We often have families request more "educational" type experiences such as rote learning number, writing and stencil work in early childhood settings as these are believed to prepare their child for school. We may also hear comments such as "they are just playing..." "they just run around"... While as educators we can be left feeling frustrated … [Read more...]
What Messages do your Meal Times send to Children?
Picture this... Sophie is 4 years old. She is asked to sit at the table for lunch… it is tuna bake today. Sophie really dislikes tuna and they never eat it at home… as Dad dislikes it too! Sophie is best friends with Ava and they love to chat over lunch, however they are always placed at different tables because they talk too much. Sophie … [Read more...]
The Importance of Water Play for Children
We often tell families about the importance and outcomes of play. However have you ever seriously considered and reflected on children’s play and the opportunities you provide to achieve these outcomes. Let’s look at water play… We usually only provide this type of exploratory, sensory play in the warmer months however water play really should be … [Read more...]
Creating a sense of “Belonging” BUT does it have to be a Tree?
I am going to play Devil’s Advocate. The reason being is that so often I see and hear educators talk about or request photos and information on “Belonging Trees”. While these can look quite beautiful and effective I question why? With the many changes occurring in early childhood education over the last decade include the Scrapbooking fad, … [Read more...]
Superhero Play- Creative or Chaotic?
We often tell families about the importance and outcomes of play. However we often think negatively about Superhero play, we re-direct and ask children, in so many words, to engage in “real” play. But have you ever seriously considered and reflected on the importance and significance of children’s Superhero play? I have fond memories of taking … [Read more...]
Creative Arts & Brain Development in Children
How you view art and creative development will have a significant impact upon how to design your creative art experiences and spaces, hence impact upon children’s brain development, self-esteem and mental health. Let's think about the brain. Research suggests that while the right hemisphere controls muscles on the left side of your body, it … [Read more...]
The Importance of Outdoor Play for Children
The Importance of playing outside… even when it’s cold!! We all know time outside enjoying fresh air and sunshine is important for children and has many health benefits, however why do we stop outside play when it gets cold or when the sun disappears? There are many “myths” around the weather such as playing in the cold will give you a … [Read more...]
Employable and Inspiring Educators
Educators can have a long and lasting effect on a young child’s life and ideally we want these early impressions to inspire, challenge and foster a positive well-being for these young children. While there are abundant training providers and programs available for prospective and experienced educators the quality of the education and training … [Read more...]
Family Partnerships
I often hear educators comment that families don’t get involved in the program or service and I always wonder whether our expectations are the same as families. Do we place the same emphasis on what’s important? Most of the time when we discuss “family involvement” it revolves around curriculum input and or feedback as well as sharing a skill or … [Read more...]
Art Supporting Resilience in Children
Allowing children to explore the visual arts such as paint, clay, collage materials, working with 3D such as boxes and more enables children to think creatively, problem-solve, develop sensory awareness and integration, explore anxieties, experiences and memories safely. What is Art Therapy? Art therapy has been used for many years to assist … [Read more...]