Tag: childcare

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Getting screen time right for young children in 2017

Sometimes it feels as though screens are all around us. From iPads and tablets to phones, television screens to computers. Children in particular are drawn to the glow of a screen – some children can become very attached to them.

While technology like these various devices can have some benefits, like facilitating certain learning experiences, the fact is we really don’t know what long term effects screen time will have on us.

What we’re seeing from screen time

What we do know is that screen time can get in the way of children going outside and playing in the real world. With 1 in 4 Australian children overweight or obese, movement needs to be a priority and screen time is usually not the best approach to getting active. On top of that, screen time while eating has been connected to mindless overeating, especially in children.

Researchers are seeing a link between screens and rest too, resulting in irritability and disrupted sleep. A sleep researcher from the University of Wollongong puts this down to three things:

-Content that is causing a hormonal and emotional responses e.g. releasing adrenalin;

-Time taken up by screen time delaying children’s rest time (and adults!);

-Light from screens disrupting circadian rhythms, causing too much alertness and suppressing the sleep hormone melatonin.

Guidelines to screen time for children

Recommendations made by scientists from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in 2015 advised that screens should be avoided for any children under 2.

The AAP created this handy infographic to visually explain the guidelines to screen time for children:

screen-time-guide

Consider adult screen time too

Another focus area to look at is the screen time children see adults partaking in. We can often become engrossed in our phones or computers and this results in similar negative behaviours as exhibited by children on devices. That is, ignoring the company around you, irritability, disrupted circadian rhythms and therefore sleep patterns.

Of course we lead busy lives but think about how urgent it is to read that email right now or check that Facebook notification. Lead by example by turning off the screens and picking up a book or heading outside for some fresh air and exercise. You’ll feel better for it and your notifications will still be on your device when you get back to it.

Get your screen time right

While there are high quality apps and media we can utilise to help children build skills and learn and give adults a break now and again, spending countless hours in front of screens is not doing anyone any good.

The first five years are a crucial period of brain development and no app is a substitute for the real world. Show children that there’s no on and off switch for life and that not everything will happen instantly at a swipe of their fingers. Minimise screen time and there’s no doubt that you’ll see the benefits for yourself and your children.

 

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Helping Children to Understand and Support Peers with Autism

Over 200,000 Australians are living with autism. That’s around 1 person out of every 100 people, with the condition four times more likely in boys than girls.

Needless to say, spreading awareness and acceptance of autism is really important for all communities. That includes ensuring we all – including children – have an understanding of what autism is and how it may impact people’s lives.

What is Autism?

It’s tricky to define autism in some ways as it varies from person to person. A good overview is offered by Autism Spectrum Australia, who says, “autism is a lifelong developmental condition that affects, among other things, the way an individual relates to his or her environment and their interaction with other people”.

Sometimes individuals with autism will have issues arise with communication, language, sensory development and sometimes body language and physical coordination.

It’s important to note that the condition exists across a spectrum. This helps to describe the range of challenges that may affect autistic individuals and to what degree their lives may be affected.

For example, some autistic children may not speak, others may be particularly sensitive to certain noises – there’s no ‘one way’ to have autism.

Guiding Children to Understand their Autistic Peers

Given that approximately 1 in 100 Australians have autism, encouraging children to understand the condition and some of the ways it may be displayed is essential. In addition, research has found that peers can help teach social skills to children with autism.

The number one thing to know is that while an autistic child may approach some things differently to a child who does not have autism, they still want to play, feel included and have friends who care about them, just like everyone else.

Check with parents of autistic children to clarify how they would like to approach it within peer groups. Some parents prefer that their child’s autism is not discussed, while others are happy to talk about it and help peers to understand how autism can affect behaviour.

Here are some important messages to share with children in Autism Awareness Week:

-We are all different in some ways. We might do things differently, speak differently or behave in unique ways.

-Autism or any other condition is just one characteristic of a child. We all still have lots of things we like and dislike or are good at.

-Let children know how to best communicate or play with autistic peers. For example, by refraining from yelling or by using simple phrases in conversation. Of course this will depend on the best approach for the autistic children in your care.

How Educators can Help

Early childhood educators can play a key role in encouraging inclusion and celebration of children’s differences in centres by:

– Including activities that focus on the strengths of the autistic children at your centre. Involve other children too and show we are all different and special with unique abilities, yet we can also have fun together.

–Maintaining a predictable environment. Routines and structure can offer a way to enable autistic children to flourish.

– Communicating clearly. Use visual aids can be a useful tool, including diagrams on posters, real objects and photos. Written prompts can help too depending on a child’s age.

At Bonkers Beat we find incorporating the self-paced Montessori approach can be a beneficial for working with children with autism. You might like to read more about the benefits of this approach for children on the spectrum here.

Let’s work together to build awareness and acceptance for autism – not just throughout Autism Awareness Month – and help all children to be the best they can be!

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Making the Biggest Decision for Your Child’s Future

continuity of care

There’s so much to think about during the early years of a child’s life. For parents it can be quite a whirlwind, from the sleeplessness of the first months to finding your feet in parenthood and then all of a sudden children are being enrolled at childcare or kinder.

With the knowledge that the first five years of life are when the brain does its most intensive wiring and development, making educated and informed choices about your child’s early learning is vital.

Pre-cursor for School Success

While childcare and pre-school/kindergarten programs are play-based forms of learning, they can play a big role in your child’s success in school.

In fact, a recent study by the University of Missouri College Education highlights the importance of pre-school years for children’s educational development and preparation for success in life.

Continuity of Care: It’s Crucial

When choosing a childcare or pre-school program for your child, it’s always best to think long-term – that is, commit to continuity of care for your child right through to commencing primary school.

Continuity of care means that children remain at one early childhood educational service for the three years prior to starting school. Early Childhood Australia says that consistency between settings is a critical factor in thinking about effective learning over the long term. “While children are certainly resilient and adaptable, their experiences of transitions and change are likely to be more favourable when there is as much consistency and continuity between settings as possible.”

Sometimes parents leave their current service to enrol their children in the 4-year old funded kindergarten year at the local government kinder. This is the equivalent of switching primary schools in grade 5 or high schools in year 11. Of course this can be a necessity when a family is moving areas, but for the most part these transitions don’t allow children to flourish and continue an uninterrupted developmental journey.

Extra Transitions Unnecessary

There are two main reasons we see this final year switch take place. The first is financial. It is often more affordable for families to send their children to the local government kindergarten. However, government subsidies and benefits like CCB make this cost difference less noticeable. Furthermore, you’ll find more flexible hours, excursions and incursions available in some settings like Bonkers Beat, included in the fees. Not to mention school holiday care! Most importantly of course, the very best early childhood education is an investment in your child’s future.

The other reason we find that drives families to change centres in 4-year old kindergarten is that they are under the impression that this will ensure their children have friends who will attend the same school. While friendships that continue into school can be wonderful, many primary schools will in fact separate children who have arrived from the same kinder in order to encourage even more new friendships to flourish in this new environment.

It’s important to note as well that there are often many kindergartens that feed into local primary schools, not just the government kinder nearest to the school. For example, local primary schools in and around Aspendale in Victoria love our Bonkers Beat Music Kinder because the children who transition to school from Bonkers Beat are very confident, creative and have more developed social and emotional skills.

Make the Commitment

Research supports continuity as an essential ingredient for the very best early education experience for children. This is also evident in our experience too. When your child commences care, make the commitment for your child’s future and pursue continuous care where possible for the best outcomes.

Before enrolling your child into a kindergarten or childcare, take the time to do the research and find the right high quality service for your child. To allow your child a smooth transition to school in the future, you may even like to start investigating your options for primary and secondary education. Whether your decision is based on a high quality public, religion-oriented or private school it should resonate with your family values and provide the best foundation for your child’s future.

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A day of professional development for your ENTIRE team

professional development to your entire team

Each and every centre running the Bonkers Beat Music and Wellbeing programs gets the opportunity to attend two exclusive Wellness Summits each year. The Wellness Summits take place in summer and winter, plus we run them in each state so no one misses out or has to travel interstate.

Professional development delivered to your entire team

It’s not just the management or team leaders that are invited to head along – the Wellness Summits deliver a day of exclusive professional development to your entire team!

As if that’s not enough, the Summits feature guest speakers who are ready to share with you and your team, enlightening you on a range of different topics and unique approaches to grow your knowledge on various aspects of early childhood education.

Not to be confused with the recent (and fantastic!) Wellness Works! Early Childhood Leaders Conference, which was a ticketed event, the Wellness Summits are only open to centres with membership to the Bonkers Beat Music and Wellbeing program.

For all centres running Bonkers Beat within their curriculum, the Wellness Summit is a 1-day event for your entire team to attend together with NO additional costs, fees, tickets – it’s all included in the Bonkers Beat membership!

The Winter Wellness Summit will travel across Australia over August and September with all participating centres attending.

The event features:

-Reggio Emilia expert Kerrie O’Neill from Early Childhood Hub

-Wellbeing expert

-Managing behaviour with music and games

-Learning enhancing strategies

-A practical and informative session on setting up systems in your centre

-MUCH MORE!

To all the Bonkers Beat members, we cannot WAIT to see you there!

If this innovative, practical and cost-effective professional development day sounds like something you and your team would like to be involved in, feel free to send us an email to info@bonkersbeat.com to find out the many benefits of being part of the Bonkers Beat family.

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Revealed: The Top 3 Challenges Faced by Early Childhood Educators

challenges in early childhood education

On July 12 the very first Wellness Works: The Complete Early Childhood Leaders Conference took place in Melbourne… And what a fantastic success it was!

In the lead up to the Melbourne event, we did some research to find out exactly what challenges in early childhood education were coming up for educators, leaders, managers and owners working in the field. The reason for this was to ensure that the conference addresses what you really want and need from your early childhood professional development. We asked many centres to share their top three challenges, and it’s safe to say there was a theme in the responses!

Top 3 Challenges in Centres

Here are the top 3 challenges in early childhood education that we identified after reviewing responses from a range of centres. These are challenges that are faced on a daily or regular basis by educators, room leaders, management and owners.

Motivation

Many centres find they have difficulties with motivating their teams – from getting them motivated initially, to keeping them motivated. This is a priority at Wellness Works and is addressed thoroughly. Our approach is through empowering and motivating the leaders in the centre as the basis of improving motivation levels across the team. Our tactics and tips are foolproof…

Transitions

If you’re like the vast majority of the educators we heard from, transitions continue to cause stress and are a great source of frustration in centres. We’ve been careful to focus on this area and deliver practical ways for your centre to tackle transitions. You will even find them enjoyable…!

Documentation

How do we document a child’s learning, how do we maintain adequate – even excellent – standards for our centre’s documentation without it being a job too big to handle? Documentation is a hot topic for early childhood and we set out to improve your understanding of documentation and make sure it is no longer a huge challenge for you and your centre.

Do these challenges sound all too familiar? Not to worry –Wellness Works: The Complete Early Childhood Leaders Conference  comes to Sydney on July 26 and Brisbane on July 28. Both Galina and Alina (or the Duolinas as they’ve been dubbed!) are really excited. If you’re coming along to Wellness Works, you should be excited too! (And if you haven’t got your seats organised yet, you’re in luck as there are still a couple of places available for Sydney and Brisbane – be quick and get them here!)

What Early Childhood Professionals are Saying

Here’s what just a few of the Melbourne Wellness Works attendees had to say about the event:

“Thank you today was very enjoyable. I have RSI I took so many notes!”
– Mandy, Joseph Avenue ELC

“Great opportunity. I feel empowered to take back to a team. Loved the songs and games”
– Rebecca

“This PD was fantastic, all the info was great, very engaging and fun”
– Jessica, Aberdeen Street ELC

Join us at Wellness Works: The Complete Early Childhood Leaders Conference and let’s break down your challenges in early childhood education and address them together.

Featuring the engaging and experienced early childhood experts, Galina and Alina, this just might be the best professional development session you attend this year!

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Exceeding NQS Rating again

We’ve done it again! Bonkers Beat Music Kinder & Childcare has received an outstanding rating of Exceeding National Quality Standard from the Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)! This is the second time we have received an Exceeding NQS rating, having been assessed in 2012 and 2016.

This result is one that the Bonkers Beat Music Kinder & Childcare team at Aspendale worked hard for, and it’s important to let you know you aren’t alone in your challenges in your centre – we all need support, guidance and teamwork along the path to achieving our goals, whether that’s an Exceeding NQS rating or something else.

While the Bonkers Beat programs offer exceptional value, support, practical tools and proven benefits for all, we also invite you all to visit our Aspendale centre yourself to get a feel for the Bonkers Beat experience. If you’d like to arrange a time to visit, please send us an email (info@bonkersbeat.com) or give us a call (1300 022 328).

You can have a taste of the Bonkers Beat experience in this video tour of our Aspendale centre. The video also features an insight into Galina’s passion and vision for the future of early childhood education.

We truly believe that a team effort is required for success, strengthened by effective leadership and a passionate approach to early childhood education.

Happy singing and stretching,

Galina and the Bonkers Beat Team

P.S Take a look at the video to enjoy a virtual tour of our Aspendale centre and hear about the things that are most important to Bonkers Beat and the future of early childhood education.

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Walking – The path to better health

benefits of walking

This Friday 20 May is National Walk Safely to School Day – an annual event that encourages Primary School children to walk to school with a focus on safety. As early childhood educators, we can spread the message of the benefits of walking and the importance of pedestrian safety within our centres. After all, children, their families and educators can benefit from walking!

Walking for good health

Most of us walk each day, at least a little – walking is one of the easiest ways to fit in some exercise every day. No special outfit or equipment needed, and you can do it just about anywhere at any time!

So what are the benefits of walking?

Benefits of Walking for Educators and Parents

Whether you’re a parent of a young child or children, or an educator of them, we think it’s safe to say that you lead a busy life. Many of us don’t take care of ourselves as well as we should, but walking for just 30 minutes each day can offer a range of health benefits, such as:

-Lower stress levels
-Improved mindset and mood
-Better cardiovascular fitness
-Strength for bones and muscles
-Reduced body fat
-Lower risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease

Benefits of Walking for Children

-Boosting mood
-Improved academic performance
-Connection with the outdoors
-Maintain good physical health
-Setting up healthy habits for life
-Become responsible pedestrian familiar with road safety

Best of all, any day is a good day for walking!

Mix it Up

Keep walking interesting – walk to the shops, stroll along beaches and local tracks, walk through national parks, walk with other families or friends… Even just parking a little further away from your destination and walking a little extra adds healthy steps to your day.

If you live close enough to your centre, consider adding a walk to or from the centre into your weekly routine – you won’t regret it and you’ll be embarking on a path to better health for life!

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20 Must-Do’s These School Holidays

School holidays can be fun, but by all accounts, the best way to ensure the school holidays don’t drive everyone crazy by the end is to have a plan!

It can be particularly challenging for working families who can’t get time off over the holidays and may not have a support network for taking care of their child/ren, however there are many school holiday programs that offer fantastic experiences for children.

To help make these school holidays easy and enjoyable, we’ve compiled a list of 20 things to do over the break – we’ve split them into four categories to make it even easier: INSIDE, OUTSIDE, ADVENTURE and QUIET TIME. Best of all, most of our suggestions won’t break the bank.

INSIDE

  1. Make something yummy to eat – sweet cupcakes or savoury pizza
  2. Get dressed up and dance to music or role play
  3. Art and craft – paper, glue, pencils, feathers, wool etc. Self portraits can be fun!
  4. Build a fort/cubby under a table
  5. Do a room clean out and discover some forgotten toys

OUTSIDE

  1. Have a picnic (real or pretend) in the backyard or at a nearby park or beach
  2. Fly a kite (learn how to make a DIY kite here)
  3. Get gardening – weeding can be fun, or try planting some herbs
  4. Create a scavenger hunt – Kidspot has a great nature treasure hunt list
  5. Play ball

ADVENTURE

  1. Visit the zoo
  2. Head to the library (you can sign up and take books home or just check it out)
  3. Catch a train or bus (the destination can be a park, cafe, beach – anywhere!)
  4. Visit a shopping centre (do some research as many have great free activities!)
  5. Go for a nature walk and try to spot some wildlife

QUIET TIME

  1. Get comfy and do some reading
  2. Play a card game (snap or go fish with playing cards, or Uno or memory)
  3. Watch a movie – an old favourite or something new
  4. Tackle a jigsaw puzzle
  5. Play a boardgame

 

Hopefully our school holiday activities list comes in handy for a quick reference guide these school holidays! You could even write the activities down and get children to pick one out of a hat or container when the “I’m bored” begins!

If you do find that everyone needs to relax a little, we always recommend some quiet deep breathing in a quiet place – get started with basic mediation with children with our tips here.

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Get Eggcited About Easter

You’re probably thinking “Easter already?!” and it certainly feels like that with Good Friday coming up next week on 25 March.

From Easter egg hunts to chocolate bunnies, decorating eggs and Easter bonnets – there are so many different ways that we celebrate Easter. Easter traditions are unique across many different countries, religions and cultures too – this might be something to bring in to your centre’s celebrations.

If there are families or educators in your centre who celebrate Easter a particular way, it can be wonderful to have them talk about – or even show – how Easter is recognised in their lives.

Regardless of whether you take a secular approach to Easter or talk about all the different ways Easter is enjoyed over the world, it is almost always a time that children get excited about.

Incorporate it for a day or have a whole Easter-themed week – whichever way you approach it, we’ve compiled a bunch of inspiration and activities that children will love!

Activity Inspiration to Celebrate Easter

Easter Bonnets/Easter Bonnet Parade – Try some Easter hat ideas listed here or come up with some wild creations of your own.

Easter Colouring Pages – These great Easter-themed printables make for a simple but always enjoyable activity. Make it interesting by adding glitter, cotton wool and other textures.

Craft For Easter – Get inspired to decorate eggs, create Easter baskets and more.

Easter Recipes – A homemade Easter treat can be yummy, educational and fun!

Our special Bonkers Beat song ‘Easter Bunny’ is a favourite for Easter too. You can access it here!

Share more Easter ideas with us on Facebook! Bonkers Beat members, you can share your Easter celebrations with us via our My Bonkers Beat Facebook group.

Stay safe and have a happy Easter break everyone!

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Strength Through Diversity – Celebrating Harmony Day 2016

In music the definition of ‘harmony’ is: the combination of different musical notes played or sung at the same time to produce a pleasing sound; a pleasing combination or arrangement of different things (Merriam Webster dictionary 2016).

When we think about Harmony Day these very same musical principles come in to play. It’s about different people and different lives coming together and being embraced. It’s about finding a sense of belonging. And like all different musical instruments and singing, when we come together we can do beautiful things!

Harmony Day 2016 is Monday 21 March and this year’s official theme is: our diversity is our strength. Encourage children to talk about their differences, what they have in common and what makes them special as individuals. Help them to understand that it is because they are different that they can each bring something unique and awesome to the table.

At Bonkers Beat we have chosen our own theme for Harmony Day that is closely related: Harmony Every Day. We want to celebrate our diverse and wonderful Bonkers Beat community.

If you’re thinking of celebrating Harmony Day this year in your centre, education is the key in an early childhood setting. Here are some things you could incorporate, as found on the Harmony Day website:

-Explore Harmony Day stories via the Harmony Day app

-Create some DIY Harmony Day materials via the official templates here

– Painting to music: Listen to a diversity of music styles and paint what you hear with different colours and brushstrokes.

-All the same: What things make us the same?

-Diverse mates: Find out the many ways in which your classmates are diverse eg hobbies, favourite colour/food/music/TV program, things they dislike.

Here are some of our own provocations for thinking and possibilities for learning:

-Share educators’ ethnic backgrounds and by using a pin or string connect to countries on a map

-Identify children families’ backgrounds and by using a pin or string connect to countries on a map

-Invite families to share their traditions and culture

-Introduce a variety of songs and dances from around the world

-Engage children in multicultural cooking experiences

-Use multicultural dolls and gender diverse dolls for dramatic play

Have you registered your Harmony Day event yet? It can be anything from a morning tea to a massive community event! Register and you’ll get some great free promotional products to help you celebrate: harmony.gov.au/celebrate/register

One last thing: click here for a special gift for you centred around belonging and togetherness from Bonkers the Monkey.

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