Program Highlights

TOPP KIDS continues to implement new programs every year, focusing on bringing enrichment opportunities and life skills to our clubs and families!

 

 

Life Skills* Curriculum Framework

The purpose of our curriculum framework is to deliver programming that teaches LIFE SKILLS through activities, community engagement, reflection, self-improvement, and PLAY.

 

Comprised of focused child-led programming by each of our team members, the framework utilizes a portfolio system where each Educator is in charge of emergent programming through a specific lens- Physical Literacy, Music & Movement, S.T.E.A.M., Arts & Expression, Literacy, Clubs, Jr. Leadership, and KindiClubs.

 

Play and learning experiences are created to help teach children valuable LIFE SKILLS* and become true TOPP KIDS. Skills are broadly based on the following categories:

• Thinking skills (critical thinking, creative thinking, problem-solving, decision-making)
• Personal skills (self-awareness, self-management, self-improvement, S.E.L.)
• Interpersonal skills (communication skills, empathy, cooperation, etc.)

• Leadership skills (integrity, courage, self-belief, confidence, responsibility, planning)

• Literacy skills (financial, math, reading, writing, language, and listening)

• Life skills (cooking, safety, etiquette, growth mindset, good choices, and kindness)

• Citizenship skills (adding value to your community)

The LIFE SKILLS Curriculum framework was built with inspiration from a number of sources around the world including the Alberta Flight Curriculum Framework, MindUp Curriculum, NOIST, as well as components from the Kid-Grit Curriculum, CASEL, Building Blocks for Learning Framework, Alberta Physical Literacy Guidelines, 21st Century Learning Programs and best practices and programming from TOPP KIDS.

THE WHY:

We grow people. That is what we are the best at. This curriculum framework was designed with the focus of providing children (mighty learners) with the necessary tools to develop LIFE SKILLS delivered through the medium of PLAY in order to help build today’s TOPP KIDS. After leaving our program, TOPP KIDS should be more adept and confident to lead their lives and hope to inspire and lead others.

The curriculum framework focuses on bringing more hands-on, Child inspired, play-based programming and community involvement, while focusing on developmental milestones and teachable moments.

 

Alberta Active Afterschool

Alberta Active After School is a community of practice managed by a provincial committee of after-school leaders and open to all stakeholders working in this field. We are dedicated to supporting after-school programs in providing quality physical activity in the after-school time period through the implementation of the Provincial Activity Guidelines for After-School Programs in Alberta.

The after-school time period is a particularly important time in children and youths’ lives. These after-school hours can often be a critical time where children and youth can be without adult supervision due to the school and work day times not lining up. By providing an opportunity for children and youth to engage in physically active and supportive after-school programs, there is a great opportunity to positively impact their health, well-being and safety.

TOPP KIDS has partnered with AAAS to provide both training and activities resources for our OOSC programs.

If you are interested in learning more about the training our Active Play Coordinators do visit: https://abactiveafterschool.ca/online-training/

 

S.T.R.E.A.M. Programming: Coding & Robotics

This year we will be implementing a new Coding & Robotics Enhancement Program to TOPP KIDS using new equipment and toys focused on introducing skills for future careers. Participants will get the opportunity to design video games, code the movement and patterns of robots, engineer things to move, design animation, and more! This program will be led by TOPP KIDS and Engineering 4 Kids!

 

Enrichment: Literacy Programs

TOPP KIDS continues to focus on building literacy skills for participants in our program. Literacy is fundamental to one’s learning, growing, and comprehension of the world. The ability to read, write, and think critically is essential in all facets of our lives – from academics and career to civic responsibility to social engagement. Whether is it reading about current events in newspapers or online, writing a cover letter to a potential employer, or reviewing the nutritional content of food when grocery shopping, literacy skills come into play. Programs continue to incorporate enrichment as part of their daily schedule – planning literacy activities, providing time for academic work, and building family involvement activities. We plan to incorporate local authors, storytellers, and multiple types of literacy into the programs.

 

Our programs focus on innovative ways of getting children to love literacy. One of our most popular programs is the Comic Book Project Program where we partner with local comic book shops and get comic books into the hands of children who haven’t found a passion for traditional books yet. With exciting artwork and stories, the goal is to get them to become lifelong readers by capturing imaginations through character development and books that are fun! This flows into developing our own comics that we then send to get bound and published for them or sent out in our newsletters for families to read!

 

The TOPP Artist Program

You will be amazed at what your child is capable of! This innovating program delivers quality fine art focused enhanced programming for school-age participants with simple lessons and lots of fun, giving the students the tremendous benefits of artistic expression and education. Let them discover the artist within as they learn about artists, movements, and mediums, as we use great artists of the past as well as local artists to inspire and teach. Students not only learn art history but are given the skills and confidence to be a great artist!

 

TOPP KIDS and Calgary Sports & Entertainment

BEING PART OF THE TOPP KIDS FAMILY JUST GOT A WHOLE LOT BETTER! TOPP KIDS has recently partnered with the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation and friends and family of TOPP KIDS now get exclusive ticket prices for the Flames, Hitmen, Roughnecks and Stampeders games here in Calgary!
At a discount of 60% off of regular ticket prices, $5.00 of every ticket sold goes toward our “Send a Kid to Camp” initiative.

This promotion starts with selected Calgary Roughnecks games and as the next seasons start, we will have Flames, Hitmen and Stamps added to this roster as well.
SO DON” BE SHY! Tell your co-workers, your neighbors, your schools and communities, reading circle, your pharmacist… TELL EVERYONE! After all were doing this for the kids!
The cool part is, with every ticket sold, you will also have the option to donate a ticket to a lucky TOPP KID who typically wouldnt be able to go to games!
We can also schedule FOR programs to all go to certain games together, or all programs at one time. If we sell more than 100 tickets to any one event, the amount TOPP KIDS receives DOUBLES and we can help MORE FAMILIES!

Other cool parts of our partnership:

  • Autograph sessions available for TOPP KIDS after most games
  • Exclusive family section available for those who like to stay away from other crazy fans
  • Every ticket sold helps a TOPP KID
  • You can donate a ticket for another TOPP KID with any purchase
  • We have the opportunity to organize tunnel runs and other sponsorship opportunities to help kids meet players and be part of the games!
  • We now have this amazing partnership that will help enhance our programs for our families and our communities. You can bet we’re going to incorporate these teams in our activities as much as possible!

If you want to check out the link to our landing page yourself or purchase tickets for your family here it is!

GET YOUR TICKETS HERE!

 

TOPP KIDS Summer Camp

TOPP KIDS Summer Camps and typically held in July and August between the school years.  We are so excited that our camps are in such high demand, and it is our goal to have enough room in camps for every TOPP KIDS participant in the near future.

 

Jr. Leadership Program

All communities need role models and leaders. Most of us agree that professions such as medicine, technology, education, business and industry, politics, and the arts need people who can use intelligence, creativity, and critical judgment.

We believe it is our job, as role models and child care professionals, to help in the development of leadership attributes and qualities and skills in children at an early age.

Our leadership program helps teach kids to feel comfortable in and addressing large groups of children, have others respond well to their suggestions and build interest in setting the direction or style of play for their peers. We believe leadership in children can be nurtured and grown and, in turn, build great amounts of self-respect and worth.

Check out the full Leadership Program page.

 

Inclusive Programming

TOPP KIDS is an Inclusive Care program that prides itself on Acceptance, Tolerance, and Empathy with all attendees including those with diverse needs. Many of the schools we service have specialized programs such as the Bridges program that caters specifically to families with diverse needs. TOPP KIDS prides its self on the education and professionalism of our teams but we do also have the ability to help families contract additional Supportive Aides to work one on one with their child in the program through an assessment process. Funding must be approved first by FSCD (Family Support for Children With Disabilities) and Supportive Aides or Youth Community Facilitators would then be contracted through either TOPP KIDS or the separately. All Supportive Aides would be additionally trained by TOPP KIDS so that our standards would be consistent throughout the program.

 

YES: Youth Empowered for Success

In partnership with YES Super Camps, TOPP KIDS will be able to find their strengths, create their own Million Dollar Idea, develop their product or service, build a small business and actually enter the entrepreneurial area! During this process, children will learn life skills around finance and system development and have an opportunity to involve the whole family.

Entrepreneurship shows your TOPP KID that what is learned in school can be applied in real life. Our objective is to get your son/daughter to think in terms of “how will I use what I’m learning in school to benefit myself and others in real life, rather than just understanding the theory.” – Nick Petryk- President & Co-Founder – YES – Youth Empowered for Success Inc.

 

TOPP KIDS Café

Every one of our TOPP KIDS programs has now developed their own version of a TOPP KIDS Café. The idea has been a child-led activity and it is exciting to see all the creative ideas coming from every group. Every month each program hosts their own Café club providing the kids in the program with a variety of cooking and creative culinary experience.

The Café program gives the children the opportunity to work with food crafts, bake, take turns serving and managing and has turned into a great activity for family participation too. We even have special visits from Chef Chris, SYSCO, and Poppy Innovations who come in and volunteer and help teach new recipes and culinary skills!

The best part is ALL parents and families are invited! We encourage family and community involvement, and this is definitely the most delicious way to do it!

 

Supporting Inclusive Approaches in Play

 TOPP KIDS and Alberta Resource Centre for Quality Enhancement have partnered to introduce new resources into each centre. This latest assortment of toys and materials is intended to provide resources that support inclusive approaches in play, facilitate greater sensitivity and understanding of inclusion through enriched philosophical shifts in attitude, and integration interactions with young children and their families.

The resource materials have been designed to complement the following 9 program areas.

  1. Manipulative exploration
  2. Artistic expression
  3. Music & movement 
  4. Block construction
  5. Sand & water
  6. Socio-dramatic play
  7. Nature & science
  8. Math & numeracy
  9. Indoor & outdoor spaces

Each set is supported by a curriculum guide that provides information addressing best and promising practice relative to inclusion, learning stories that offer insight to practical application and supporting approaches, self-reflection questions, as well as a series of supporting activity sheets with suggestions for implementation of toys and resources.

 

After School Check: Physical Awareness – Pilot Program

 TOPP KIDS and Physical and Health Education Canada have partnered to pioneer a new physical awareness and safety program for before and after school programs across the country.

The After School Safety Check program provides support tools and resources for after-school program leaders, supervisors, and parents.  Additionally, the After School Safety Check program aims to increase knowledge, awareness, and understanding of injury prevention, risk management, and best practices in safety.

The After School Safety Check program resources are divided into two categories: Parental Awareness Tools and Program Leader/Supervisor Support Tools.

  1. Parental Awareness Tools
  • Checklists that increase parental awareness on selecting appropriate programs and the minimum required safety standards.
  1. Program Leaders/Supervisor Support Tools
  • Interactive Games and Activities
  • Physical Activity Implementation Checklist
  • Physical Activity Guideline Checklist
  • Physical Activity Safety Games
  • Resource Documents
  • Sample Forms for Communication, Protocol, and Procedures
  • Inclusion Guideline for Participants of All Abilities.

Programs such as this help to keep TOPP KIDS up to date with current advances and innovations is childcare, helping us provide the best quality child care possible.

For more information please check out our parent FAQs and our resource page.

 

To read more about core parts of our daily programming, visit our B & A Program, Kindi-Care Program, Leadership Program and Summer Camp pages.