The weather is an amazing thing..... it changes daily and may even change several times in one day! While we may talk about "what the weather will be today" using charts or images, we could take this much further. Being aware of our weather, temperatures, seasons can be great opportunities to explore science and prenumeracy but also supports … [Read more...]
Sustainability Day 17- Fun with CDs!
Are you like me and have huge piles of CDs that you no longer use... you now download your music onto your iPad or phone... and the CD player now sits and gathers dust??? Well rather than throw out those old CDs and add to landfill, maybe think of ways we can re-use these! Here are some ideas; Use CDs and crystals, glass beads, collage to … [Read more...]
Sustainability Day 16- Time for Coffee!
So. I love coffee, like most of us and while I usually buy this from my local cafe each morning I may also make one at home with my coffee pod machine....but did you know that each little coffee pod takes 500 years or more to break down? To be sustainable and make conscious choices, I do chose biodegradable pods and I also try to re-use these … [Read more...]
Sustainability Day 15 – let’s make music!
This is an area where I often hear educators comment on their lack of resources including instruments. We can also make the mistake of assuming that music or music experiences are about putting on a children's action song CD.... Music is so much more than this! Not only should we be exploring difference genres and cultural sounds but we should … [Read more...]
Sustainability Day 14 – Feeding the Birds!
We are so lucky to live in a country where we have so many beautiful birds that frequent our gardens and children are naturally curious about the animals and creatures they observe.. so why not encourage this further! There are many fantastic, easy to make, sustainable bird feeders we can make with the children. What a great way to talk about … [Read more...]
Sustainability Day 13- Edible Gardens
We love the idea of having vegetable gardens in our services... large ones where we harvest enough food to support the needs of the kitchen but all too often veggie gardens are left unloved, looking sad and wilted in the sun with one little strawberry waiting to be picked before the caterpillar gets it! However having edible gardens are a … [Read more...]
Sustainability Day 12- Landfill v’s Art
So, we often think about using recycled materials for our art / craft experiences... but what if we took this to the next level and explored Recycle Art! As part of our creative arts experiences we need to be exposing children to various art works and media such as paintings, collage, clay work, sculpture, carvings and engravings and we often … [Read more...]
Sustainability Day 11 – Endangered Animals
We often talk with children about animals and our native Australian animals, however it is common to discuss endangered animals with children? Having conversations about endangered animals and the reasons why provides opportunity to discuss the environment and the impact of humans. Did you know that almost 1 in 3 of our unique mammals are at … [Read more...]
Sustainability Day 10 – Mud, Glorious Mud!
OK, so before you shriek "nooooo, not mud".... think back to your own childhood and making mud pies! As a child I was always outside in the dirt and mud... I can remember trickling the water from the hose in the dirt to create the perfect texture... running enough to pour into Mum's old muffin tins... but thick enough to dry hard by the end of the … [Read more...]
Sustainability Day 9 – Getting Families involved!
Children naturally love to get involved with anything related to the environment. They are responsive to "making a difference" and have positive attitudes towards sustainable practices. However at time adults may not have the same enthusiasm! This is where we need to get families involved.... create opportunities to share and discuss sustainable … [Read more...]