Topics: Child development

“I gotta keep practicing, look at this one, this’ll be it!” We were at our town’s new skatepark for the fifth straight day, and I was watching my 11-year old transform from shaky to confident as he crouched, balanced, and popped his board into the air before landing firmly back down, in what he assured … Continued

Do you ever come across those nostalgic online quizzes that ask, “How many toys from the ’90s (or ’80s, ’70s, etc.) can you identify?” Bop It. Skip-It. Magic Mitt. Moon Boots. Each of these toys, whether you owned one or played with your neighbour’s, brings back memories of active backyard fun. Though the chances of … Continued

Do you live in a neighbourhood that has a roaming group of children that plays outside with little or no interference from adults? One where the local kids knock on your door to ask your child to come out to play? Kudos if you do. Children are more physically active when they spend time outside. … Continued

“Any questions?” This well-meaning phrase, when posed to a group of young female athletes, often results in 10 or more hands shooting up, and you as a coach end up standing there fielding questions like you’ve just entered your own personal press conference. You may be thinking to yourself, “Well that’s just how kids are.” … Continued

My youngest son, Cam, has always been full of surprises. With a flair for the dramatic, Cam decided that he would make his grand entrance into the world more than 12 weeks early. With the ensuing medical issues, including collapsed lungs, chronic lung disease, infections, viruses, heart concerns, and prolonged gastrointestinal and feeding issues, his … Continued

When our son was five years old, he showed no interest in team sports. He would participate halfheartedly and then after the season we’d prompt him to sign up again. He’d politely say, “No, thank you.” After a frustrating T-ball season where we spent more time arguing with our son about going to T-ball than … Continued

Risky play is a hot topic in parenting these days. Are you “overprotecting” your children? Or are you “putting them at risk” by allowing them to climb the monkey bars at the park? Researchers are telling us that risky play is necessary for healthy child development. It’s essential for developing confidence and the ability to … Continued

Playgrounds and unstructured free play have always been my go-to options for my two boys’ exercise and entertainment. But as they’ve grown in height, they’ve also been growing apart in terms of their interests, as well as their physical and social skills. Despite their five-year age difference, when they were younger both would happily play … Continued

She really liked that Jermaine took time to coach the kids about how to play and taught them some basics like dribbling, moving their feet, and shooting. She thought it would be great if it was actually a Raptors player teaching the kids to play, and is hoping that she might get coached by a … Continued

Teaching a child to ride a bike must be one of the toughest activities. It certainly has been in our house. “Parent fail” reverberates in my head when my daughter tearfully says she doesn’t want to ride her bike. We started with a pedal-less strider bike, which was great for her to learn to balance … Continued