This article was written in collaboration with Wee Wild Ones, Presenting Sponsor of the Kids Race and Diaper Dash.
Wee Wild Ones, proud Presenting Sponsor of the Kids Race and Diaper Dash events at the Servus Calgary Marathon, is more than just a childcare provider. They are revolutionizing the way we approach early child learning and care with a unique, child-led approach centred around wellness and the environment.
Starting as a children’s yoga studio in Bridgeland, owner and founder Chloe Dusser explains that this venture blossomed into a childcare provider in 2013 based on the rising need in the community.
“Yoga is a very inclusive activity – it’s non-competitive and anchored in well-being and mindfulness, which children could really benefit from,” said Dusser. “Slowly it morphed into an after school care program since families loved having their children participate, but they needed their child to be picked up from school, so I just naturally adjusted my offering.”
As demand grew, Wee Wild Ones evolved into the childcare provider it is today, while still keeping the emphasis on children’s well-being and helping to raise the next generation of leaders, critical thinkers, and problem solvers. Currently operating seven centres in Calgary, Wee Wild Ones is proud to be expanding across provinces later this year with a new centre opening in Saint John, NB, as well as one in Scarborough, ON, and another in Brantford, ON.
Yoga and overall healthy living is still a central part of Wee Wild Ones’ programming, which serves children from 6 months to 12 years in childcare, preschool, Kindergarten, and before and after school care. But Dusser wanted to take the curriculum further by building the learning space around the child through the Reggio Emilia Approach, a student-centred, self-guided educational philosophy.
“I think there is still lots of space for us to define what high quality childcare means. Right now, the focus seems to be creating supply,” said Dusser. “My interpretation of the Reggio Emilia Approach is based on the child being seen as an individual who is one with their environment. It’s believing that the image of the child is capable, independent, confident, and smart; not structuring the environment around them assuming that the child is going to hurt themselves or not understand.”
The Reggio Emilia Approach lends itself well to Flight: Alberta’s Early Learning and Care Framework that has been implemented for early learning and childcare educators in our province. Both standards view children as capable and curious, with an emphasis on play-based teaching that is flexible and grows organically from children’s explorations.
“I gravitated towards that learning philosophy because I am a big proponent of the idea that people rise up to how you picture them and the potential you see in them,” said Dusser. “We’ve found children to be really responsive to a learning environment that is constantly adapting to their needs and their interests, versus telling them what they should be interested in.”
Wee Wild Ones’ educators allow the children to guide their programming, structuring activities around their interests and letting them follow their natural curiosities. Interacting with nature is integral to this learning, with the children and educators spending as much time as possible outdoors to set the foundations for healthy, active lives.
But Dusser knew that Wee Wild Ones had the opportunity to be doing more, not just for the families it serves, but for the community where it lives, works, and plays. This led to the creation of their internal Monster March, an annual event designed to encourage physical activity through walking, while being as inclusive as possible for all ages and abilities, with the underlying goal of giving back to nonprofits who provide essential services.
“Giving has always been a huge part of my life. I think the ability to give is the greatest privilege you can have as an individual, and particularly as a business owner. I feel I have succeeded when I have the capacity to give back, so even from the very beginning we always looked for opportunities to give back to the community.”
This annual initiative grew into the current partnership with Run Calgary, with Wee Wild Ones proudly sponsoring both the Kids Race and Diaper Dash since 2024, to help reach an even larger audience and promote the idea of healthy living and supporting essential services. Since 2017, through both the Monster March and now the Servus Calgary Marathon events, Wee Wild Ones is proud to have donated over $400,000 to Calgary nonprofits.
“When I moved to Calgary in 2013, I signed up for the Calgary Marathon. This was one of the first marathons that I ran, so I was super excited to participate in it since I had been living in Calgary for a couple weeks,” said Dusser. “It was just an amazing way to discover the city and feel the sportsmanship, and participate in an event that brings a lot of like-minded individuals together.”
The Wee Wild Ones Kids Race and Wee Wild Ones Diaper Dash have quickly become a crowd favourite event, and Dusser feels this is no surprise given their inclusivity and ability to bring people of all ages together.
“My favourite part has just been seeing the excitement of parents and their enthusiasm for their children to participate in these events,” said Dusser. “And just how entertaining, sweet, hilarious, and cute it is. It brings us all together for a really sweet moment and a really fun event.”
Wee Wild Ones is excited to welcome this year’s participants to the Diaper Dash and Kids Race, taking place at the Servus Calgary Marathon on Saturday, May 23. This year, the Wee Wild Ones team will be dedicating a portion of the proceeds to support the Calgary Public Library Foundation (you can join their team here!).
“The Calgary Public Library is an organization that reaches so many different aspects of the community, and has such a great impact that goes beyond just literacy,” said Dusser. “It’s a place where families can come together, it’s a hub where people can access resources, it’s a place where children can play. And of course, literacy and learning is so fundamental to child development. So we are excited to support them, and it’s incredible because the Calgary Marathon is a vehicle to support so many deserving organizations – so many teams are raising money for Calgary nonprofits and it’s undeniable the impact that the Servus Calgary Marathon has on the City of Calgary.”
Register for the Kids Race or Diaper Dash
For more information on the Wee Wild Ones Kids Race or the Wee Wild Ones Diaper Dash, please visit calgarymarathon.com.
Learn More about Wee Wild Ones
To learn more about Wee Wild Ones and its offerings for children 6 months to 12 years, please visit weewildones.ca
Join the Wee Wild Ones Fundraising Team
You can either join the team during registration, of if you’re already signed up – you can still join the team!
raceroster.com
