earlychildhoodeducation Archives - Page 7 of 9 - Early Learning Childhood Education

18/10/201719/10/2017

Celebrate National Children’s Week

Celebrate National Children’s Week 2017 as it takes place from October 21 – 29, drawing our attention to children’s rights, talents and citizenship.

The rights of the child are something that we are passionate about – you may have noticed our children’s rights posts on social media.

To celebrate National Children’s Week is to simply acknowledge children within our communities and to focus the attention of the community on children as well as their needs and achievements.

You can adapt this approach to your centre for a day or a week and celebrate children and their rights. For example a child’s right to explore or discover new things. The options are endless.

If you like, you could download a National Children’s Week 2017 poster from the official website to display in your centre. Click here to see the posters.

Each state has its own events to celebrate National Children’s Week. Select your region below to see what’s on in your state to celebrate children:

NSW / Victoria / Queensland / Northern Territory / Western Australia / South Australia / Tasmania / ACT

As a side note, while we are talking about celebrating children, let’s talk about this wonderful industry for a moment.

We are so proud to be part of Australia’s early childhood education industry, working with like-minded organisations who are committed to continually improve and raise the standard of education and care. As such, this year’s Early Years Award finalists in Victoria deserve to be congratulated for all their incredible work – well done!

You can see the list of 2017 Early Years Award finalists here.

11/10/201712/10/2017

Who Benefits More?

Spending time with the elderly may not seem like it would be an exciting experience for young children, but maybe it deserves more credit… Recent research indicated that when children and seniors get together, there are a lot of benefits for both!

Take a look at this video and see for yourself! http://bit.ly/2xxYuKn

We wanted to share the amazing outcomes of the time spent between young and old with Bonkers Beat and our own community. That’s why we planned a visit with some of the older members in the local area. So, off we went to the Aspendale Senior Citizen’s Club!

Take a look at what a fun and fulfilling day we all had. Click here.

The time spent between young and old isn’t just enjoyable – the benefits are real and they are meaningful. A 4-year old can learn so much from a 74-year old – and vice versa!

Here are just a few of the benefits experienced by children and older individuals through this intergenerational time spent together:

Benefits for children

A patient listening ear
A lifetime of stories to hear
An insight into life’s ageing processes
An opportunity to learn something new

Benefits for older individuals

Enhanced mood
An opportunity to learn something new
Improved physical capability and movement
More enjoyment of life
Lessened dementia symptoms

We are so excited to have started this new relationship and can’t wait to continue working together with our community. In fact, at our upcoming Working Bee on 28 October we are planning to create a community garden!

By getting your centre involved with your local community you can show your children the importance of creating strong connections and enhance the wellbeing of everyone involved.

14/09/201715/09/2017

Active children are happier children

Many studies have shown the strong link between physical activity and children’s behavioural, social and psychological outcomes. And the research consistently indicates that active children are happier children.

They become happier adolescents and adults too, demonstrating that laying a foundation for life that involves regular physical activity has far-reaching impact. It’s important that we set the groundwork for active children so they grow into happy adults.

Encouraging Physical Activity: The benefits

Regular physical activity has a range of benefits for children, including:

promoting healthy growth and development
helping to achieve and maintain a healthy weight
building strong bones and muscles
improving cardiovascular fitness
improving balance, coordination and strength
maintaining and developing flexibility
improving posture
assisting with the development of gross motor and fine motor skills
providing the opportunity to develop fundamental movement skills
helping to establish connections between different parts of the brain
improving concentration and thinking skills
improving confidence and self-esteem
relieving stress and promoting relaxation
providing opportunities to develop social skills and make friends
improving sleep.

(Source: https://www.healthykids.nsw.gov.au/teachers-childcare/physical-activity.aspx)

There’s no doubt about it – physical activity is vital for optimal development in children!

Promoting Physical Wellbeing in Children: Bush Kinder and Sports-inspired Games

If you and your educators attended our recent Bonkers Beat Wellness Summits, you’ve probably learned so many incredible ways to embed physical wellness practices into your centre. For those who didn’t attend, the information provided by our guests speakers was invaluable in guiding us towards the best ways of promoting physical wellness for the children in our care.

Bush Kinder founder Doug Fargher presented at the Bonkers Beat Wellness Summits and shared his expertise and experience working in outdoor spaces with children. Doug is an expert with extensive knowledge on the strong connections between nature and children’s physical wellness during the first five years of development and beyond.

Justin Kuchel from Active Start Sports presented at our recent Wellness Summits as well. Justin’s approach enables children of all ages to engage with fun, physical activities that leave them wanting more. Justin shared insights and showed us how his age-appropriate sports-inspired games get children truly excited about physical activity.

Thank you to all who attended—what a fantastic event it was, and thank you for contributing to it with your commitment to early childhood education!

See the photos from the Melbourne event here.

See the photos from the Sydney Wellness Summit here.

Are you passionate about physical and overall wellbeing? To find out more and join our Wellness Summits call us on 13000-B-BEAT (2-2328).

06/09/201707/09/2017

Respect, Safety and Dignity for All

In a time where we see some forces aiming to divide the world, it’s so important to show children the right way forward. The caring and compassionate way forward. In 2017 the theme for the International Day of Peace is Together for Peace: Respect, Safety and Dignity for All. What a beautiful reminder to encourage connectedness and respect among children in our care.

The International Day of Peace (Thursday 21 September) takes place each year worldwide with the aim of strengthening the ideals of peace. This can apply to peace within nations, or global peace. It can even just apply to own our communities. Seeking peace through being inclusive, respectful and kind to others is something we can do every day.

Showing children the path to peace

While the concepts of peace and conflict are perhaps challenging for young children and not for them to worry about at this young age, we can help to embed positive values through their early childhood education.

Here’re a few ways you can intentionally incorporate the values of the International Day of Peace in your centre:

Model compassion and caring:

Show children what compassion and caring looks like. Offer help to others and generally look out for one another.

Promote a respectful environment:

Good manners, listening to others and accepting differences are ways to encourage respect within childcare centres.

Build a sense of belonging for all:

Aim to celebrate all walks of life in your centre. Inclusive practices are essential in early childhood. Ask families to get involved, share stories, songs, traditions, food from their cultures or get children to talk about their home life so children are exposed to a diverse range of family situations.

This ACECQA document is a useful resource on encouraging inclusive behaviour in early childhood. You might also like to explore this Gowrie Victoria document that covers respect for children.

Of course, the International Day of Peace is just a reminder to instill these approaches and values in your centre… By all means, continue to do these things now and beyond!

If you’re interested in learning more about the International Day of Peace, visit the official website here.

24/08/201725/08/2017

Top 3 Benefits of Whole Team Training

Last week’s 2017 ACAV Conference was fantastic. The event saw 960 participants attend, with participants from all over Australia.

There were really interesting sessions with lots of ideas and the expo was just amazing. Seeing so many passionate educators is always a beautiful sight to behold – early childhood is such an important sector and it deserves this dedication.

Professional development is so vital to to give children the best start in life. One thing in particular to note from ACAV Conference was that some centres brought a few educators to attend and learn. While it’s not always easy organising staff at one place at one time, but if you can, there is no doubt that the whole team will experience the benefits.

So what benefits are there to be drawn from approaching professional development and training as a team?

1. Collective knowledge

When your team’s knowledge increases as a group, they can encourage one another and share perspectives. Teams who have done training together often reflect on what they learned and have a better understanding of the training.

2. Ideas and improvements

With everyone on the same page, your educators’ ability to apply what they learned is increased too. From the collective knowledge developed through group PD training, educators will have a solid shared foundation on which to brainstorm fresh ideas and improvements to the way you operate in your centre.

3. Bonding time

A team whose members know and understand one another have a better chance of working together more effectively. Giving your team of educators the opportunity to have experiences outside of the workplace and their usual set tasks can help develop both their professional and personal relationships. The results can be lower staff turnover, higher educator engagement and an overall happier team.

The Bonkers Beat programs were built with whole team professional development and training in mind. That’s why all centres who implement Bonkers Beat Programs, attend two Wellness Summits each year in order to learn and grow together.

Speaking of Bonkers Beat, our ‘Match & Win’ raffle resulted in two lucky winners out of almost 200 entries! The winning centres will now have access to our Bonkers Beat Starter Program online course (valued at $595). They can use this program for their entire team to build confidence in implementing music into daily routines.

In the interests of developing strong teams within your centre, we want to give you some practical tools.
Click here to access the special offer. Your whole team will reap the rewards – and so will your centre, your families and children.

17/08/201717/08/2017

4 Ways to celebrate Father’s Day this year

Looking for a Father’s Day idea? Socks, ‘World’s Best Dad’ mugs, breakfast in bed… These classic Father’s Day gestures are fun and much-loved by dads. But let’s get creative for Father’s Day 2017 on Sunday, 3 September and show dads how much children really care with some heartfelt and handmade gifts!

Father’s Day Idea #1: Create a portrait

First, ask children to think about their dad or special male role model’s features – does he have big bushy eyebrows? Dark brown eyes? A fuzzy beard? With those notable features in mind, children can paint or draw a portrait! Encourage children to take their time and think it through. Make it even more special by adding textures for hair, pop it in a frame or laminate it to make it last a lifetime.

Father’s Day Idea #2: Fill in the blanks

Children say some funny things – and dads will love to read the funny things they come up with when asked to fill in the blanks! Try this one. Team it with an image of the child to top it off.

Father’s Day Idea #3: Dad Grass Heads

They’re funny and simple and dads will love them. Create a grass head for fathers and special men that include little details that are tailored to children’s dads. For example, a tie, glasses or facial hair make a fun custom addition. Take a look at how to create a grass head here.

Father’s Day Idea #4: Use the Bonkers Beat ‘My Daddy’ poem

We’re sharing our My Daddy poem with you! Children can recite it to fathers and special men in their lives at a Father’s Day morning or afternoon in your centres or incorporate the text from the poem into your Father’s Day card or craft. Access ‘My Daddy’ poem here.

Don’t forget that Father’s Day is a lot of fun for many children, but should always be treated with sensitivity. Talk about dads as well as special men in children’s lives. This could include step-dads, uncles, grandfathers and family friends.

It’s also worth remembering that Father’s Day presents the opportunity to discuss the variety of family dynamics with children. Letting them know that there’s no such thing as a ‘normal’ family can be incredibly comforting to a child who may feel uncomfortable about their family situation and can teach other children about diversity.

Enjoy celebrating Father’s Day and share with us photos via Bonkers Beat Facebook!

Image Designed by Freepik

10/08/201710/08/2017

What is resilience and why children need it

Like day and night, the ups and downs of life are inevitable. While we want children to experience only the best things life has to offer, adversities and challenges are something that they will face. There’s not much we can do about some of the challenges or setbacks children will face, but we can guide them in how to respond to these setbacks.

Resilience defined

According to Resilient Youth Australia, resilience is defined “as the ability to draw upon the strengths within yourself and around you to flexibly respond to life while remaining true to yourself and creating positive relationships with others.”

Another definition of resilience found in Early Childhood Australia’s ‘Children’s resilience’, says that resilience is about the qualities and skills that ensure children (and adults) can cope with difficulties positively.

Building resilience in early childhood

There are many ways we can build children’s resilience from a young age – and we should. Learning that “failing” is just a part of learning is so essential to living a happy, fulfilling life.

Here are just a few ways to begin to build resilience in young children and help them to grow up able to bounce back and learn from everything in life.

1. Empower children

Show children that they are capable and enable them to trust in themselves. (Find our empowerment tips here.)

2. Maintain a positive outlook

Positive thinking is something we are really passionate about – it’s powerful! Staying positive about the future shows children that there is a reason to dust yourself off and try again or try another way.

3. Create healthy relationships

Healthy, respectful and supportive relationships are an important goal for all ages. Encourage children to pursue them and nurture them. Team building is one way, and Justin Kuchel of Active Start Sports will be at our Wellness Summits in September to talk about just that. Want to come along with your team of educators? Learn how you can.

4. Believe in children

Self-belief is important but so is children having educators and other adults around them who believe in them. Tell them and show them that you believe they can succeed.

5. Take appropriate risks

Doug Fargher, Founder of Bush Kinder and an early childhood guru is passionate about the need for parents and educators to trust children and support them in taking appropriate risks. He’ll be presenting as a guest speaker at our upcoming Wellness Summits in September. (Remember: if you’re not attending yet, there’s still time to join us and come with your entire team! Click here).

Resilience in early childhood can be built every day and can transform the way we learn, create and live. We would love to hear your resilience-building strategies – share with us on Facebook on our page or in our private group if you’re an educator who is a Bonkers Beat member.

03/08/201703/08/2017

Immune system boosters: strategies to stay healthy

Throughout this time of year it can feel as though someone is always coming down with a cold, a virus or some sort of bug. A lot of it comes down to the fact that when the weather is cold we spend more time in confined spaces with one another. But whatever the reason, we all want to prevent the spread of illness – especially in childcare centres.

Immune system boosters: 5 approaches

These five strategies will help you to boost children’s immune system and ultimately result in less sick children – and educators!

Some can be used in centres and at home so this list is handy for families and educators alike.

1. Boost children’s immune systems through food: Fresh foods have phytonutrients which are perfect for kicking the immune system up a notch. They can be found in carrots, strawberries, beans and oranges, to name a few. Focus on fresh and aim for five serves of fruit and vegetables each day. But of course, any amount of fruit and veg is better than none! Handy hints for getting children to eat fruit and veggies here. And try this healthy immune boosting recipe the whole family can enjoy.

2: Encourage healthy sleep patterns: Sleep is when our bodies work hard to repair themselves. And not getting enough of it can make us more likely to catch whatever illnesses are going around. Learn how much sleep children really need.

3: Keep a clean environment: Coming in to contact with germs is something to avoid obviously! And the best way? Keeping your home and childcare centre germ free (or as close as possible!). Wipe down surfaces regularly, wash hands, use and dispose of tissues thoughtfully…

4: Water, water, water: Water is useful as one of your immune system boosters. Drinking water will help to flush your system and keep it functioning optimally. Water is also great warmed up with honey and lemon, and pop some in a humidifer or vapouriser to combat dry winter air in your home or centre.

5: Keep it to yourself: An obvious but important one – when you’re sick, try to keep your germs to yourself so others can stay healthy and the spread of illness is reduced. Avoid sharing things like cups and cutlery, cover your mouth when you sneeze and cough… Stay home if needed – give yourself or your child the time and rest you need to get better. It’s good for you and others in your life.

With these immune system boosters, you’ll be well on your way to a healthy, happy home or childcare centre!

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29/06/201730/06/2017

School Holidays and Family Bonding

For many families school holidays can be a juggle to say the least. Working families in particular feel the pressure to fit in family time with jobs. On top of everything of course we’re all busy trying to keep the house functioning and feed everyone!

Thankfully it’s not always about the quantity of time we spend with our families – quality time is what it’s all about.

To make things easier, our Bonkers Beat Holiday Program gives families the opportunity to give children a special experience during the school holidays. During this time, we arrange many excursions and incursions which allow all families to join in and have fun together with their children. Take a look at one of our excursions during last year’s Holiday Programs here.

Parents may also contribute to the life of the centre by running a simple presentation for children and educators. This might include: sharing their passion, talking about their job, playing a musical instrument, cooking with children or simply reading a book.

Squeeze in some family bonding time

School holiday bonding experiences don’t have to be a full day out. A simple game together can be great fun. Try no mess, no fuss card games like memory or snap.

If you’ve got a day to spend together, jump on a train to the city and enjoy the amazing free activities on throughout the school holidays.

It’s all happening at museums, libraries, public spaces and more. Take a look at what your capital city has to offer these school holidays.

Melbourne / Sydney / Perth / Adelaide / Canberra / Brisbane / Hobart / Darwin

Make some special memories

Doing things that break up the day-to-day can become long-lasting memories. Think about the things you remember fondly from childhood… There are probably many fun family bonding ideas in there that you haven’t thought of or tried yet! Who knows, carrying on some special like that could become a family tradition.

Check out our School Holiday Activities Guide: 24 school holiday activities for indoors, outdoors, adventures and quiet time! Find it here.

01/06/201702/06/2017

Happy Birthday, Bonkers! – How Far We’ve Come

This month Bonkers the Monkey – the star of Bonkers Beat – is celebrating his birthday.

There’s nothing quite like a birthday to reflect on life… What you’ve achieved and the goals you have for the future. Same goes for Bonkers the Monkey!

Here’s a look at what Bonkers has achieved over the years, why he loves early childhood education so passionately and what he hopes to achieve over the years to come.

Reflecting on a journey and achievements of Bonkers Beat

Bonkers was born of a dream to share the power of learning through music and a focus on the wellbeing of children to enhance their development.

“Music is powerful. Through the power of music we can stimulate children’s brain development and enhance their life skills, we can further nurture and develop every child’s potential. I believe that music is not just an extra activity, but a language, which needs to be used every day.” – Galina Zenin

Since 2006, Bonkers and the Bonkers Beat Music and Wellbeing Programs have inspired and trained more than 10,157 educators to embed music and yoga into their curriculum. Their passion and daily practices ensured that more than 13,000+ children improve their overall wellness, sing and stretch every day.

Each day is so special – especially in early childhood

Bonkers loves spending his days with babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. Each day represents something new, something exciting and something to learn.

Every day Bonkers the Monkey gets the great pleasure of guiding children on their journeys through these amazing early years of life. They are some of the most important years of life too, where we lay the foundation for children’s futures. In fact, it’s quite possible that early childhood education – including childcare and kinder – could be an influential factor in determining a child’s future.

With Bonkers and his passion for sharing music and wellbeing with children, children are given the tools they need to succeed in life and fulfil their potential.

So much more to accomplish to give all children the best start

Bonkers birthday wish is always the same… He wants to share the tools and knowledge needed to enhance the development of every child, every day with centres and educators all over Australia and beyond.

He is already doing so well with the Bonkers Beat programs helping children and centres (and educators) to thrive across Australia. Here’s a look at the magic Bonkers and his programs bring to Bonkers Beat Music Kinder in Aspendale:

Parents and families: If you’re interested in having your child/ren join childcare or kinder at the Bonkers Beat Music Kinder in Aspendale, Victoria, you can email aspendale@bonkersbeat.com.au.

Centre Educators and Directors: If your centre is ready to take a holistic approach and introduce the magic of Bonkers Beat to your children, email info@bonkersbeat.com or call 1300 B BEAT (1300 022 328).

Tag: earlychildhoodeducation