature. It promotes whole child development.