One of the most universally held beliefs among early childhood educators is that children learn best through play. Most educators speak about play with passion and unquestioned commitment. We know, and research tells us children learn through play. What is Play Time? But what is meant by the word play? From some people especially those…
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Imaginative or pretend play stimulates the senses, creates opportunities for exploration and creative thinking, and helps your child to develop key skills vital for intellectual and emotional growth as well as social success. When Do Children Start Pretend Play? Newborn – 2 Years The first signs of pretend play emerge around 12 to 18 months.…
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Everyone has the cognitive capacity to learn and it is the information and structures present in the environment that create the conditions for learning. Count – count everything as you go along, the steps you walk up, how many people are in front of you at the check-out, the numbers on the elevator buttons. Notice…
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The benefits of being outdoors are widely known and accepted. This can including minimising illnesses, building a respect for nature, gross and fine motor developments, enhancing social complicity when engaging with others, as well as instilling an overall sense of calm. Here are some ideas to encourage your children to be outside more often: Gardening…
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Having children outside and learning with nature is always what we aim for. However, sometimes this is not possible. In our house we have a jar for rainy days and a jar for sunny days. Each jar has activities written on pieces of paper. My three children take turns each week selecting a slip of…
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Red Nose has been a part of Australian culture for over 40 years! We see fundraisers each year, cars with the big read circle and people sporting the attractive foam red nose. But what are they actually for? Red Nose Australia all began in Victoria in 1977 by Kaarene Fitzgerald following the death of Glenn…
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Every child’s a winner, right? My initial answer is, yes, of course they are. But in life, is that realistic? What if I added that there was always going to be someone better than you, faster than you, more dedicated than you, smarter than you? How would you manage that? How would you feel having experienced a…
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In short, absolutely yes! And here are some reasons why: Freedom – offering children loose parts means there are no rules nor predetermined outcomes of how things are ‘meant’ to be used. Loose parts celebrates the process over the product in play. Fine and gross motor skills – children involved in loose parts benefit from…
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“Don’t do that, you’ll get dirty” “Take that out of your mouth” “Out of the puddle”. I think that at some stage or another, we’re all guilty of saying these words to our children. And at certain times it is of course appropriate, but are we doing a disservice for our children if we don’t…
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Reading books with children is one of the best things you can do for your child. This can assist in fostering strong relationships, developing a love of stories, promoting receptive and expressive language as well as sparking imagination and creativity. When reading stories with children, I love books that are fun to read. I want…
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