Put a handle on that closet

It takes courage to get organized, and while the reward is worth it, the road can seem long. To make the most of our kids’ toy and clothing swap on Oct. 22, take it step by step.

Step 1: Take a nice big breath! This will take longer than you think.

Step 2: Don’t mind the mess. Pull it all out and make three piles: 1. Stuff you can get rid of, and don’t care where it goes; 2. Stuff that doesn’t fit, but is so cute/sentimental, etc. to toss; and 3. Stuff that fits, to keep.

Step 3: Reap the rewards! Replace the Stuff to Keep Pile neatly on your newly empty shelves and hangers. Bag the Stuff to Get Rid of Pile and leave it near the door to bring to Buddings by Oct. 20 for FREE admission to the swap on Sunday Oct. 22.

Step 4: Put the Sentimental Stuff in storage. While you’re there, have a look: Is there a bag back there from last year? Don’t open it! Just put it by the door. If you haven’t used it yet, you never will. Bring it to the swap.

Step 5: Circle the calendar. On Oct. 22, the doors open at 11am, and the best stuff goes quickly. We’ll have coffee. See you there!

 

BKC Presents: All Fall Down 2017

This Autumn, lets get ready to “All Fall Down!” into the next Big Kids Club Season. Get ready for three months of educational fun and adventures, as the Big Kids Club spends the afternoons engaging in circle time, arts and crafts, baking, singing, exploring the woods, and much more!

#BKCAllFallDown

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Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Heather Tran	Florence Tsai	Sarah MacDonald	Ehlssie Tecson	Talia Erickson	Kezia Antholyka

Every afternoon, from September until November, our teachers present an educational program of play and learning; all about social engagement, and of course, getting outside. We will have field trips to forests, parks, libraries, and farms while studying important aspects such as nutrition, storytelling, animals, and physics! Big Kid Preschoolers, and those toddlers who don’t sleep in the afternoons, are in for a treat!

Weekday classes run from 1 – 4pm, with many fieldtrips happening at least once a week, from 1-5pm. Saturday-care is flexible, from 10am – 4pm.

Check out the program:

Yoga with Heather

Get ready for Monday breathing techniques, stretches and exercises; Heather comes back to Buddings as our BKC yoga teacher! Join the fun on Mondays, from 1-4 pm!

Florence Tsai: Autumn Harvest

Florence continues to bring her joy of cooking, and degree in nutrition, to our fall program! She will have a weekly cooking class about autumn harvests, with occasional field trips to the UBC farm! Tuesdays from 1 – 4pm.

Sarah Macdonald: Enchanted Forest

This fall, Sarah will continue to lead the kids on an enchanted walk into the forest, under the shade of the West Coast canopy. Wednesdays, from 1-4 pm with bi-weekly field trips happening 1-5 pm.

Ehlssie Tecson: Cultural Fairytales

We all know the tale of Little Red Riding Hood or the story of Cinderella, but every Thursday from 1-4 pm, we will go beyond that as we explore stories and fairytales from different parts of the world!

Talia Erickson: G-Force Physics Class

Get ready to take in info about the physical world, and to learn how these forces shape our experience. Fridays from 1 – 4pm, it’s all about physics with Talia.

Kezia Antholyka: Astronomy

This season, we leave our newest BKC teacher Kezia, to shoot for the stars as she explores the topic of astronomy! Join her on Saturdays from 10-4 pm.

#BKCAllFallDown runs from Sept 5 – Nov. 31, 2017.

… is happening on Sunday Aug. 27, and you, and your family, and all your friends, are invited to come share a beautiful day, in a beautiful park, full of surprises!

Who would expect Kingcrest Park (at Knight and East 25th) to have DJs playing danceable tunes in the middle of the day?

When was the last time you stumbled upon a 50m waterslide on a normally empty hillside? (A WATERSLIDE??? Yes! A waterslide!)

What the heck is a watermelon carving contest, and how do you win? What do you win? Other than delicious fruit salad?

What time does it run? What should you bring?

Great questions!

Join Buddings for a slip n’ sliding, music and dance party that’s open to kids and families of all ages and persuasions! Bring a towel, something inflatable, and a picnic lunch, and spend the day under the trees, dancing up a storm, or sliding down the hill. Everyone loves waterslides, and everyone is invited! Bring a friend! And a squirt gun.

The water starts running at 11am, and we’ll have family-friendly music and activities until 1pm (or maybe later, if it’s too much fun to shut down…)

Explore East Van!

Whether you’re from the ‘hood, or visiting for the first time, Famous Foods, Anytime Fitness, and Poke Acupuncture are all awesome businesses that you’re going to love. And you can meet them and win prizes, at our event. The neighbourhood at Knight and King Ed (East 25th), is full of amazing amenities well worth a visit, and the Buddings Bear Picnic is your chance to explore!

King Edward Village holds the Kensington Library – running their summer reading club until the end of August – a Save-On Supermarket, and soon… coming this winter… a brand new addition… it’s a…

It’s a surprise!

If you want the details, you’ll have to make an appearance. Or should we say, an a-bear-ance!

Costumes encouraged. Facepaint provided. 🙂

Join our newsletter to get all the details, or present yourself on Sunday Aug. 27, ready to get wet and wild.

See you there!

BKC Presents: Summer Journeys 2017

Grab your backpack, and pack a snack, Jack! Get ready for a season of adventure and voyages, as the Big Kids Club spends the summer journeying all over Metro Van with a fieldtrip program you can join at home!

#BKCSummerJourneys

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Johanna Peters	Florence Tsai	Sarah MacDonald	Ehlssie Tecson	Talia Erickson	Kezia Antholyka

Every afternoon through July and August, our teachers present a program of play and learning all about social engagement, and getting outside ~ with three fieldtrips a week to forests, parks, beaches and galleries, plus cooking, art, music, and more! ~ for Big Kids of all ages, and those who don’t sleep in the afternoons.

Weekday classes run from 1 – 4pm, with many fieldtrips this summer extending to 5pm. Saturday-care is flexible, from 10am – 4pm.

Check out the program:

Johanna Peters Sells Seashells by the Sea Shore

Beaches, beaches, beaches! Exploring Vancouver’s beaches and all the magic and hidden treasures beaches contain. Mondays through July and August.

Florence Tsai packs a Summer Picnic

Florence brings her joy of cooking, and degree in nutrition, to our summer program, with a weekly cooking class of summer classics, Tuesdays from 1 – 4pm.

Forest School, with Sarah MacDonald

Finding our roots amidst our tall, leafy friends, and learning from the forest. Every week from 1 – 5pm, Sarah leads the kids on a walk in the park, under the shade of the West Coast canopy.

Ehlssie Tecson Rides with Raven

The art of the Pacific North West tells the story of the people, and the creatures, who inhabit this land. Ehlssie is the anthropologist with an artistic eye, and her Thursday class this summer explores the beautiful culture of this native land.

Talia Erickson explores Vancouver, Under Construction

Explore the many ways our city’s landscape is developing and changing… and the roadblocks that arise. Fridays from 1 – 4pm, it’s about buildings and trucks.

Kezia Antholyka presents My Canada

Kezia is new to Buddings, new to Canada, and full of enthusiasm for her summer project: exploring the festivals and celebrations for our 150th anniversary. Born in Jakarta, her Canadian experience is a new-comer’s view, and the Saturday-care kids join her in learning all she can, 10am – 4pm.

Permission forms are always required for fieldtrips, and we ask that families apply sunscreen to their own children before drop off.

#BKCSummerJourneys runs from July 4 – Aug. 31, 2017.

Spring Toy and Clothing Swap – April 30, 2017

On Sunday Apr. 30 from 11am-1pm, Buddings Daycare will be turned into your Spring Swap Shop, with a range of clothes and toys and accessories for kids aged 0 – 5.

How does it work?

You can pick up bags, and bags of clothes and toys, for $1 per item!! AND!! You can choose how much you pay:

Option 1: Show up on Apr. 30. Admission is just $10/family, including your first 10 items!

Additional Items are $1 each.

~OR~

Option 2: Get in for FREE!

Bring your gently used children’s clothes, toys, and accessories to Buddings (203 – 950 West Broadway, at Oak) by Friday Apr. 28 for FREE entry, and your first 10 items FREE! After that, pay just $1 per item.

 

PLUS!

We’ve been doing children’s swaps since 2012, and this Spring, we’re thinking of going even bigger! Like, an adult-size version running from 1 – 3pm. Are you interested?

Let us know, by emailing talia@buddings.ca if you’d like to participate.

This Spring, Do It Yourself!

Hop! Hop! Hop to! It’s Spring, and there’s so much to do!

Spring planting, spring cleaning, spring planning… This list goes on and on, and this season we’re bringing to-do in-house:

It’s DIY Spring 2017

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Johanna Peters	Ehlssie Tecson	Sarah MacDonald	Sharmila Mardhani	Talia Erickson

Introducing: The Big Kids Do-It-Yourselfers, led by the Buddings Pros

Our afternoon programs of play and learning feature group activities, monthly fieldtrips, social engagement, cooking, art, music, and more, for Big Kids of all ages. They all run from 1 – 4pm, every afternoon, but under the guidance of our creative educators, each has a unique (and beautiful) story to tell:

Johanna Peters presents: Story Builders

Johanna continues her crusade to bring worlds to life through story-telling, play, acting, and art, as she continues the mysteries of the 1001 nights into the Spring season. The story unfolds, and on Mondays, from 1 – 4pm,  Johanna introduces the children to the elements that make this tale timeless.

Ehlssie Tecson: Ready, Seed, GROW!

The season of awakening is upon us, and as the plants begin to rise and shine, Ehlssie and the Tuesday kids will be learning all it takes to make them healthy and strong. From seed to stem, garden friends, and earthy explorations, this nature-based program is a Buddings spring staple, and our teacher Ehlssie is digging in. Shovels are waiting. Join her Tuesdays from 1 – 4pm.

Music Makers, with Sarah MacDonald

Sarah leads her band of merry makers through the music and of some of the world’s most magical musicians. Take a ride in the yellow submarine, as the kids experiment with sounds, strings, and making their own instruments. This season’s Wednesday class is music to our ears, running from 1 – 4pm until the end of June.

Sharmila Mardhani: Bugs and Babies

Sharmila presents the second half of our spring nature club, with a focus on the fluffiest, cutest, sweetest spring babies – and how they change! There’s no topic more attuned with the preschoolers’ own seasonal metamorphosis, and no teacher more ready to share the story. Sharmila led our Saturday-care program through the winter, and we’re so glad to have her handling a weekday Club class. Join her, Thursdays from 1 – 4pm.

invent! with Talia Erickson

How can we meet our needs without draining our resources? Imagining solutions to the world’s heaviest problems is easier when you have open eyes and open minds. This season, Talia introduces the kids to the idea that everything is not only as it seems, but could be anything at all. By learning about some of history’s most ingenious inventors, framing their questions, and creating designs, Friday afternoons will be all about tracking down that most important moment: The Ah-Ha!

DIY Spring runs from Apr. 3 – June 30, 2017.

A long winter’s rest

The new year brings a lot of new adventures, but it also heralds the real beginning of the winter season.

The snowy weather, and long dark days make summer sunsets seem like an impossible dream… that inspired our Big Kids Club teachers to a line-up of classes to snuggle into:

Winter Dreaming 2017

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Johanna Peters	Ehlssie Tecson	Sarah MacDonald	Isabel Socorro-Bravo	Talia Erickson

Introducing: The Big Kids Club Winter Dream Team

Our afternoon programs of play and learning feature group activities, monthly fieldtrips, social engagement, cooking, art, music, and more, for Big Kids of all ages. They all run from 1 – 4pm, every afternoon, but under the guidance of our creative educators, each has a unique (and beautiful) story to tell:

Johanna Peters presents: Arabian Nights

Johanna continues her crusade to bring worlds to life through story-telling, play, acting, and art, as she introduces the mysteries of the 1001 nights, with a singing tree, and a genie in a bottle. Monday’s are a magic carpet ride, with Johanna as our guide. You ain’t never seen a class like this. 😉

Ehlssie Tecson & the Winter Festival

Our recently-graduated Anthropology Major returns for her second season of culturally focused… parties! Ehlssie’s December exploration of the Philippines traditions was our most talked-about program, and her winter class stretches to cover the celebrations and festivals around the world.

We’re wishing her well on her first full-length class, as she learns to wish you prosperity and happiness in the year of the rooster! Gong Xi Fah Cai! (“gong zee fah chai”)

Munsch World, with Sarah MacDonald

Sarah loves Robert Munsch. She has all his books, and listens to his stories on tape. And she also loves maps. She’s a courageous captain, and this season, she and the Big Kids are chasing down one of Robert Munsch’s most infamous creatures: The Dark! There are clues all over town!

Sarah’s classes are all about adventure, team work, and accomplishment. Grab a flashlight, because she’s leading the kids to through Robert Munsch’s library, and to landmarks around the city, to recover the pieces of the missing dark.

Isabel Socorro-Bravo takes us Up There

You are about to fall in love with Dr. Scott Kelly, the NASA astronaut who spent a year in space, and shared it with the world through social media. Isabel introduces the Big Kids to this amazing man, and together, they journey from the known, to the unknown, and find their place in the universe… #yearinspace!

Good Night, Talia Erickson

When kids go to bed, the world continues outside their windows. It can’t be reached, because of bedtime, and it can be scary, because of… we don’t know why it’s scary! That’s the scariest part! But the moon smiles down…

With her help, Talia Erickson, and the Friday Big Kids will explore the light, darkness, creatures, and legends that the moon knows best. It’s a mystical journey through art and stories, science and the senses, and it happens from 1 – 4pm.

Winter Dreaming runs from Jan. 9 – Mar. 31, 2017.