Tag: early childhood australia

Moving into a new decade feels like a momentous occasion, don’t you think? Heading into the ‘20s, we want to get everything off to a flying start — from work lives to personal lives and everywhere in between. We’ve identified that a good balance of reflecting, relaxing and reconnecting is a fantastic way to farewell 2019 and welcome 2020.

Reflect

Beginning with assessing how things have been going is a good place to start. Previously we have written about the importance of reflection as the end of the year nears. Rather than just encourage you to do this, we have done this ourselves too. After all, we can’t move forward if we do not reflect on what has come to pass this year, so today we want to celebrate our wins with you.

Wins 2019

• In January 2019, the Bonkers Beat Music Program was selected and included by the Department of Education and Training in Victoria in the School Readiness Funding Menu as an evidence-based program for boosting communication skills, wellbeing and providing inclusion for young children.
• Bonkers Beat joined B1G1 program to give back to powerful projects that are changing our world.
• We have raised awareness and raised money to support Aussie farmers through the ‘Buy a Bale’ campaign. 
• Through conferences and presentations we have inspired more than 2000 early childhood educators, ran comprehensive training for over 625 members and hosted 2 Wellness Summits, providing outstanding opportunities to grow for teams running Bonkers Beat Programs.
• ‘Bonkers Beat & You’ Songs Volume 2 were translated by kinder families to different languages. To date, we have full translations in Spanish, Hungarian, Chinese and Tagalog. Currently, we are still working on translations in Greek, Vietnamese, Italian, and Russian. 
• Bonkers Beat was selected to be a pilot centre for an international research project which aims to show the impact of music on children’s learning, development, and wellbeing as well as parent engagement.

And these are just to name a few! Taking the time to reflect has been empowering and helped us to know what we need to do more of in 2020.

Relax

Relax is perhaps not a word that many of us are relating to this week, with Christmas only days away and lots to get done! But, do make the time to relax and recharge over the summer – you’ve earned it! And you’ll be more productive and achieve more with your batteries fully recharged.

For more tips on relaxation check out our blog from last week, where we’ve covered many tips to give you the inspiration needed to relax.

Reconnect

Christmas is the perfect time to reconnect with friends and family members that we haven’t seen or spoken to for a while. It’s also an important time to give support to people in need or contribute to the lives of those less fortunate than us. It’s a time for reconnecting with the best version of ourselves.

Over the years we have connected with many educators, managers, shared our story and shared the incredible impact of the Bonkers Beat Programs. If you have been in touch with us over the years, run any of our programs in the past or simply received the access to the Free Trial, now is an excellent time to reconnect.

Reach out, reconnect and let us support you in making 2020 your best year ever!

We are just about to start a new year, a new decade and a new journey — and YOU can be a part of this exciting adventure! Just click – Reconnect now! 

Have a wonderful, safe break, a very Merry Christmas and we’ll see you in 2020!

With Christmas around the corner, chances are life is pretty hectic right now and you’ve got a lot on your plate. This goes for parents, educators, centre owners and directors, and even children. The festive period is full of fun but it can be a stressful time too. That’s why it’s really important to make time to do things that are relaxing. This usually means slowing down, being in the moment and perhaps doing a little less than usual.

If the thought of coming up with something relaxing to do creates stress in itself, we can help! The seven ideas below are easy to achieve, accessible and definitely relaxing. 

1. Connect to nature

There’s no better time than summer to get outdoors and connect with our beautiful planet! The beach, the backyard, the local park — being close to nature is proven to have a calming effect on people and help us to feel grounded.

2. Get moving

Whether you prefer strolling, riding, swimming or even yoga, the benefits of exercise are undeniable. Not only will you feel relaxed, but exercise releases endorphins, the feel good hormones,to put a smile on your face!

3. Read a book

Take some time to get stuck into a good book. Whether it’s one you have read before and love, one you’ve had gathering dust on the bedside table for a few months or a new one you got for Christmas, reading is a great way to take some time out.

4. Write it down

Keeping a diary or journal can be a therapeutic exercise that can relax you, stimulate creativity and help you to better handle what life throws at you. Maybe you could try writing a poem or two, or just doing some dot points about how you have been feeling or what you have been doing.

5. Take a nap

Many of us do not get enough sleep, but this summer try to give yourself the gift of an afternoon nap. It doesn’t need to be more than ten minutes or so but will give you a sense of calm and you’ll be surprised how rejuvenated you can feel after just a short nap!

6. Play time

We often talk about the benefits of play for children, but how often do adults just take the time to get immersed in play? Relax and get stuck into playing here and there over summer. Not only will it help you connect with children, but you’ll reconnect with your own inner child too.

7. Watch a movie

While too much screen time isn’t good for anyone, snuggling up on the couch for a movie is a pastime that we all love. Choose a feel good film, get some snacks sorted and get lost in a movie this summer!

However you choose to unwind, make sure you give yourself the gift of relaxation over summer or anytime throughout the year

For some more inspiration on how to take some time out, check out the photos of the Bonkers Beat team getting close to nature and being creative at the Staff retreat here!

There’s not much that children love more than Christmas time! From the songs to the thought of gifts, the excitement of Santa Claus and the lights and decorations — children just adore it! This time of year is also when childcare settings all over the country get stuck into making Christmas craft, and children just love this too! This year, we want to make our Christmas craft as environmentally-friendly as possible. We encourage everyone to do the same, so to help you with it we’ve rounded up some great ideas!

These 5 sustainable Christmas craft ideas will keep children and the environment very happy!

• Pinecone Rudolph: This pinecone reindeer is adorable, simple and a great keepsake to hang on the tree year after year. Plus, it doesn’t require much other than collecting pinecones attaching a few bits and pieces!
• Salt dough decorations: A bit of a science experiment and cooking experience for kids making these! Make the dough and use cookie cutters for whatever shapes you like!
• Twig ornaments: From sparkling stars, Christmas trees and even reindeer, twigs can become pretty awesome decorations. Try these in your Christmas craft.
• Make it edible: Tasty treats like these Christmas shortbread biscuits can be cute as a decoration and make a perfect waste-free Christmas gift too. Reuse and decorate glass jars to store the cookies until it’s time to eat them!
• Egg carton Elf, Santa and Tree: Egg cartons are created into the most gorgeous little ornaments in this eco-friendly craft activity. Get the lowdown on this one here.

With these simple ideas, children will have a fantastic time getting crafty and they can be proud that they are minimising waste to keep our planet a safe and happy place.

Children can also spread their Christmas joy and share their amazing creations throughout the local community. Check out the photos of our children spreading Christmas joy!

If you had to describe 2019 in one word for your childcare centre or childcare career, what would it be? Rewarding? Excellent? Tiring? Frustrating? Of course, you certainly don’t need to narrow it down to only one word. But it is time to reflect on the year that was. What went right? What didn’t work out so well? Are there things you want to replicate for 2020, and what needs to change.

Experience is a brilliant teacher. If we take the time to be reflective about our approach to early childhood education there is so much to learn and gain. This is about fostering a reflective practice, by reflecting on daily, weekly, monthly and yearly experiences in early childhood education and learning from them. Encourage everyone in your team to reflect on the year that was and make notes.

Here’s how to get the most out of your reflection time:

Reflect on what worked well

When it comes to reflecting on your achievements it’s important to also reflect on things that worked well. What was GREAT this year? Can it be done better?? How can it be done next year? Turn the actions that had amazing outcomes into processes that you can follow time and time again. Don’t forget to celebrate these wins too, You deserve it!

Focus on your challenges

Here are a few of the most common challenges faced in early childhood and ways we can use reflective practice to better tackle them in 2020:

      1. Low occupancy at your centre: Attracting more families to centres is currently a common challenge. If your occupancy isn’t where you want it to be, let’s discover what you can do to improve it.

Consider your objective: You want to attract more families to enrol at your centre. 

Reflect: You put some flyers at local cafes but didn’t get any leads.

Plan: You might consider to change your marketing strategy. Try to promote your service via social media platforms. 

      2. NQS Rating Assessment: You were hoping to be assessed as Exceeding this year but didn’t get there. Understand how you can achieve this goal.

Consider your objective: You want to improve your centre’s NQS Rating and be assessed as Exceeding in 2020.

Reflect: You have put a lot of effort into your documentation but have realised through your assessment report that you need to focus on a few other areas.

Plan: Create a strategy that directly addresses each of the National Quality areas and is integrated into your curriculum so that it becomes an embedded approach for your centre.

      3. Daily routines and the flow of the day: If you find you and your educators are spending too much time settling children into the next activity despite your best efforts, it’s time to reflect.

Consider your objective: You want children to transition smoothly between activities.

Reflect: You tried using different times of the day for different activities to make it run more efficiently. You thought this could result in the children being more settled. It hasn’t improved.

Plan: In 2020 you will try using dedicated transitional songs, as used in the Bonkers Beat programs. These have been proven to aid the transition and will help your days flow.

In fact, the Bonkers Beat free trial is a great place to start when brainstorming ways to address your year’s challenges. Access the Bonkers Beat free trial here.

      4. Keep a record

So  you can maximise your reflections when this time comes around next year, document your objectives, plans and ideas, and their outcomes. Here’s an example:

2020 objective: Gain more enrolments for your centre.

Ideas on how to achieve this: Hold an Open Day or Information Night to showcase your service and demonstrate your centre’s point of difference. 

Outcomes: An increase in enquiries and enrolments from people who attended the events .

By documenting this process you can keep track of what worked, what didn’t, what you’ll do again and what wasn’t worthwhile. This can save you time and money, plus get you the results you are after.

Reflective practice should guide our planning for the future. It gives us the best chance of improving outcomes for children, families, educators and the centre. We encourage an individual approach to reflective practice as well as reflection in group settings as this can foster productive discussion. Everyone’s thoughts count and reflecting as a group is essential.

Getting this reflection process under way now will see you in the best position for next year.

If you want to achieve great things in 2020 – the time to start is now!

National Recycling Week kicked off on Monday, running through until Sunday 17 November and we encourage everyone to get involved!

There are so many things we can do to educate children on how to care for the planet and for us all to make a difference. 

Bonkers the Monkey is passionate about the planet and to help you get motivated for National Recycling Week, we’d love to share with you one of the most popular Bonkers Beat songs – ‘Bonkers Rap’! Click here to access. 

When it comes to recycling, centres can take action to tackle three main categories recycling (great), reusing (even better), and reducing (the best!). If it is all a bit overwhelming, why not choose one new recycling strategy for your centre to focus on. Even small steps can create a change. 

Here are some top tips on how to approach each category:

Recycling

• Know what can be recycled and how to properly go about it. This guide can help.
• Check the package for recycling information.
• Create a compost at your centre (and at home!)
• Recycle soft plastics at supermarkets. Learn more here.
• Buy back items that are made from recycled materials.

Reusing

• Buy secondhand where possible. Clothes, shoes, toys, games, books, electronics – you would be amazed at the high-quality next-to-new items available via secondhand sellers.
• Use reusable drink bottles, coffee cups and food containers.
• Freeze leftover food.
• Donate unwanted edible food.
• Get reusable fruit and vegetable and shopping bags.
• Check out Planet Ark’s awesome list of how to reuse items in ways you might not have thought of!

Reduce

• Buy your fruit and veggies naked.
• Avoid purchasing items with excess or unnecessary packaging.
• Rethink buying single-use items.
• Get items repaired instead of replacing.
• Check your pantry, fridge or wardrobe before shopping.
• Be honest with yourself – do you really need that new item or is there a better way of fulfilling this need?!

Involve your greater community in your recycling actions, get your centre amongst local events and contribute positively to creating a healthier, sustainable planet for us all to enjoy!

To gain some inspiration for creating recycled masterpieces, take a look at our photos from earlier this year.  It was also a great way to get the community involved by requesting donations!

 

Nursery rhymes feature prominently in cultures all over the world and their role in language and literacy for children should not be underestimated. In fact, research indicates that exposure to and familiarity with nursery rhymes has a notably positive impact on early literacy for children during early childhood and beyond. 

Nursery rhyme time can enhance children’s alphabet knowledge, vocabulary, ability to recognise words, awareness of different letter sounds and story-telling skills. These are vital learning experiences that can be achieved through simply making time to recite nursery rhymes with children!

Recently, Galina Zenin was asked to share her personal story and write an article about the benefits of nursery rhymes. Click here to read the full article ‘Let’s Fall in Love with Nursery Rhymes … Again’ in the November edition of Parenta Magazine.

With World Nursery Rhyme Week celebrated from 18  to 22 November, it allows many incredible educational and developmental opportunities to be seized through embracing nursery rhymes. It’s time we shared our favourites with the children in our care!

The incredible benefits of nursery rhymes

The benefits of incorporating nursery rhymes into our practises are powerful and include the following:

• The discovery of language, from word recognition through to pronunciation and grammar.
• Building memory skills through rhyme and repetition.
• Motor skills can be developed by adding movements to the words to enhance the story.
• Bonding with other children as they sing in a circle and connecting with Educators through stories and songs.
• The foundation for a lifelong love of words and literacy.

If you would like to read more about the benefits of nursery rhymes for children in greater detail, plus read many other interesting and practical articles, click here to check out the November edition of Parenta Magazine.

The health and safety of children is our number one priority in childcare, and in summer we need to be extra vigilant in some areas. With the weather heating up along with the UV rating, this means it’s time to get on top of your children’s sun safety!

Most of us remember the SunSmart saying Slip, Slop, Slap, but did you know that it is now Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek and Slide?! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOv5HGOJYTA#action=share

This sun protection message from SunSmart is a great way to remember some key ways to stay safe in the sun:

1. Slip on sun protective clothing that covers as much of your body as possible.
2. Slop on SPF 30 or higher broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen, at least 20 minutes before sun exposure. Reapply every two hours when outdoors or more often if perspiring or swimming.
3. Slap on a broad-brimmed hat that shades your face, neck and ears.
4. Seek shade.
5. Slide on sunglasses.

On top of these sun-specific messages, adequate water intake should be a priority too. Dehydration can happen easily and quickly in children, especially when being active in the heat. Encourage regular drink breaks to ensure all children are staying hydrated.

Understanding the importance of being SunSmart

When the sun is shining and the sky is blue, all everyone wants to do is go outside and enjoy! It can be easy to overlook sun safety when caught up in the moment, but being vigilant about the sun is vital. Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world and it kills thousands of people each year. Sun safety education protects children’s immediate health and could even save their lives in the future.

While we do need some sun in order to absorb vitamin D for strong bones and overall health, a few minutes of daily sun exposure from August through to April is enough.

It should be noted that doesn’t have to be hot for the sun to be damaging. The UV radiation can be high when the weather is cool or overcast. Keep on top of UV levels via the Australian Bureau of Meteorology website‘s dedicated page.

Create a Sun Safety Station

An easy way to keep your sun safety policy at front of mind is by having a SunSmart station at your centre. This is ideally near a door to your outside space and can be the spot where sunscreen, water bottles, hats and sunglasses are kept.

Of course, when it’s very hot it’s best to head straight to the shade or create some indoor fun out of the sun.

SunSmart Policy

If you haven’t got a SunSmart policy at your centre, or you want to update yours, this sample policy via the SunSmart website is invaluable.

Not only will teaching SunSmart behaviours keep children safe now, but it will educate them on how to be safe in the sun for life.

Enjoy Sunshine and keep singing

Encourage children to apply sunscreen themselves and make it fun! Use the opportunity to teach children sun safety, build their independence skills and enhance children’s learning through transitional times (QA 1.1.3).

To access 5 Bonkers Beat Transitional Songs including one of the most important and popular, ‘Slip, Slop, Slap’, click HERE.

A shared dream can bring people together in a special way. But how do we just conjure up a shared dream for educators, parents and children? Start with a shared space!

The childcare centre itself is a space that is already meaningful to educators, parents and children. Each of these groups is invested in the quality of the centre, so if you are brainstorming new ways to strengthen the relationships within your centre’s community, start with the centre! The best way to do this? A working bee of course!

Dream Big at your next Working Bee

Much like the buzzing bees pollinating flowers in our gardens, the humble working bee is often overlooked for its ability to bring the childcare community together. But organising a working bee at your centre will not only enhance your centre but the relationships there too!

We hosted a working bee at Bonkers Beat Music Kinder in Aspendale last week and WOW what a great time we had. The working bee theme was ‘Dream Big’ — take a look at the photos for some working bee inspiration here.

If you want to build relationships as well as some new features at your next working bee, here are a few tips to make it happen:

Relationship-building Working Bee Tips

1.   Working bees bring everyone together over a shared dream or goal

Whether it’s a new sandpit or mud kitchen, a fairy garden or an outdoor picnic area, together your centre’s community can dream up something special that will make the centre shine! Engage with children and families in the lead up and ask for their suggestions on what they think would benefit the centre most.

2.   Share skills and talents

Everyone will have some way they can contribute at a working bee. Ask families if they can paint or build, or whether they’re good in the garden. Maybe project management is their talent, or they can bring some timber and tools in for the day? Make everyone feel like they can contribute in their own unique way. Then bring everyone together as a team!

3.   Add in some fun

All work and no play is not ideal for any of us, but don’t worry – working bees can be fun and productive all at once! Whether it’s sharing a picnic lunch together or having a few games to break up the day, make sure there’s an opportunity to have some fun together as you work on bringing your shared dream to life.

To gain some inspiration take a look at the photos here! We’d also love to hear about your working bee success stories. Share with us on Facebook!

Getting focused on school readiness

While schools work hard to help children transition, the four year-old kindergarten year of a child’s early childhood education is where school readiness begins.

It’s so important for children’s wellbeing that we ensure they are ready to commence their primary school years allowing an optimal start to their formal education.

Let’s explore how to assess school readiness in children and some useful reminders for educators and parents as they look towards primary school for the children in their care.

Key areas to assess school readiness

There are many areas we can look at to assess a child’s school readiness. Often it’s the combination of a child’s accomplishment of these school readiness areas that enables them to thrive.

According to renowned early childhood expert Kathy Walker, there are 7 key areas that should be considered when assessing a child’s school readiness. Some of these areas include:

• Separate easily from parent / carer at preschool drop off
• Self initiate, engage and sustain engagement (6 – 8 minutes), have the skills to solve basic problems and ask for help from the educator if needed
• Have basic independence skills (able to put shoes and socks on, art smock on, toileting independently)
• Self regulate their emotional response when they need to do something they don’t want to (eg don’t tantrum when it is time to pack up).

You can take a look at Kathy Walker’s school readiness fact sheet here.

We also spoke to a primary school Prep coordinator about school readiness. She has shared her recommendations of ten things children starting primary school would ideally be able to do:

1. Take care of their belongings including books and uniform
2. Put things away when they are no longer being used
3. Pack their lunchbox with various compartments for different items
4. Use the bathroom independently and confidently
5. Tie their own shoelaces
6. Write their own name
7. Recite the alphabet
8. Count from one to ten, and from ten to one
9. Be confident with zips, buttons and velcro
10. Listen and focus

Utilise your school readiness funding

School Readiness Funding can help your centre give children a huge boost as they prepare for school. In fact, the Bonkers Beat programs are featured as an evidence-informed option for your centre. This gives children the skills they need for a smooth, empowered and confident transition to primary school, along with a range of other programs focused on school readiness.

What all the programs on the School Readiness funding menu have in common, including Bonkers Beat programs, is that they address these three priority areas:

• Communication (language development)
• Wellbeing (social and emotional)
• Access and inclusion.

School readiness is more than just age

The most important thing for us as educators to remember and to remind parents of is that school readiness is more than just turning the correct age for enrolment into primary school.

Australia has one of the lowest formal schooling entry ages in the world, and some of the most impressive educational systems begin at age 6 and 7. Each child is unique and special and should be assessed for their readiness to start school based on their individual capabilities. This is so they can thrive at school long-term and have the best opportunities to get the most out of primary school.

Kathy Walker’s school readiness fact sheet is on our Facebook page. Please also share with us, on this post, what steps your childcare centre takes to prepare children for primary school.

Around fifty percent of all mental health conditions experienced in adulthood begin prior to the age of 14 (Beyond Blue). And with one in five Australians affected by mental illness, including one in seven children, the earlier we can support children in developing good mental health, the better.

World Mental Health Day takes place on 10 October. It presents an opportunity to reflect on what we can do as early childhood educators to better support children’s mental health and the mental health of educators. We can play a vital role in positive behaviours to enhance mental health for young children. Caring for our fellow educators should be ingrained in our centres as we ensure adequate support is available for all in need. In addition, the mental health and wellbeing of our educators can impact their ability to deliver the best outcomes for children in their care.

Mental health is a subject that Bonkers Beat is passionate about, as many of you who run our programs or have attended our sessions would be aware. We believe enhancing wellbeing is the key to giving children the best chance in life and wellbeing is essential for us right through adulthood also. In fact, enhancing wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do at Bonkers Beat.

Enhancing protective factors for children’s mental health

While mental health issues are not always avoidable or preventable, there are things we can do to offer the best chance of developing good mental health.

For children, in particular, we often talk about building resilience. This is giving children the ability to bounce back from setbacks. It enables us to fail but not let that sense of failure overcome. Rather, resilience allows us to use an instance of failing as a teacher so we can continue to do better and take a new or improved approach at a variety of dealings in life.

We often write articles for this blog around building resilience, including the power of positive thinking and the benefits of empowering children. They have some really great suggestions to build resilience and improve the mental health and wellbeing of children in your care. While we write with the intention of using these resources to help the little people in our care, it is all applicable for educators and individuals too!

Beyond Blue has a fantastic guide on building resilience from birth to age 12 which you can find here. Resilient Youth has many free resources on this topic also.

Resilience is just one preventative measure for mental health, however, there are many practical strategies that can be implemented in your service or at home. 

Wellbeing Strategies in Practice 

Over the years, we have developed a number of wellbeing strategies which are used at Bonkers Beat Music Kinder and other services that run our programs. These include a wide range of daily wellness experiences that enhance children’s and educators’ mental health, with yoga and meditation being just a small part of the kinder daily routines. Get some inspiration and ideas here!

Breaking down the mental health stigma

The stigma around mental health is a major issue, with many people avoiding seeking help because of it. By creating a comfortable space and open line of communication, we can make a huge difference for those affected by mental illness.

With World Mental Health Day approaching, use this date as a reminder to talk about mental health openly within your centre. Take the opportunity to assess how you can improve the way you approach mental health and more importantly take action.