Choosing the Best Recreational Program for Your Child


In order to know which programs are best suited to your child, remember the best resource is at home. Sit down with your child and find answers to three basic questions: WHY, WHERE and WHAT.

Discuss the following in order to select a program your child will most enjoy:

1. Understand WHY your child wants to participate and match program choices to their interests and goals. Most children join a program to have fun, make friends and learn new skills.

2. Find out WHERE would your child be most comfortable, in order to avoid confusion or frustration. Every child grows through different stages of development. Take your child's physical, mental, social, and emotional skills into consideration when choosing the length of a program and the level of skill required to participate.

3. WHAT are your goals? Are you looking for a safe place for your child while you are at work, an opportunity for your child to make new friends, develop new skills, or is it an outlet for physical activity and development? Don't forget to consider your personal and/or family needs when choosing a program.

bubble osler image

"No Bubble is so iridescent or floats longer than that blown by the successful teacher"

~ Sir William Osler



"A wise man ought to realize that health is his most valuable possession." ~ Hippocrates

What You Should Know

Adults aren't the only ones who have to worry about identity theft. Your children are at risk, too. In fact, children are at particular risk because their identity theft typically goes undetected for a decade or more, and it is usually detected when they grow up, and apply for loan or try to rent their first apartment, and discover that their credit rating has been destroyed.

All parents should apply critical thinking skills to prevent child identity theft.

Your child's birth certificate, passport, key pieces of personal data like full name and date of birth or social insurance number are particularly valuable to criminals. So you need to safeguard all valuable information. Make it your default policy to say NO to providing important children's personal information unless the person requesting it can provide you with solid evidence that they actually need requested information.

Store all key pieces of identification in a lock box and shred sensitive documents that you no longer need.

Be equally vigilant when it comes to sharing information online.

Help your child to understand the risks and communicate this to other family members, including grandparents.

Keep in mind that your child will be more willing to accept family rules about safeguarding personal data if they understand WHY. So, take the time to explain everything, it will pay off in future.