Tag: early childhood education

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3 of the best team building activities for your staff

A team that plays together stays together — that’s what we believe. That’s why last week the Bonkers Beat team headed off on our latest Staff Retreat. We’ve done a lot of different things together, from delicious meals and hot springs to wineries and laughter sessions. One thing we always include are some team building games to strengthen bonds and add to the fun!

For the latest Bonkers Beat Staff Retreat, we went sailing! You can see all the fun we had in this Facebook album. Of course, sailing was a relaxing and enjoyable experience, but we had to add some team build activities in too.

While some of them are just for fun, others help us to get to know each other a little better. Some games are even designed to help teams learn to work together effectively and solve problems.

To help you plan your next staff event or even just to add something fun to your next staff meeting, we’ve gathered three fun team building activities that we know your team will love.

1. Observation

Similar to spot the difference, this exercise has everyone stand in two lines facing each other. One team begins and should be instructed to observe the other team for around 1 minute or any preferred time allocation. Then they must turn around and face the other way. The other line (who was being observed) is given 30 seconds or one minute to change a designated number of things about themselves. This could be rolling up sleeves, removing a bracelet, swapping shoes — anything!

Once the time is up the other line turns around so the lines are facing one another again. They must then pick the designated number of changes that have taken place. Once they pick them all, the teams swap.

This game is fun, stress-free and encourages teams to work together.

2. A case of need

This game requires a large number of one item. It could be a big bowl of paper clips, coins, rocks – anything. The team is instructed: ‘Take as many as you think you will need”. They don’t know anything else about the game. Once they have each taken their chosen amount of the item, the team is instructed that they must now share one fact about themselves per item they took. For example, if five items were taken, five facts must be shared!

This is a quirky way of encouraging team members to share things about themselves and helps everyone get to know each other better.

3. Game of possibilities

An effective team building game, Game of Possibilities can also be hilarious. You’ll need a few random objects for this one and should break into small groups or participate as individuals. Give the first participant one of the random objects. They then have to stand in front of the group and silently demonstrate a use of the object. Get creative and aim to be original. The rest of the team needs to guess what the player is demonstrating.

At any childcare service, your team is your greatest asset. Creating opportunities for your team to bond, grow and thrive together is vital to their success and can improve the culture within your centre.

To see our amazing photos from our Staff Retreat this year, click here.

Do you have any favourite team building games? Share with us on Facebook. 

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6 surprising benefits of music for children’s development

We all know music is enjoyable to listen to and create, but there’s more to music than just having fun. The benefits of music for children’s development are impressive and even a little surprising.

While there are countless benefits to exposing children to music on a daily basis, let’s look at just six of the surprising and important benefits of music for the development and wellbeing of young children.

1. Build children’s confidence

Learning to sing all the words of a song or learning to play an instrument – either way, the act of learning music is a sure fire way to help children to gain confidence in their ability to take on new skills.

2. Enhance children’s communication

As the saying goes ‘Where words fail, music speaks’. As we all know, children can often have trouble with finding the words to express themselves but by being in touch with music and song children are able to explore feelings on a deeper level that they may not otherwise understand.

Music often tells a story in a way that we can all understand. To reference another adage, music is a universal language and so it makes sense that children of all ages can bond through music and the shared joy it brings.

3. Improve concentration

To sing a song, we must first learn the words, then keep practising to get it right. Listening to music to know when to start singing, or even playing along on a drum and trying to keep the beat can be challenging. Music helps children to learn to focus which can help them in many other areas of their development.

4. Work on motor skills and coordination

Where there’s music, there’s movement and while learning an instrument is fantastic for hand-eye coordination, there’s a lot to be said for the combination of singing and movement to go with the song. Many songs tell stories not only through lyrics but through actions too.

5. Enhance memory

Ever had a song stuck in your head? Most of us have. Music has a habit of helping us remember concepts and facts. You can add a highly effective learning technique to any subject matter by incorporating it into a song. In fact, many of our Bonkers Beat songs do just that!

6. Tap into creativity

It’s an obvious and yet important element of listening to and creating music, but encouraging creativity allows children to embrace self-expression and experiment with their own unique approach to singing and playing music.

There are plenty of reasons to incorporate music into every day for children — at Bonkers Beat we make it simple for centres to do just that with our tried and tested songs that children love.

If you want to know more about the Bonkers Beat Music Program that is successfully incorporated into curriculums in childcare settings Australia-wide, get in touch with us today by emailing info@bonkersbeat.com.

To learn or read more about Bonkers Beat Programs, click here.

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The secret to becoming a thriving child care centre

As many of you know, ACECQA recently announced our ‘Excellent’ Rating under the National Quality Standard which was a proud achievement for Bonkers Beat’s flagship centre in Victoria. Now we think it’s time that you and your centre discovered how excellent you really are too!

We’ll let you in on a little secret…

The secret behind our ‘Excellent’ Rating is actually no secret at all.

The Bonkers Beat Music & Wellbeing Programs are the key to the success of Bonkers Beat Music Kinder in Victoria — and the success of many other centres across the country.

The benefits of the Bonkers Beat Programs are effective and proven.

Centres incorporating these tried and tested programs experience:

  • More enrolments
  • Increased engagement from children and families
  • A distinct and effective point of difference in the market
  • More motivated educators
  • Reduced staff turnover

These are only a handful of the benefits that Bonkers Beat programs provide for centres!

The Bonkers Beat Programs directly impact how your centre addressed the NQF, giving you the tools and support to improve your NQS Rating.

This is what the centres that utilise the Bonkers Beat Programs are already enjoying:

  • Daily Music Program
  • Daily Wellbeing Program
  • Exclusive conferences for the whole team
  • Online training for all educators
  • Educational resources
  • Weekly support for Educational Leaders
  • Management support
  • Educational resources for parents
  • Music & Wellbeing newsletters for parents
  • Live webinars for parents

A special offer for a special centre — YOURS!

To celebrate our ‘Excellent’ Rating and encourage you to take action towards your own centre’s success, we are offering you a special limited time offer!

You won’t believe what we are giving you FOR FREE!

Click here to take a look at this incredible offer and for the opportunity to grab it for yourself.

If becoming a sought-after, in-demand child care centre is on your to-do list, then securing this limited time special offer for yourself should be too.

Of course, if you do have any questions, simply give us a call on 1300 022 328 or email info@bonkersbeat.com.

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Inclusiveness and respect this Harmony Day and beyond

Harmony Day is one of our favourite days of the year. A day that is dedicated to celebrating cultural diversity, inclusiveness, respect for others and ensuring everyone feels they belong.

For many special days throughout the year we plan activities in advance, and while there are certainly many wonderful things you can do in centres in honour of Harmony Day, sometimes the simplest acts can mean the most. This Harmony Day let’s focus on meaningful conversations with children. The Harmony Day website offers a range of discussion topics that are suitable for early childhood. Consider these:

  • What is diversity? What are some of the ways that people can be different from each other?
  • All the same: What things make us the same?
  • What is Harmony Day? What does harmony mean? What are some examples of harmony in nature/in the world?
  • Family diversity: Who is in your family? Talk about how families are the same and different.
  • My groups: Talk about all the groups to which you belong eg team, family, friendship group, hobby. What things help you to feel you belong?

Carrying the message of Harmony Day through your centre’s culture

This Harmony Day feels especially timely for us this year, given the news that ACECQA has recognised Bonkers Beat Music Kinder with an Excellence Rating under the National Quality Framework.

ACECQA specifically recognised Bonkers Beat’s “commitment to children that respects, reflects and celebrates culture and diversity, including place of origin, inclusive partnerships with children and families, and its practice and environments that enhance children’s learning and growth”.

Not only can your Harmony Day efforts contribute towards shaping inclusive, respectful and kind attitudes in young people — you can even transform the way your centre approaches early childhood education!

If you’re ready to see how Bonkers Beat’s culture is inspired by the values of Harmony Day, why not come and see for yourself?! We are hosting an Open Day this Saturday 24 March from 10 am until 12 pm at Bonkers Beat Music Kinder. Activities for children at this free event include music, yoga and a jungle treasure hunt plus lots more!

Event: Open Day – Music Show and Yoga with Bonkers the Monkey
Where: Bonkers Beat Music Kinder, 49 Laura Street, Aspendale, Victoria
When: 10am – 12pm

To discover why Bonkers Beat Music Kinder is different, click to watch the video submission to ACECQA.

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Bonkers Beat Music Kinder is Rated Excellent by ACECQA

We are thrilled to share with you the great news – Bonkers Beat Music Kinder & Childcare Aspendale has been awarded the ‘Excellent’ rating by Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)!

The Excellent rating is the highest rating an education and care service can achieve under the National Quality Framework.

This acknowledges the exceptional standard of education and care that Bonkers Beat Music Kinder is providing and its commitment to improving outcomes for children and families.

As at 31 December 2017, 14,687 children’s education and care services in Australia have received a quality rating from ACECQA and only 50 services are rated as Excellent. Out of these 50 services, there are 25 long day care centres, and the others are Preschools, OSHC and Family Day Care providers.

Currently, Bonkers Beat Music Kinder is one of only two privately run long day care services in Victoria, which are rated Excellent by ACECQA.

We congratulate all our educators, current and past families and our beautiful children with this significant achievement and thank our followers who’ve been supporting us over the years.

We’re thrilled with the outcome and delighted that many services who run Bonkers Beat Music & Wellbeing programs are part of our success story.

To read the special report on ACECQA website about Bonkers Beat Music Kinder rating please follow the link below:
www.acecqa.gov.au/media-releases/excellent-rating-awarded-bonkers-beat-music-kinder-childcare-aspendale

To see our video submission to ACECQA, watch the video below:

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Engaging Easter experiences to try with children

easter-in-early-childhood

Easter is around the corner and many centres are getting ready to celebrate this much-loved holiday in early childhood settings!

Colouring in images of Easter bunnies is fun, but why not fire up children’s creativity this year and do something different? There are so many learning experiences for children around the subject of Easter – let’s look at a few of them.

Talking about religion at Easter

As we know, Easter is traditionally a religious acknowledgement. Perhaps your centre would like to explore the religious aspects of Easter this year.

While many Australians will celebrate Easter over the long weekend from Friday 30 to Monday 2 April, it’s worth noting that these dates are based on the Catholic Easter dates. Other families may celebrate Orthodox Easter on Sunday 8 April in 2018.

A simple way to share the traditional Christian story of Easter with children is through books. Easter Story and Tiny Tots Easter are suitable for children as young as 2 and can help start the discussion.

Perhaps other children and families could share their religious or cultural views on Easter and how they celebrate.

Engaging Easter experiences for children

There are plenty more creative, hands-on Easter activities to try when incorporating Easter in early childhood.

Get hatching

A big part of the meaning of Easter is around new beginnings, and what better way to learn about new beginnings that with new life?! At Bonkers Beat Music Kinder the Henny Penny Hatching Program is currently an exciting and engaging experience for children (and educators!).

Traditional eggs decorating

Egg decorating is a traditional Easter activity that is lots of fun. Any egg-shaped object is fine, but why not use natural resources by hard-boiling eggs for decorating and making your own natural dyes. This means fewer chemicals and an additional learning element.

The Easter Bunny song

There is a song and music for every occasion as far as we are concerned! Easter is no exception. As a Bonkers Beat follower, we invite you to access our special Easter song ‘Easter Bunny’. Watch the video for our simple movements and print the words if needed. Children always love this song! Access ‘Easter Bunny’ here.

Share your Easter celebrations and educational ideas with us on Facebook!

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Creating an ‘Ethical Curriculum’ in Early Childhood

Have you heard of an ‘ethical curriculum’? It’s an important and worthwhile topic to understand if creating the best early childhood education experience for children is at the top of your to-do list.

Catharine Hydon is an early childhood expert with extensive experience working in a range of early childhood settings. We were lucky enough to have Catharine as a speaker at our recent Wellness Summits in Melbourne and Sydney, and educators couldn’t get enough of her presentations. She shared invaluable insights with us about ethical curriculums and how to create one.

Catharine says creating an ethical curriculum is really about celebrating children’s right to participate within their communities.

“When we choose ethical dimensions to add into our curriculum, we’re really connecting with who children are and how they’re living their lives right now, at the moment”, says Catharine.

Catharine wants children to grow up knowing how to engage in the world and enjoying it, not fearing it. How we do that is by listening to the children and families and delivering back an inclusive early childhood experience for all to enjoy and learn from and within. That is at the core of an ethical curriculum.

Ethical dimensions to incorporate can be chosen by finding out what matters to families and children and creating a learning environment that reflects their cultures, individual circumstances and interests. Catharine is passionate about educators growing more confident and raising our voices about the decisions we make for children in our care. Open up and speak out to communities and families about what you’re doing in your centre and why, because the work we do has a real impact on entire communities.

A big congratulations to our Bonkers Beat educators across the country — Catharine noted the enthusiasm of you all and how willing you were to give things a go. What beautiful role modelling for our young people, so congratulations to you on demonstrating your passion and motivation for our special industry.

To learn more about what we got up to at our Wellness Summits, you can take a look through our event albums in Melbourne and Sydney on Facebook. If you’re interested in joining us with your team of educators at the next Wellness Summits, get in touch to find out how!

Enjoy our chat about creating an ethical curriculum with Catharine here:

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Thinking about having an Open Day at your centre? Here’s why you should

We know that the first five years of a child’s life are absolutely crucial when it comes to physical, intellectual, social and emotional development. It’s not surprising that selecting a child care centre or kindergarten is a big decision for families. If you’re thinking about having an open day at your centre, but keep putting it off or think it’s too much effort, think again.

Reading about a centre or hearing about a centre is great, but nothing is quite like visiting a centre. Families often speak about “the vibe” they got from a child care centre. They love to see the centre, meet the educators and director – even the owner! This is a place that they are trusting with their children during one of the most vital times of their development and it has to be perfect.

Why having an open day is a must

While tours for families are great and should be encouraged, holding an open day is proactive and encourages families to have a fun day out while at the same time getting a feel for your centre.

Dedicated time: An open day, especially on a weekend, gives families uninterrupted time at your centre to explore, chat with educators and ask questions.

A showcase of your offering: You get to plan the day from start to finish, so design something special that really shows families what you’re about and why you’re the best choice for their child’s early childhood education.

A fun day out: It’s certainly a drawcard for families when you plan a day of activities and perhaps throw in some refreshments. Even families who attend other centres could stop by and fall in love with your centre.

Show the local community and families what you have to offer. Planning an open day allows you to put your best foot forward and demonstrate to families why they should choose your centre for their child or children.

The next Bonkers Beat Open Day is coming up on Saturday, 24 March. Feel free to come along to Bonkers Beat Music Kinder at 49 Laura street, Aspendale for a day of family fun and enjoy an interactive tour and music show with Bonkers the Monkey!

We look forward to seeing you there!

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Essential facts about the new child care package

From 2 July 2018 the current child care system, which includes the Child Care Benefit and Rebate, will be replaced. The new childcare package will provide families of approved childcare services with a new Child Care Subsidy and result in a few changes for providers.

We’ve taken the time to go through some of the main changes to the childcare package so families and early childhood educators, directors and owners can be prepared when July 2 arrives.

Changes for childcare services:

Types of childcare services

Instead of the seven types of childcare providers we currently have, there will only be three. There are Centre-based Day Care (CDC), Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) and Family Day Care (FDC). Depending on what type of childcare service you run, this may affect you.

Operating hours

Currently, there are many regulations for childcare professionals when it comes to their operating hours, however, with the new childcare package childcare providers will have more freedom in choosing their operating hours to suit their local area and demand. This includes how many days and hours they offer care each week, however, some regulation will still apply.

Reduced admin time

According to the department, the new child care IT system that will roll out with the childcare package is designed to support childcare providers in reducing admin time and giving you a highly functional IT system to work with.

Display this poster at your centre to remind families of the upcoming changes.

You can get plenty of information and resources here: https://www.education.gov.au/new-child-care-subsidy-system

Changes for families:

One payment system, not two

Instead of a two-payment system, the Child Care Subsidy rolling out in July will be one payment. This will completely replace both the Child Care Benefit and Child Care Rebate.

Annual cap

While currently your subsidised childcare hours are capped at $7,500, the new Child Care Subsidy will not have a cap on the majority of families. If your family earns over $185,710 your cap will remain but will be extended to $10,000 from July 2.

Means-tested subsidy

As with the previous funding, the Child Care Subsidy remains a payment that is determined by your combined family income.

Take a look at how your subsidy level will be calculated:

Meeting the activity test

The activity test shows the required number of hours a family must undertake in an approved activity to access the Child Care Subsidy. This is to make sure parents who need childcare to work can access it fairly.

Childcare funding for parents not working

To ensure all children can access a quality early childhood education, the Child Care Safety Net offers low-income families who don’t meet the activity test up to 24 hours of subsidised childcare per fortnight.

For complete information about the Child Care Subsidy and new package launching as of 2 July 2018 visit https://www.education.gov.au/child-care-subsidy.

Families, you can learn more and work out your funding level with this online calculator: education.gov.au/childcare

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Building strong teams and positive culture

culture in early childhood education

Working in early childhood education, collaboration is essential. Not just between centres and families, but also among staff. Building teams and a positive culture in early childhood education paves the way for a centre and its educators to thrive. Of course, a thriving centre means the best experience for families and children too.

Over the years we have asked countless educators what their biggest challenges are, and we frequently hear that one of the challenges is staff motivation, culture and turnover. Sound familiar?

In 2016 the Queensland University of Technology surveyed 1,200 early childhood educators across Australia about their jobs. Of those surveyed, one in five planned to leave their position within the following year. The reasons cited for this included feeling undervalued and not enjoying the working environment.

Creating a positive culture in your workplace can help your team feel bonded, supported and appreciated. A little effort can go a long way to keep your staff turnover low, and your centre’s culture brimming with positivity and happiness!

A team that is motivated and appreciated is one that will help your centre and its children reach their full potential. Take a look at these ways that you can build teams and a positive culture within your organisation and consider giving them a try:

  1. Focus on the positives:

    Often when we have staff meetings or changes, the focus is on what we can do better. While improvement is important, try to shift the focus to the positives. Hearing what is being done well will encourage everyone to want to do it more.

  2. Make responsibilities clear:

    Clashes in teams can arise when there is uncertainty over who is responsible for what, or if someone feels they have an unfair share of the workload or have drawn the short straw. Keep it clear and make sure everyone feels comfortable in speaking up in the right way if something is displeasing to them.

  3. Involve your team in decisions:

    A democracy is always better than a dictatorship, so make sure your team feels they have some say in the workplace. Friendly negotiations, votes, team discussions – it’s important changes happen from within a team, not to them. That way, they’ll feel they’ve accomplished something together.

  4. Spend quality time together:

    Don’t let it become all work and no play! After all, in early childhood education, we are experts at playing! Organise some team dinners or even a yearly staff retreat! Don’t forget to mark the end of the year with a celebration too. Some centres have a list of all staff birthdays so that if that member of your team is in on their special day, you can all sing happy birthday to them. A lovely gesture!

  5. Group professional development:

    A team that learns together can grow together, in the same direction. This is one of the reasons the Bonkers Beat programs and our Wellness Summits are so effective for centres and their culture – because we work with the entire team together. Take a look at teams having a great time and growing as educators together at our recent Bonkers Beat Wellness Summits here.

We’d love to hear how you help your team to bond and create a positive culture in your early childhood education service? Share with us on Facebook!

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