Celebrating Pride: Book List for Children and Youth

Acrylic abstract painting of rainbow colours across the canvas from top to bottom: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink.

June is Pride Month! While we at TREE affirm and celebrate the 2SLGBTQIA+ community all year round, this is a special opportunity for us to celebrate and affirm the importance of recognizing queer identities. We are committed to supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ youth in our community! This non-exhaustive book list has been curated to highlight stories that […]

Peace Activities for the Teenage Years

two teens sitting on a bench, legs dangling off the edge

Welcome to the final instalment of our July Peace Activities series features three peace activities for teens. Featuring some of our favourite TREE activities, this guide is designed for older children or teens, age 13+ to try at home. Of course, you know your family best, so feel free to adapt these activities to their […]

Peace Activities For The Middle Years

two children sit on a brown couch with a laptop

Welcome to Part 2 of our July Blog Series! This month we are exploring different peace-based activities that you can do from home, adapted from some of our favourite TREE activities. These three activities are designed for children in middle elementary school, ages 10-12. Of course, you know your child best! Feel free to adapt […]

Peace Activities For The Early Years

This summer is probably looking a bit different than expected, with camps, trips, and adventures being put on hold while we continue to navigate social distancing the best we can. Children can keep on learning through play and dialogue, even with these new safety measures Each TREE Classroom program includes take-home activities for families, designed […]

TREE’s Summer Reading List

An overhead shot of a boy reading a picture book.

Summer is here! Whether we’re spending more time outside in backyards, on balconies, in parks, or at the beach, a book is always a good companion, especially when we’re physical distancing! We carefully choose the stories we read in TREE workshops, because we know the right book can create a space to encourage young people […]

When Small Conflicts Feel Big

woman laying on sofa, man in kitchen

We all have a window of tolerance for managing stress, conflicts and challenges in any moment. In the best of times, we have a greater window of capacity to tolerate these stressors. At times, however, there will be stressors that shrink that window. It could be a big change, like moving to a new city, academic […]

A Roadmap for Tough Conversations

Person walking on an uneven path

It’s April 2020, and many of us are navigating new routines, and new ways of spending time with others. Many of us are staying home, or working with different stressors, which means that new challenges push on our limits, often bringing up intense emotions or overwhelm.  On top of all of the new things coming […]

3 Tips for Building Conflict Resolution Skills with Teens

A group of teens gathered, laughing at sunset.

The teen years are a time of rapid change for the youth in our lives. During this time period, youth are further developing their concentration, reasoning skills and perspective-taking, while continuing to build their sense of self. Decisions about the future may become stressors, while simultaneously navigating increasingly complex relationships with their peers. Here are […]

5 Tips for Building Conflict Resolution Skills with Pre-Teens

The pre-teen years are a time of rapid change for the youth in our lives. Young people are busy working out who they are and where they fit into the world, in conjunction with a lot of physical, emotional, cognitive and social changes. During this time, these changes can happen quickly and seemingly unpredictable, which can be tough […]

5 Tips for Building Conflict Resolution Skills in Children’s Middle Years

Two middle age children in a pillow fight.

Between the ages of 6-12, children are entering a turning point we call the middle years. During this period, they are becoming more curious. They are cultivating new skills and independence, and they begin to form meaningful relationships with others their age. For more on supporting children through this stage, we recommend Ontario’s On My Way […]