By Chadd Cawson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The holiday season is a time to come together, connect and celebrate. The Little Badgers Early Learning Centre is excited to host its Family Christmas Night for their Little Badger families and the Akisqnuk community from 4:30 to 6:45 p.m. on December 20.  Little Badgers lead teacher, Evy Walker, said the pandemic prevented this annual event from happening the past two years and the loss of community connections were felt.

“This is our first Christmas event since COVID and we are very excited to be able to welcome families and the community back to Little Badgers,” said Walker. “Our children love to have the chance to show off their school to their families and our staff are excited to be able to celebrate holidays with everyone again. This is the first year that we will have a fire in the Learning Garden as part of the evening and we feel that having part of the evening outdoors really showcases our nature philosophy.”

While this free event is open only to the Akisqnuk community and the families, Walker said Little Badgers is planning some wonderful events for the new year that will be open to all Columbia Valley families.  The Christmas Family Night at Little Badgers will be a fun-filled, festive evening with a hot dog roast and hot chocolate in the garden. Afterward families will be invited inside the learning centre for a tour of the classrooms and have the opportunity to complete a special Christmas craft to take home. Walker hopes to see the evening end off with the little ones singing rhymes and songs with the loved ones they came with.

“We all have been struggling the past few years with the lack of connections.  It is so important for children to have a social support system, but it is also incredibly important for parents to be able to make connections and build a community,” said Walker. “Our passion at Little Badgers is early years education and we recognize that learning starts at home.  The more we can support the family, the more successful a child will be. We hope everyone that comes out takes away a little Christmas spirit and a sense of community!”