Music and Yoga – The best of friends!

Individually, music and yoga are powerful tools for enhancing wellbeing. Together, they are unstoppable! 

We were excited to learn that Sunday 21 June is the International Day of Yoga AND World Music Day! It almost feels as though it’s a special Bonkers Beat day! 

At Bonkers Beat, our mantra is ‘Music and Wellbeing Practices for Life’. Our team believes in embedding music and yoga, as well as meditation and other wellness practices, into every day. This is an achievable goal for most people, as music and yoga can be enjoyed at home, in early childhood services, at school – just about anywhere! Seeing the benefits of music and yoga for children over so many years has been awe-inspiring and continues to drive us to share the message year after year. 

Yoga matters

While yoga has increased in popularity over the last few years, the practice itself dates back thousands of years. In fact, no one really knows how long yoga has been around! From increasing strength and fitness, helping us to breathe better and its profound effect on mental health, it doesn’t get much better than yoga when it comes to enhancing overall wellbeing. 

Yoga practice for children offers countless benefits, including:

  • Improved strength and flexibility
  • Confidence and self-esteem
  • Relaxation and stress management
  • Better focus
  • Enhancing and supporting wellbeing

Introducing yoga to children is a gift for life. To help you get started, here are some yoga poses for you to download. To access videos with ‘Yoga with Bonkers the Monkey’ routines run by Bonkers Beat educators, head to ‘Music Kinder at Home’ Facebook group. 

Music matters

Everything’s better with music, and there is something about it that just makes us all smile and connect. It’s no surprise then that there is a day to celebrate it! World Music Day originated in Paris, France in 1982 – there it is known as Fête de la Musique. The creators wanted to expand the culture across the country, and the day was planned to encourage musicians to take to the streets and play their music together to share with the people. It was so successful that it has been adopted in many countries across the world and continues even now in 2020!

Music has so many benefits for children across many areas of their development and wellbeing. Adding more music through playing it, singing it and listening to it for outcomes such as:

  • Building children’s confidence
  • Enhancing children’s communication 
  • Improving concentration
  • Working on motor skills and coordination
  • Enhancing memory
  • Tapping into creativity

To embed more spontaneous singing into your daily practices, we have some transitional songs for you to download as well!

Make yoga and music your best friends

While yoga and music make the best of friends for one another, make them your best friends too! And pass on this powerful gift to children to enhance their wellbeing – for life!

Keep an eye on what we are up to as well, because we have some free resources coming out soon to help support children’s wellbeing and health. Announcement coming soon!

In the meantime, our Bonkers Beat programs for early childhood services are specifically focused on harnessing the power of music and yoga for optimising children’s wellbeing and development. Learn more about them here.

In This Together for Wellness and Peace

Togetherness has been an overwhelming focus throughout this entire year. We’ve had to work together to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve come together to support one another and we’ve achieved great things in Australia as a result. As educators and parents, it is our responsibility in particular to keep having conversations with children about togetherness. This includes equality, our rights and the rights of others, kindness and striving for a peaceful world.

Just last week we celebrated and discussed Reconciliation Week (27 May – 3 June) and Sorry Day with children. And what beautiful and meaningful conversations we had focusing on respect for our country’s Indigenous people, with the theme for 2020 ‘In This Together’.


On Saturday 13 June it is Global Wellness Day, which got us thinking about the concept of wellness and togetherness; how we can experience wellness both individually and collectively.

Wellbeing practices are hugely impactful for improving wellness for us all. A part of this is bringing about a sense of inner peace, and to achieve this we need to work toward cresting peace in the world. What does this look like in action? Among other things, peace is showing respect for others, accepting our differences and celebrating our uniqueness. And it requires us all to continue to work together.

Speaking with children about issues like discrimination doesn’t have to be a scary topic and it is so important that children understand what discrimination might look like in real life. This article gives some excellent examples of racial discrimination, and explains how you could use potentially awkward situations with children to create educational opportunities. Don’t be afraid to answer questions about differences like skin colour, hair type, use of wheelchairs or other things that they might be curious about. Be open with children that we are all different and special in our own way and give them simple facts that are easy to understand.

Let’s all create time and space to continue to have conversations with children about the importance of wellness, kindness and peace for one and all. Celebrate those things that are different about us all and also celebrate the many things that connect us all.

We would also love to share our National Reconciliation Week album with you to show you how we acknowledged this important week.

Do you have resources, thoughts or suggestions to share with us all to help spread the message of togetherness for wellness and peace? Please share them with us! You can do this via social media or email – the more ideas we all have, the better.

Stay wise, sanitise!

Schools have reopened, parks are accessible again and we’re about to see restaurants opening their doors! While it feels like things are going back to normal, it’s still so vital that we don’t become complacent in the face of Covid-19. This goes for at home and at kindergartens and childcare centres too.

Good hygiene practices, physical distancing measures and common sense are key to staying healthy and safe whilst reducing the spread of Covid-19 as well as other illnesses in the community.

Hand sanitiser on entry and departure

Whether you’re heading into a shop, childcare centre – anywhere really – using hand sanitiser as you enter and as you leave should become a habit in 2020. Centres, place a hand sanitiser at the entry point to your centre and ideally one for when people leave too. Carrying your own personal hand sanitiser in your bag or pocket is a good habit to get into as well.

Wash your hands regularly and effectively

Many of us are guilty of not giving hand-washing the necessary amount of time to get the job done properly, especially children! Our brand new Bonkers Beat song ‘Wash Your Hands’ doesn’t just make it easy, but makes it FUN!

Just take a look here at how much children can enjoy washing their hands properly!

Try to create extra space between children. Encourage them to self-assess the distance between themselves and others using their arms or another form of measurement. Reconsider how many chairs are around each activity table, space out floor cushions, add more activity areas where possible. Don’t forget to leave 1.5 metres between yourself and others outside of your family residents too.

Staggering arrival and departure times

Instead of having a crowd of children and parents arriving all at once, try working with families to stagger the arrival and departure times. This will mean less contact with others and make it much easier for people to maintain appropriate distancing measures.

Keep it clean

It’s not just our hands that need to stay clean! Thoroughly cleaning toys, shared facilities, surfaces and more as often as possible can minimise the spread of illness and keep everyone safe and well.

Stay home if you’re unwell

Whether you are an educator, parent or child, staying at home if you’re feeling unwell is a must. It might be frustrating or make life a bit tricky, but keeping away from others when unwell could make all the difference in reducing the potential spread of illness through communities.

If you or your children have been using our ‘Wash Your Hands’ song, we’d love to see images and videos from you! Please share with us on Facebook!

To get the lyrics and soundtrack for the song, visit ‘Music Kinder at Home’ Facebook group. Have fun with singing and washing your hands!

New Website Launching Soon!

After months and months of hard work, sweat and tears, our newly designed BonkersBeat.com website is about to go live! We are thrilled to not only help you to easily find lots of valuable content, but provide you with more practical tips, benefits and resources! 

With plenty of free resources and support for educators and families, you’ll have more reasons than ever before to visit BonkersBeat.com!

What’s New?

  • Modern, clear and sexy design
  • More features and benefits 
  • Free access to the program for 30 days!
  • Easier, user friendly navigation
  • New Bonkers Beat Programs options
  • More Educational resources online
  • Faster and more secured 
  • Free resources for parents and educators

With this new website will be coming more surprises and gifts for YOU!

Stay tuned and be ready to celebrate with us the launch of our new website for BonkersBeat.com SOON!

Four ways to boost immunity every day

As the country and world start to ease restrictions and move forward with COVID-19 seen as part of life, being healthy is becoming even more crucial than ever before.

There are many ways we can boost immunity and optimise the way our bodies function. In fact, they are so simple, you can incorporate them into every day!

Make an effort in these four areas and you’ll be strengthening the immune systems of everyone in your family!

Focus on whole foods: Vitamins and minerals from food are vital for a strong immune system. It can seem easy to reach for the pre-packaged foods, but they are often filled with salt, sugar, preservatives and artificial flavours. These are not ideal for a nutritious diet.

Whole foods like fresh fruit, vegetables, eggs and lean meats are the way to go. There are so many easy (and delicious) recipes to try that both children and adults will love. A simple way of making sure you are eating a range of healthy foods is by trying to eat a rainbow diet – the more colours the better! If you’re looking for recipes to specifically boost the immune system, get inspired here.

Get ample sleep: The body works hard to keep us healthy and to stay strong it needs rest. During sleep our bodies make a type of protein that targets infection and inflammation, so good quality sleep is essential for children and adults alike. Toddlers require around 10-13 hours, including a nap during the day. Pre-school and school-aged children will thrive with 10-12 hours each night.

Stay hydrated: Drinking plenty of water is a must for the body. Adequate hydration enables the body to efficiently flush out toxins, cleanse your kidneys and maintain good overall health. These can contribute to optimal functioning of all of the body’s systems.

Get moving: Exercise is a key element for any healthy lifestyle. It gives our cardiovascular system a good workout, helps us maintain healthy weight, reduces stress and improves our circulation. Take your exercise outdoors to maximise the outcomes – gain some extra inflammation-reducing Vitamin D from sunlight and even increase your disease-fighting white blood cells!

These four approaches to keeping your body in tip top shape can go a long way toward keeping your immune response in working order. Team this with good hygiene practices and appropriate physical distancing to keep yourself and others safe and sound!

Do you have any other tips for boosting immunity? Any favourite recipes? We’d love to be inspired by you too, so please share them HERE.

Top Tips for Transitioning Back to School and Kinder

Whether you’ve found being at home together a time to treasure, or the constant juggle a challenge, the time has come to start preparing for the transition back to school and kinder. It may be exciting for some, but it could also be scary, nerve-racking or sad for others.

Children, educators and parents may need some extra support or strategies in place for managing wellbeing during the transition, whilst also adjusting to a new norm. 

Keep an open line of communication

More than ever, communication is essential. Keep talking to children about how they are feeling. Let them know that it is okay to have whatever feelings they are having and that this is an unusual experience for everyone. It may be worth drawing or writing about their feelings to help children express themselves.

Work together

Following on from communication, teachers and parents should stay in contact with one another as well. Remember we’re all going through these changes together and will all face different challenges as things evolve and adjustments take place. Compassion is key!

Create a familiar routine

As much as possible, try to move back towards the routine that children may have previously been familiar with. If a new routine is necessary, that’s okay too. Draw the day’s routine on a piece of paper or whiteboard where everyone can see. Encourage children to look to it to know what to expect and what they need to do. Same goes for in the classroom – explaining what the days will look like and what’s coming next can reduce anxiety and make children feel more secure and supported. As always, a routine should include movement, healthy eating and ample quality sleep.

Be flexible

While adhering to the routine is ideal, it may not be as simple as just sticking to it day in, day out. Be flexible and understanding as we all get used to this new phase of the pandemic we have been facing together. If children take a little longer to “get up and at ‘em” in the mornings, don’t assume they are being lazy – it’s just a matter of getting used to the new normal.

Reflecting on isolation

We’ve all been living in a very different way for the last couple of months, which has been difficult for many. We’d appreciate you sharing your experiences with us especially around the challenges you faced while working from home with children by completing a short ‘Working from Home’ survey. 

As a small token of our appreciation, you will receive access to the Top Three Meditation Stories with Bonkers the Monkey. During this transitioning time, don’t forget to take a moment for yourself to slow down and relax. So use these soundtracks to help your child/ren to meditate and relax too!

Please click HERE to answer a few questions and get a gift from us.

‘How movement and physical activity impacts children’s health and development’

By Robyn Papworth, Developmental Educator, Exercise Physiologist

How does your body feel when you go for a walk?

How does your mind feel after you’ve been dancing?

How does your body feel while washing the dishes?

How does your mind feel after spending time outside?

For me, my body feels calm and stress-free after going for a walk. My mind feels excited and uplifted after dancing. My body feels stimulated and relaxed after washing the dishes. My mind feels at ease, and less anxious after being outdoors.

Our bodies are designed to move, our minds are designed to move, that’s why I am passionate about encouraging daily movement for children’s health, development, and learning.

As an Exercise Physiologist I use movement to improve development, physical health, and coordination. As a Masters qualified Developmental Educator, I use movement and play to improve behaviour, mood, social interaction, and learning.

Through the work that I do in the early childhood sector, I focus on movement being important for four main areas. 

For our:

  • Physical health
  • Motor development
  • Emotional development
  • Learning

For our physical health

For our physical health, movement helps our muscles to become stronger, our joints to move smoother, our balance to be more stable, our heart and lungs to work more efficiently.

Movement and physical activity reduces our body’s risk from chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, stroke, arthritis, dementia.

Research indicates that by encouraging our children to be active when they are young, children are more likely to be active when they are teenagers, and also more active when they are adults. Research also shows us that children who have more coordination and gross motor skills typically participate in more physical activity as teenagers than compared to children who have difficulties with their motor skills. This is why it is crucial for children to have the opportunity to practice and develop their motor skills, to not only benefit their physical health and development during their childhood, but to also promote positive physical health and development as they grow older.

For our motor development

When children move their bodies they are developing a range of different motor skills including: 

  • balance 
  • crossing the midline 
  • spatial awareness 
  • core strength 
  • muscular strength, and 
  • bilateral coordination.

Children need balance to be able to navigate a playground with their friends and as adults we need balance to protect ourselves from falls.

Children need crossing the midline skills to be able to put on their own jumper, undo the zip of their backpack with one hand, write their name in large print, draw a large painting without moving their torso, tying their shoelaces, and walking heel to toe across a balance beam.

Children need spatial awareness skills to avoid bumping into furniture, to avoid running into their friends in the yard, to be able to feel where their nose is versus where their fingertips are, to be able to feel the type of object that they are holding in their hand, to be able to climb, crawl, and dance.

When most of us think of core strength we think of sit-ups or the plank. But core strength gives us the ability to sit upright in a chair, to stand up tall while waiting in a line, to be able to stand up from the floor without needing to use our hands. Children need core strength to create a strong foundation for their fine motor skills, as well as relying on their core strength to create a strong foundation for their balance.

Muscular strength is important for all of us to develop; to be able to hold our own body weight while jumping, climbing, skipping, hopping, dancing. If we don’t have good muscular strength our body fatigues quickly, our body struggles to keep up with physical activity throughout the day, our body struggles to maintain the strength and endurance that it needs to live an active life.

Bilateral coordination refers to the ability of the body to coordinate both sides of the body at the same time. We use bilateral coordination when we draw a picture. One hand uses the pencil to draw while the other hand keeps the piece of paper still. We use bilateral coordination to get dressed. One hand holds our pants up while the other hand coordinates the zip. Bilateral coordination enables us to improve our gross motor skills and our fine motor skills, which in turn improves our learning and life skills.

For our emotional development

We often think when children have difficulty regulating their emotions that we need to just teach them how to regulate their emotions. However, our emotional regulation can be improved by adding movement into their day because when we move our muscles and joints, an increase of oxygen gets pumped around the body by our heart. That increased amount of blood flow being pumped by our heart transports oxygen and energy to our organs and our brain. More specifically oxygen and energy travel to our prefrontal cortex and cerebellum. These two brain areas are responsible for coordinating our attention, behavioural responses, emotional responses, and our movement.

We often see children who find it difficult to be active also typically find it difficult to regulate their emotions. A lack of physical activity may impact their emotions because less oxygen and energy is travelling to the prefrontal cortex. In addition, children may have difficulty with their emotions if they feel frustrated about their ability to move their body. That’s why it’s so important that we support children to achieve their motor skill development as much as we possibly can.

For our learning

Our prefrontal cortex is also involved in our ability to pay attention when learning. When our prefrontal cortex has an increase of oxygen and energy, we are more able to pay attention and focus on a task. I have found more success teaching children to read sight words while we’re both walking. I have had more success talking to children about their worries and their emotions while passing a basketball back and forth together. I have found it enjoyable teaching children a new skill while they balance on one foot, while they’re climbing, or while they’re crawling because while the body is moving, more oxygen is going to the brain and the child is more engaged in learning the information.

How can we encourage movement every day?

To encourage our children to move everyday set 30 minutes time per day to:

  • Follow an exercise in your lounge room – [to view my videos on Music Kinder at Home, join the group
  • Follow a movement and music video with Bonkers the Monkey
  • Dance to music as a family
  • Go for a walk outside as a family
  • Throw and catch a ball in your yard

Getting active each day does take some motivation to start with, but once we start moving, our mind, our body, and our emotions feel so much better.

To access more information for your family visit Robyn’s website www.playmoveimprove.com.au or follow ‘Play Move Improve’ on Facebook or Instagram.

5 Simple Ways to Celebrate Mother’s Day

mothers-day

Mother’s Day is coming up on Sunday 10 May. This year it is just as important as ever to show mothers and the special women in our lives how much they are loved and appreciated. Each day we see the caring nature and willingness to help in mothers and women (this includes so many incredible early childhood educators!) and are continually in awe. We see women with incredible commitment to their families, their work and supporting those around them, and we see the heart and passion by which they are driven. This Mother’s Day we’ll be celebrating you all and sending out a big THANK YOU for all you do.

Like many events in 2020, Mother’s Day is a little different this year. But there are countless ways to make it one to remember!

1.  Teach children a poem: It doesn’t take long at all for children (especially the older children) to learn a little poem to recite for mum. Enjoy this special gift from Bonkers Beat the Monkey – our poem ‘My Mum’: Access here.

2.  Breakfast in bed: The classic breakfast in bed never gets old! It doesn’t have to be complex to be a thoughtful and much-appreciated gesture for Mother’s Day. A grown-up will have to lend a hand but for the most part, children can manage these:

·         Fruit kebabs

·         Fancy breakfast toast

·         Granola parfait

3.  A questionnaire about mum: Mums love to hear what their children have learned or gain insights into how they see the world. This questionnaire for kids is all about mum and is a guarantee to give mum a laugh or even make her tear up. Print here.

4.  Create something special from the garden: Nip out to the garden and pick some flowers for mum. A hand-picked posy will be sure to put a smile on mum’s face!

5.  Make a gift to treasure: A special keepsake for children to make is the classic pasta necklace or bracelet. These simple steps are a super fun activity for children with the end result a gorgeous keepsake mums, nans, aunties or other special women will cherish.

Wishing everyone a wonderful Mother’s Day in 2020!

Marking ANZAC Day in 2020

ANZAC Day, Saturday 25 April, is an important date in Australia’s history. Ordinarily many of us would attend a dawn service, to pay our respects to those who stood for the freedoms of Australia and its people, however this year will be different.

There are still many ways we can commemorate the day and pay our respects, as well as explore concepts relating to ANZAC Day with children.

Explaining ANZAC Day to children

The key to discussing ANZAC Day with children is to focus on the broad themes of pride and commemoration, while keeping it simple.

For example, we can talk about caring for one another and the world. We can discuss that we are lucky to be Australian because we have freedom and safety. Talk about being proud of one another when they do something brave or help others. Explore culture and identity and ways we can commemorate.

Marking ANZAC Day in isolation

While attending the traditional Dawn Service for ANZAC Day is not possible, there are many other ways to mark ANZAC Day in 2020. Here are just a few:

Light Up the Dawn

Many Australians are planning on standing at the end of their driveways at 6am on ANZAC Day. The idea is to look out at the freedoms we get to enjoy.

Bake Traditional Anzac Biscuits

ANZAC biscuits have long been associated with ANZAC Day. Families sent these biscuits to those on the frontline using ingredients that do not easily spoil. Try making these delicious, chewy biscuits at home with children with this tasty recipe.

Poppy Craft

Poppies are commonly used on remembrance wreaths around ANZAC Day. There are many poppy crafts you can incorporate into your ANZAC commemoration and discussion. Try this recycled poppy craft or make paper plate poppies.

The history of our country is an important part of a child’s education. ANZAC Day presents the opportunity to encourage children to be grateful for all the freedoms and fun we can have in Australia. A simple walk and appreciating the beautiful place we are lucky enough to be a part of is a great ANZAC Day activity that we can all enjoy.

Success Tips for Working from Home with Children

Whether you’re at home with a baby, toddler, pre-schooler or a school-aged child (or a combination of these!), working from with children is hard work. The coronavirus pandemic of 2020 has seen us all adapt to new way of living and working, as well as caring for our children.

If you’re finding yourself struggling with the juggle of working from home with children by your side, we have a few tips to hopefully help you have more success with it.

1. Be patient and kind

Firstly, be patient with yourself and with children during this unusual time. We’re all adjusting and it’s going to take some trial and error to find what works for each individual family. Test out what works for you, while also staying in tune with your children’s needs. Maybe getting up earlier than your children and starting the day getting some work done before the house awakens is a useful approach for you? Other parents prefer to work in short bursts or ‘sprints’ throughout the day, while working in the evening is an option as well.

2. Create a timetable

Children thrive on routine and a daily schedule with plans for each block of time can help to create a balanced day with plenty of time for everyone’s needs. You can identify opportunities and allocate optimal times to schedule work tasks like phone calls, checking and responding to emails or tackling jobs. Involve the family in creating the timetable – you can even decorate it and stick it on the wall where everyone can see it. Use visuals so children who can’t read can keep up with what’s happening next too.

3. The magic table

A new activity can often engage children for longer than something they are used to. Set up a table in your home with a stimulating new toy or activity each day and keep them rotating. Place a blanket over it and when the allotted time arrives, unveil the day’s magic table activity to hopefully buy yourself some extra time to get work done. Keep an eye on what engages children most and you’ll know what to use based on what you need to get done for work.

4. Get children involved

Children love to role play and their carers are often their greatest role models! Try setting them up with their own work station like yours, plus a notepad or similar and enjoy working side by side.

5. Set aside time for fun

It’s all about balance! If children feel you are giving them attention and set aside time to have fun with them, they are more likely to work with you when you need to get something else done.

6. Quality screen time

Screen time can be useful, but make sure you choose quality offerings that provide children with an engaging educational experience. You can also access a bunch of videos and ideas via our free ‘Music Kinder at Home’ group. These videos can be included in a quality screen time offering each day, including our daily yoga, story time and singing with Bonkers the Monkey. Parents, carers and educators can also connect with others here, including many who are no doubt sharing the same experiences.

Also, if you are finding you need a bit more ‘you’ time as a parent at home, make sure you download the daily schedule at ‘Music Kinder at Home’. Resources are added everyday to give your children engaging and stimulating learning experiences delivered by experienced and professional early childhood educators.

Remember, this new way of living is not forever and some days will be better than others. You’re doing a great job and so are children as we all work together to respond to the coronavirus as a community.

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