This summer the Toddler 1 at RisingOaks Early Learning was filled with excitement, curiosity, exploration, and lots of berry fun! When the first service berries began appearing on our tree, the toddlers were immediately fascinated and eager to be involved. The educators brought a ladder outside so we could safely harvest the berries, and the children excitedly helped pick and collect them. As the days went by and we had more and more berries, the children became even more interested in what was happening around the tree. One day, Renzo noticed the birds moving from one branch to another and excitedly said, “Oh no! The birds are eating it!” This sparked wonderful conversations about nature and the animals that also enjoy the berries. Nitya and Eria encouraged the children to observe the berries closely and asked questions such as, “Is it red?” Adalynn confidently answered, “Yes!”, while Andi made a choice and asked, “Nitya, can I get the red one?” These little conversations gave the children opportunities to practice language, identify colours, express their preferences, and share their observations.

Once we had collected plenty of berries, Arcely came up with the wonderful idea of turning our harvest into delicious popsicles for the toddlers to enjoy. The children were excited to take part in every step of the process. We brought out the berries and began smashing them, creating a wonderful sensory experience as the children explored the texture, colour, and smell of the berries. Cassidy proudly said, “I’m working!” while working together with Arcely to smash the berries. The children watched with excitement as the whole berries transformed into a juicy mixture. We then added yogurt and invited the children to help mix everything together. They eagerly participated, taking turns and watching as the mixture changed. The final step was filling the popsicle molds, and the children were thrilled to see their hard work coming together. We placed the molds in the freezer and waited patiently for our special treats to be ready. When the popsicles were finally frozen, the children were so excited to enjoy something they had helped create from the berries they had harvested themselves. This experience became so much more than simply making popsicles. It gave our toddlers meaningful opportunities to explore nature, develop language, practice fine-motor skills, make choices, work cooperatively, observe changes, build patience, and experience the joy of creating something together. From discovering tiny berries on our tree to watching birds enjoy them, harvesting, smashing, mixing, and finally enjoying our homemade popsicles, every step brought new learning and excitement. It truly was a berry wonderful summer in Toddler 1, filled with memorable moments, happy discoveries, and lots of learning through play!