Published January 15, 2021 12:10

We miss you all very much and we hope to see you soon!

You'll recognize some familiar faces in these videos on our YouTube channel, plus there'll be some fun activities that you can do at home.

Watch our videos on YouTube here! And even more can be found here (and you can also subscribe to receive our newsletter)!

Dara has a few messages to share with you and Nikki will show you how to make squishy stress balls and more!

Episodes of DCAC TV - The Kids Zone are on the Facebook page for the Digital Creative Arts Centre and YouTube channel!

More Fun Activities from our Staff

Big Boredom Busting Book Volume 1 is now available!

Thanks to the hard work of our recreation staff team, the Big Boredom Busting Book, Volume 1 is now available for download! Let us know what you think about the activities! We'd love to hear from you - e-mail Nikki at npariseau@bgclondon.ca.

Click here to download a copy of it from our Google Drive!

Secret Agent Training

Agents! Keep this manual close at hand to make sure you become the best possible agent. It is important, however, that you keep it hidden, to make sure it does not fall into enemy hands.

With your supervisor's permission (parents & guardians), download both parts of this top secret document to get started.

Best of luck Agents!

Download Part 1 of 2 of the Top Secret Agent manual

Download Part 2 of 2 of the Top Secret Agent manual

How to make a Gratitude Jar

Gratitude Jars

During difficult times like this it can be challenging to stay positive, especially for children. One way to develop positivity is to teach your children about gratitude and show them different ways to express it.

Why is having gratitude important?

Studies show that being grateful or having gratitude for everyday things doesn’t just feel good but is also good for us. Research has shown that positive emotions such as gratitude are good for our bodies and minds.

Here are some scientifically proven benefits to having gratitude:

Gratitude can help you make friends. Saying thank you for something to a new person makes them more likely to want to continue to be friends with you.
Gratitude makes you physically healthier. When we are grateful our bodies hurt less and we say we feel healthier.
Gratitude makes us mentally healthier. Being grateful reduces depression and increases happiness.
Gratitude makes us more empathetic (understand how someone else feels or understand their situation) and less aggressive.
Gratitude improves self-esteem. Gratitude helps you compare yourself less to other people (a factor in reduced self-esteem) and be more thankful for what you already have.

These are just some of the positive effects of gratitude on us as people.

How can we learn to be more grateful?

Like everything else, the more we practice, the better we get at it. Sometimes we can just naturally feel grateful for someone or something but other times, it is something we have to think about. Start by challenging yourself to find one thing to be grateful for each day. Then at the end of the day share what you are grateful for; share as a family or with friends. You will find that the more you look for things to be grateful for, the more things you will have to be grateful for!

Another way is to use a Gratitude Jar.

Download a copy of the instructions here.

How to Play Bugs

Grab a piece of paper and something to write with. If you happen to have a die (one dice), get that, too. If you don't have one, you can write the numbers 1 to 6 on separate smaller pieces of paper so you can pull these numbers out of a cup or box. Coloured blocks will also work! You can get as creative as you want and change up the rules once you get the hang of it.