Tag: early childhood

Posted on

Saying THANKS on Early Childhood Educators Day!

As a career, early childhood education roles often do not receive the recognition and respect they deserve. The early childhood profession is one of the most important and the work the educators do is invaluable. Next Wednesday 5 September is Early Childhood Educators Day and we encourage you to consider taking the time to acknowledge the amazing educators in your life.

The work of early childhood educators is meaningful and vital for families. Parents choose to trust educators with their precious children and educators take great pride in ensuring the children in their care are getting the best start in life.

Educators also do so much to make parents and families feel special. Beautiful crafty creations for special occasions, new songs children go home singing and wonderful memories to last a lifetime.

So, how are you going to say thank you? We think early childhood educators deserve to know just how amazing they are, and Early Childhood Educators Day is the perfect time! These children have some ideas:

The Early Childhood Educators Day website has more ideas for families and children to explore how they could ‘say thank you’: https://earlychildhoodeducatorsday.org.au/families

Centres might like to explore ways to acknowledge the day too with these ideas. Even a wall or tree of thanks can be a simple but thoughtful gesture to allow families to write a note of appreciation to educators when they come and go from the centre over the coming week.

We would love to see your Early Childhood Educators Day celebrations. Please share with us via Bonkers Beat Music and Wellbeing facebook page your ideas, or even use the official hashtag #EarlyChildhoodEducatorsDay so we can all explore the festivities around this occasion.

 

Posted on

Creative ideas for Father’s (and a Special Person’s) Day

Father’s (and a Special Person’s) Day is around the corner, with the annual occasion taking place on 2 September in Australia this year. That means it’s time to plan a celebration such as morning or afternoon tea with some special surprises for the great men in children’s lives!

Taking the time to acknowledge the important role dads have in the family is fun and exciting for children, and it can also include men in children’s lives who are special male role models and father figures too. After all, families come in all different shapes and sizes, and being inclusive ensures everyone gets to join in.

Create an invitation or notice that highlights this by inviting fathers and other special male role models. Many centres opt for Fathers and Special Person Day and specifically note that step-dads, uncles, grandfathers and family friends in children’s lives are invited.

Get some takeaway coffee cups and sort everyone out with a hot drink as the dads and other special men enjoy being the centre of attention. A few simple craft stations or a little performance are all you need to create a memorable event.

If you’re looking for some craft ideas to do at centres or even for parents to do at home with children, here are five great ones to try!

Five special creative ideas:

  1.  Recite or write a poem for dads: To help you get organised, enjoy exclusive access to our much-loved Bonkers Beat poem ‘My Daddy’ – click here.
  2. Paint a portrait: Get out the paints and ask children to create a portrait of their dad or special male figure. If you have the time, you can even do this as part of the father’s day event.
  3. Dad grassheads: You need to get these done in advance, so don’t waste another moment and get started!
  4. Coins and keys box: Make sure dad never loses his keys again and can keep track of his loose change with a DIY box child can make. Here’s how.
  5. Following in your footsteps: This heartfelt craft requires a little more effort but it’s worth it for how thoughtful it is and what a beautiful keepsake it makes. Credit to Kidspot.

We look forward to hearing about your creative ideas you use with children in celebrating Father’s (and a Special Person’s) Day. Please share with us on our Facebook page.

Posted on

What’s your favourite childhood book?

Book Week is coming up from 18 – 24 August, bringing the perfect time to focus on the incredible benefits and positive impact of books and reading on people young and old.

A special childhood book can be a beacon of joy throughout your entire life. Think about your own early years and you can probably recall one or more books that have stuck with you ever since. To celebrate Book Week, why not get educators to share a favourite childhood book with children at your centre?

Three reasons we love reading

1. Literacy is vital

Learning to read and developing reading comprehension are essential skills for life. If you can encourage a love of reading and books in children, you are giving them one of the most valuable tools possible.

2. Reading benefits other areas, like numeracy

Researchers found that reading provides benefits to a child’s overall education, not just literacy. Even formal tests showed higher scores for children who were read to more often at age 4 and 5, including improvements in numeracy!

3. Books are full of knowledge

Reading books doesn’t just improve your ability to read — books are full of knowledge and facts that enable children to learn just about everything! In fact, for a child who isn’t overly interested in books, start with books on their favourite subject to spark their interest.

Three books with a positive message

If you need some extra inspiration for new books to try in your centre, here are just five that are not only a great read but also have a really positive message embedded within them:

The Way We Have Fun: This book isn’t just about a family holiday — it tells the story of a family who takes off on a family trip armed with devices like smartphones tablets and laptops. But only when these ‘essentials’ go missing do they realise where the real fun is!

The Rainbow Fish: A beautifully illustrated story that takes the reader on a journey to discover the true meaning of beauty and friendship.

Little People, Big Dreams: This series of books takes you through the stories of the lives of some of the world’s most amazing and inspiring people, such as Marie Curie or Mother Theresa. Educational and full of inspiration!

Make Book Week a time for your centre to focus on the importance of literacy and the magic of reading for children and adults alike!

We look forward to finding out more about your favourite books, so share them with us on our Facebook page.

Posted on

Reaching for Excellence with the ACAV Conference

It’s not the first time we’ve said it and it certainly won’t be the last: providing early childhood educators with continuous, high-quality training and development opportunities is vital for many reasons. For educators’ wellbeing and motivation levels; for children’s development and quality of care; for the overall success of any childcare business.

For a while there with LDCPDP funding, we were free to test a range of professional development options and explore different styles of training to upskill and motivate early childhood educators. Now we need to be more selective, choosing training options and programs that work for us and give us real, tangible results for our centres and educators.

This year on 17 and 18 of August, ACAV is hosting the 2018 Excellence in Early Childhood Education and Care Conference and we’ll be there. As many of you are probably aware, excellence has been a theme for Bonkers Beat this year, with our Music Kinder in Aspendale centre receiving the honour of an NQS Excellent Rating!

We’re excited to have a stand at this fantastic industry event, featuring engaging keynote speakers such as Dr Justin Coulson, Fabian Dattner and Professor Ann Farrell, as well as a debate, exhibition and topics specifically covering NQS outcomes.

ACAV conference will have a wide range of topics covered and the program is organised in three streams:

Leadership & Viability
Educational Program & Practice
Partnerships & Physical Environment

Our innovative programs that we will be showcasing at the event take a practical and evidence-based approach to these areas, with a focus on positive outcomes, always. At our stand you can explore what makes our programs so effective, discovering the ongoing training and support we provide to educators all over the country both online and offline. So, come and chat with us at the Excellence in ECEC conference exhibition to learn why our programs are the key to excellence in childcare!

If you haven’t registered to attend the event yet, there’s still time! Head here to buy tickets. This conference is a must-attend for anyone with a passion for succeeding and achieving excellence in early childhood education.

Please don’t forget to come and say ‘Hi’. We look forward to seeing you at Bonkers Beat stand #38!

 

Posted on

Becoming change makers with science, technology and creativity

Science, technology and creativity frequently go hand in hand. From medicine to smart devices and space travel, science, technology and creativity are behind the most amazing advancements the world has ever seen. Science Week is taking place from the 11th – 19th of August and this year’s theme is Game Changers and Change Makers. The theme inspired us to want to discuss how we can foster excitement in children for making a positive change in the world using science, technology and of course creativity.

Defining science and technology

In today’s tech-focused world, you’ve probably come across the term STEM. Or perhaps another variation like STEAM. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and maths. STEAM adds art into the mix.

Science and technology, or STEM, are a cornerstone of today’s learning and involve a holistic approach

For children to understand scientific terms, it’s important that we get hands-on and really show them. For many children, science is like a magic show so it’s a lot of fun too! Further in this blog, we’ll look at some great science experiments to try in child care centres and pre-school settings.
“For young learners, science is just an extension of their everyday world. We don’t have to teach young children how to wonder, discover, and explore through play because they do it naturally.” -Steve Spangler

Adding in creativity

Creativity is so unique to each of us. Each child can have a unique perspective, idea or approach and when you apply creativity to the power of science and technology, that’s where the magic happens. Science and technology can trigger creativity in children as it encourages them to observe and question what is happening while wondering ‘what if I do it this way’ or ‘what would happen if we changed this to that’?

Experiments to try

Magnet play: Fill a clear container with a range of objects that are metal such as paperclips along with some non-metal things like coloured beads for example. Use magnets along the outside of the jar to watch the magnetic magic happen!

Make oobleck:

Floaters and sinkers: Simple and fun, you just need a big tub of water and a range of different objects, some that will sink and some that will float. Get children to predict before testing and sort the floating objects from the sinking objects, discussing as you go!

Future-proof education

Today’s children truly are tomorrow’s game changers and change makers. In your class, you might have the next Elon Musk or Stephen Hawking! The beauty of the future we are building through technological advancements is that it encourages today’s children to become thinkers, doers and entrepreneurs, not just workers.

Let’s get children thinking about the world in an innovative way now, applying their creativity to the infinite possibility and power of science and technology.

If you do any excellent science and tech activities with children that you’d be happy to share with other educators, please let us know or share via Facebook!

Posted on

5 things to celebrate about trees as National Tree Day approaches

Each year we encourage childcare centres and families to get involved in National Tree Day. Schools Tree Day is coming up on 27 July, followed by National Tree Day on 29 July – but any day is good to celebrate trees!

Trees do so much more than line our streets, but can often go unappreciated or even unnoticed. Yet there is so much to celebrate about the humble tree!

These are just five things to open up a discussion about trees with children in your care and to show them (and remind yourself!) just how important trees are to the world.

Tree facts to share with children

1. Trees clean our air

It’s no secret that there are many pollutants in the air that are harmful to our environment and health. We are lucky that trees work hard to reduce airborne pollution, with the leaves of trees catching the particles and filtering the air for us. Trees also create oxygen for us, turning sunlight, water and carbon dioxide into oxygen in a process called photosynthesis. This is how trees produce their own food too!

This is a fun explanation of the process:

 2. Trees provide fruit and nuts

Children’s favourite fruits and nuts are produced by trees and plants. Encourage children to identify which plants various foods come from.

 3.  Trees mark the seasons

Currently, there will be many trees around with no leaves as it is winter. Talk about how trees show us the changing of the seasons, with leaves turning orange, red and yellow in autumn. Also discuss that some trees are evergreen, meaning they will keep their leaves and stay green all year.

4. Trees provide shelter

Whether we are looking for protection from the rain or the sun, trees are very reliable for shelter. When we are looking to have a picnic or relax at the park, we are often drawn toward finding a special tree that will provide us with shelter and even let us lean on its trunk!

 5.  Trees are home to wildlife

Of course, trees don’t just provide shelter for people… For many animals, trees are home. Talk about what animals use trees as homes, such as possums, koalas and birds to name a few.

If you can find the time to get planting for National Tree Day, take the opportunity! Watching children as they learn to plant and care for seedlings, helping them to grow, is a special activity. To help your centre celebrate National Tree Day and the wonder of nature, gardening and outdoor learning, they have compiled a huge number of engaging resources for early learning. Take a look here.

There are many ways to get involved in National Tree Day – find an event here or register your own.

 

 

 

 

Image Designed by Freepik

Posted on

United we shape the future (for the better!)

The early childhood education is so crucial. For children, for families, for society — our work with children every day changes lives, shapes the future and supports families in their personal endeavours. We believe that our work in early childhood has the power to change our own lives and we should all support one another in reaching personal goals. United in our shared passion and common goals, we can achieve greatness!

It is this belief and passion that we pour into the ‘7 Stones’ events. (And if you haven’t attended yet, the opportunity is heading your way Sydney, Brisbane and Perth!)

Together we tackle our shared challenges, like occupancy, competition, effective programs, staff turnover… And together we share wins, uniting as a sector to inspire and support one another.

The power of collaboration should not be underestimated. This collaboration through our shared dedication to early childhood education is meaningful and empowering.

If you share our passion and commitment to shaping the future and doing your bit in creating the best early childhood education industry in the world, we need you to stand with us!

Register for your free spot at ‘7 Stones’: http://www.bonkersbeat.com/7stones/

We want to connect with you, learn from you and share our wins and success of our Music & Wellbeing programs. We’re even going to delve deep into the reasons why we received an Excellent Rating under the NQS in the upcoming workshops.

Join us at the next ‘7 Stones’ event:

Sydney: Thursday 26 July

Brisbane: Thursday 9 August

Perth: Date TBC

Together we can do anything! Let’s make our industry the best it can be.

Posted on

Reasons to get outdoors even when it’s cold and rainy

When winter just starts to seem too chilly to bear, a tropical getaway is a must… Of course, that isn’t always possible so for most of us we need to find other ways to warm up!

Parents and educators alike can relate to the challenge of keeping children entertained, engaged and warm in the winter months. Rainy days, in particular, can leave educators and parents feeling frustrated – not to mention children, most of whom love to run around outside!

Thankfully, avoiding heading outside when it’s cold and rainy is unnecessary! As we like to say, there is no bad weather, just bad clothing! In fact, spending too much time indoors is how many coughs and colds are spread throughout winter. Get your gumboots, coats, scarves, gloves and beanies and get outside!

Here are a few reasons why spending time outside (even in winter) is a great idea:

1. Mood booster

The winter blues is a real thing and is often attributed to the increased time spent indoors which translates to less exposure to natural light and vitamin D.

2. Fresh air

Fresh air and getting amongst nature can give your immune system a much-needed boost. Flush out your airways with some cool, crisp winter air and reap the rewards. In fact, babies in Sweden are almost always bundled up for naptime outdoors to gain the benefits of the fresh air!

3. Get moving

It’s no secret that we tend to be more active outdoors, and that goes for children and adults. With more room to move, getting outside means more physical activity which will benefit your health and mood right away.

An outlet for indoors

If the weather really is too severe to brave the outdoors, there are plenty of ways to get active and boost children’s overall wellbeing while indoors.

Daily yoga practice is something we do at Bonkers Beat daily, and it can be enjoyed indoors or outside. If you’re not sure about how to do yoga with children, start by checking out our Yoga Cards, designed especially for children with simple instructions and engaging illustrations.

Want an effective release for children’s energy while inside? Turn the music up! Get moving to your Bonkers Beat music CDs or any music that children enjoy! Music and dancing enable self-expression, a physical outlet for emotions and is just good fun! Take a look in the Bonkers Beat shop here.

 

 

Posted on

Adjusting to the new CCS

Here we are in the second half of 2018 (when did that happen?!) and with it comes the new Child Care Subsidy system.

It’s been really interesting speaking to centres about their thoughts on the new CCS, with some finding it to have been a relatively smooth transition, while others have found it stressful in one or more ways.

If you’re one of the centres who hasn’t had a positive experience with the new CCS, know that you are not alone! Of course, everything new can take a while to settle as we all adjust to new systems along with handling queries and concerns from families.

CCS stress for some centres

One of the reasons centre owners, directors and educators have been feeling stressed about this transition is because of how it has affected families who attend their service.

For some families, the CCS changes have seen the cost of their child care increase and at times the reaction to this has been directed at centres. Of course, it is unpleasant to see families feeling distressed while we are unable to offer any solution for their predicament.

In some cases, the extra cost for some families has even meant centres have lost enrolments as the cost of the care no longer feels worthwhile to them. (Don’t worry – we have just the fix for this! If you haven’t seen our current special offer yet, click here!)

Other centres have mentioned the IT side of things to be hard to get their heads around, while others have been overwhelmed with the admin of everything during the switch.

Adjusting together

Thankfully we have a beautiful community of like-minded, passionate centre owners, directors and educators who support each other. As we all move into the second half of the year, please know that we are committed to supporting all in the early childhood industry.

If you need support or guidance at any time, call us on 13000 BBEAT (1300 022 328) or email info@bonkersbeat.com and we’d love to help wherever we can.

Follow us on Facebook to read more articles on the challenges of implementing the CCS.

Posted on

Special offer for your new financial year resolutions

For centre owners and in fact any business owner, the end of financial year is a time for assessing financial and business goals.

The new Child Care Subsidy has meant further challenges for a number of centres too, with some potentially losing families as a result of their change in subsidy.

With the busy admin of getting tax time sorted and switching to the Child Care Subsidy system nearly over, it’s time to focus on your new financial year resolutions!

We think every business should take the opportunity to create new financial year resolutions – it’s a perfect halfway point in the year to consider how your child care centre can be even better.

To help you take your centre to the next level, we’ve got a special offer for your new financial year resolutions!

Make the next financial year your best year ever!

Parting with a lump sum of money is never fun. We don’t like to do it and we’re guessing you don’t either! So, don’t! We’re offering you the opportunity to start the new financial year right by implementing multi-award-winning music and wellbeing programs in your centre with a simple, affordable monthly fee.

Special Offer: New Financial Year Resolution

This offer enables you to avoid paying an upfront fee and only pay an affordable monthly fee to secure the Bonkers Beat Music and Wellbeing programs in your centre from 1 August 2018 through to December 2019! That’s 18 months of the highest quality, ongoing professional development, training and support for your entire team!

  • No upfront fees
  • Easy monthly payments
  • Award-winning programs
  • High-quality training and support for your whole team for 18 months!

NOTE: This offer is only available to centres who join the program before 1 August! Submit your interest now.

Embed the most innovative, world-class music program in your centre to boost your occupancy, enhance curriculum, motivate educators, improve NQS rating, engage parents and stand out in this crazy busy marketplace.

The increasing number of child care centres across the country means that standing out from the rest is more important than ever. Bonkers Beat Music and Wellbeing Programs ensure you do just that! Increasing occupancy is just one of the many outcomes of our educational programs.

Families and communities now understand the incredible benefits of music, movement, yoga and meditation, and our programs enable you to expertly embed these powerful benefits into your centre immediately!

Remember; if you want to incorporate a world-class award-winning program in your centre for an affordable monthly fee and enjoy amazing benefits for your centre, your staff and families and children for 18 months, you have to register before 1 August 2018!

Head to http://www.earlychildhoodeducationalprograms.com.au/ to read more about what is included and the benefits and make the next financial year your best year ever!

Or email us at info@bonkersbeat.com

 

 

 

 

Powered by WishList Member - Membership Software