Exploring the Mind Through Core Memories: CCDMP at Mind Explorers 2025
On Saturday, June 21, 2025, student representatives Aleena, Sandrine, Maya and Chiara from the Centre for Child Development, Mental Health, and Policy (CCDMP) had the opportunity to share an engaging activity with young participants at the Mind Explorers event, focused on Adventures in Psychological and Brain Sciences, held at the Meadowvale Community Centre alongside other psychology labs from UTM.
As an annual event hosted by the University of Toronto Mississauga’s Infant and Child Studies Centre, children and their families are invited to engage in activities that promote learning about the brain and psychology, with topics ranging from sensory awareness and creative thinking to identity formation.
Specifically, our team at the CCDMP focused on an area significant to child development and emotional regulation—memory. Our memories shape our inner worlds, giving us a sense of understanding and opportunities for reflection. With this foundation, our Core Memory station aimed to foster self-reflection, expression, and connection by creating a space for children to explore their inner memories.
Inspired by Pixar’s Inside Out, children were provided with prompts, materials, and encouragement to create a visual representation of their own golden memories—significant events from their lives. Each child was first invited to reflect on a positive memory, such as a fun moment with friends or experiencing something new. With their memory in mind, they chose a coloured paper to illustrate the moment and created a visual representation using an ornament.
Through the reflective process at our Core Memory station, children engaged in heartwarming discussions that built a sense of connection among student representatives, children, and parents. In recognizing the feelings behind each memory, participants began to build the foundations of emotional awareness, storytelling, and self-understanding.
Overall, this event was a meaningful opportunity to foster connections and promote healthy conversations around emotional well-being in our community. Thank you to all our volunteers and our event coordinator for their work to bring our station to life, along with the University of Toronto Mississauga’s Infant and Child Studies Centre for hosting the event. We are especially grateful to all the families and children who visited our station to reflect, share, and learn more about the initiatives and research happening at the CCDMP.
Now, take a moment to reflect—what golden memory comes to your mind, and what emotions arise?
Additional resources:
The 3Es of Social-Emotional Development © Handout
How to be an Emotion Coach: L.O.V.E. Strategy
