relationships Archives - Early Learning Childhood Education

20/09/201920/09/2019

10 School Holiday Ideas to Inspire

The school holidays can be a lot of fun, but they can also be pretty tiring. As educators we are well aware of how much energy little ones can have! Filling the day with meaningful experiences can take a lot of creativity, but with a bit of planning and inspiration you’ll be able to keep children of all ages entertained during the term break. (Don’t forget to check with childcare centres about school holiday programs too!)

These ideas are perfect for adapting in childcare centres or at home and offer educational experiences paired with hours of fun!

1. Get musical! Of course this is our number one activity any day! Whether it’s taking up an instrument, singing, dancing to music or a combination of all three, music is at the centre of many fun and stimulating activities!
2. Card games: Card games are great because they require skills like taking turns and recognising numbers and colours. They also are completely portable! Try Uno, Snap, Go Fish or Memory/Pairs to get started!
3. Cook up a storm: Cooking is a skill for life! Find a simple child-friendly recipe or two and work on familiarising children with the kitchen. Start super easy with a fruit salad or pizzas but keep working on it.
4. Just keep swimming: With summer around the corner, a swimming refresher is perfectly timed. Take the kids to the pool yourself or book in to a school holiday swimming course.
5. Take public transport: Catch a train or bus (the destination can be a park, cafe, beach – anywhere!)
6. Get gardening: Being outside is great for wellbeing, and spring is the perfect time to refresh your garden. Plant something edible at the start of the holidays and by the end you could be ready to harvest!
7. Hit the library: An endless source of fun and education, the library is a must for children and can be a good place to cool off if it’s warm. Make a regular habit of going and borrowing books to encourage a passion for reading.
8. Chalk drawing: The driveway or any concrete area is the perfect spot to get artistic and do some chalk drawing. A simple hopscotch is a fun starting point.
9. Create a puppet show: Finger puppets or sock puppets can perform any story children wish. Create the characters and story and get performing!
10. Meditation: Meditation can help us to slow down, unwind, reflect and be present in the moment. Help children use the valuable tool of meditation. Be sure to join them!

Write a few of these fun activities on pieces of paper, put them all in a jar and any time someone is feeling bored at home, they can simply find a random activity from the activity jar! Perfect boredom buster!

Hopefully this list has inspired you! If you are looking for more inspiration, join us today at our practical and free workshop, ‘7 Stones’, in Sydney! We look forward to sharing with you more ideas, so reserve your spot now! http://www.bonkersbeat.com/7stones/

21/08/201922/08/2019

Involving Dad this Father’s Day

Research has confirmed that involved dads are happier dads and the benefits for children are countless too. Improved wellbeing, cognitive, social, behavioural outcomes and more. With Father’s Day coming up on Sunday 1 September, it’s time to schedule a time at your childcare centre for dads!

While dads are welcome to get involved in aspects of their children’s early childhood education year-round, there’s something extra special about an invite just for them!

Dads and special male role models

To make sure your Father’s Day event at childcare is inclusive of all families, Dads and Special Friends Day or similar could be a more fitting name.

This can ensure that any special male role model feels welcome to attend. Extend the invitation out to uncles, step-dads, grandfathers or close family friends.

Finding the best time

Breakfast or afternoon tea are usually the best times. This allows for those who are working to only take an hour or two out of their working day to attend. Make sure you’ve got coffee on hand and a snack, like pastries, fruit or biscuits.

For those who can’t bring someone along for whatever reason, centre the day around creating a special gift for Father’s Day. Children who are flying solo through the event can focus on getting their gift looking fantastic ready to take home. Meanwhile, those who have dad in attendance on the day can work on something special together.

Craft Father’s Day ideas

Set up a few different craft stations so children can choose to rotate or stick to one they like.

Ideas you could try include:

Portrait painting: Set up some easels and smocks and get children to paint dad! Guaranteed to be adorable and/or hilarious!

Handprint art: Paint the palm of dad’s hand and have him make a print on paper. Then get the children to do a handprint on top, creating a memorable piece of art to cherish — their hands don’t stay that small for long!

Jar plants: A big bucket of soil, some succulent cuttings and recycled jars are all you need for children and their dads to get planting together. Add in some glue and bits and pieces to decorate the jar for extra fun.

Musical fun on Father’s Day

Every day is a good day for music, and Father’s Day is no exception! Bonkers Beat children love singing songs and reciting poems. Not only does this create a sense of celebration and fun, but it also boosts children’s confidence and ability to perform in
front of a crowd. A very useful skill for life!

To help children gain a love of poetry, Bonkers hopes you enjoy this special Father’s Day gift – a special poem called ‘My Daddy’. Click here to access.

One last thing – Don’t forget to take pictures on the day!
Take a look at our Father’s Day childcare celebration in 2018 at Bonkers Beat Music Kinder here.

11/07/201911/07/2019

Schedule A Rewarding Grandparents Day In Your Calendar

The relationship between grandchildren and grandparents is one that is mutually beneficial and offers many incredible rewards for all involved. It is certainly a relationship that deserves recognition and celebration. With Mothers Day in May and Fathers Day in September, we always find July is the perfect time to host a Grandparents Day in centres.

Benefits of Family Relationships For Children

Did you know involving parents in children’s pre-school and school life is linked to closer bonds with children, increased resilience and overall family wellbeing? Involving grandparents is beneficial to strengthening family bonds and further improving the wellbeing of young children.

This is why each year we encourage all providers of early childhood education to fit in a day dedicated to celebrating grandparents.

Research has shown there are mental health benefits in maintaining a good relationship with grandparents as children get older. Both parties are less likely to suffer from depression as a result of their bond. In fact, the same researchers highlighted the benefits of extended family for children, saying that these relationships are more important today than ever before.

Thoughtful Ways To Share The Love With Grandparents

Grandparents and children’s special friends enjoy spending any quality time with children, but these ideas can enhance the celebration at a morning or afternoon tea at your centre:

Create an ‘I Love You because…’ card and children can offer a special reason
Create a photo frame as a gift
Create a collage together of things that remind them of their relationship
Sing some special songs together
Play instruments together in a music session
All children act out a favourite book for the grandparents/special friends
Yoga and wellbeing activities with grandparents/special friends
Grandparents/special friends may enjoy sharing a snack with the children
Children might like to give grandparents/special friends a tour of their room

Click here to find some great printables and other ideas for your Grandparents and a Special Friend Day.

Keep It Inclusive

The relationship between grandparents and their grandchildren can be varied – some are very close and play a huge role, while others may not be as close and perhaps even live far away or are no longer with us.

It can be a good idea to invite children to celebrate grandparents and special friends, so an aunty, uncle, godparent or family friend can attend too. This gives families the opportunity to celebrate grandparents if they wish or celebrating someone else special in children’s lives if it’s more appropriate for them.

Take a look at our very own ‘Grandparents and Special Friends Afternoon Tea’ celebrations from last year at Bonkers Beat Music Kinder for further inspiration: http://bit.ly/2NMsvDm

09/08/201809/08/2018

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!

26/07/201826/07/2018

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.

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17/07/201818/07/2018

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!

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.

14/06/201814/06/2018

Common challenges in childcare centres solved

When you’re running a childcare centre, it can feel like the same issues keep coming up. You wonder what on earth you’re doing wrong and start to doubt yourself and your contribution to the early childhood education industry. What we have found after a decade of working with centres is that other centres are facing those same challenges.

Some of the biggest challenges that centres are facing:

1. Low enrolments

Low enrolments are a very upsetting problem many centres deal with — after all, high enrolments allow you to run your centre more successfully, pay educators what they deserve and maintain a high standard of early childhood education. Never fear, because with the right approach, increasing enrolments can be achieved!

2. Too many new centres opening nearby

A lot of competition contributes to point 1 and can make you want to throw in the towel. But don’t! We can tackle this…

3. Lacklustre outcomes for children

Seeing children blossom and flourish in your care is incredibly rewarding, but to get the best outcomes you need an approach to early childhood education that is proven to get results.

4. Unmotivated staff and high turnaround

If your educators are far from enthusiastic and you find yourself hiring new educators more often than you would like, this can impact your centre on every level.

All the while you are trying to create a successful business, provide an optimal start for young children and work on getting the best NQS rating possible.

In a way, it’s comforting to know that other centre owners and directors are facing these same challenges… but it’s time to take action!

A free half-day workshop is the beginning of a fresh approach for you and your centre! Head along to tackle those four big challenges plus plenty more and walk away with practical tools and knowledge that can change everything for you, your centre, your educators and the families.

Do not miss out this rare opportunity to discover more about Bonkers Beat programs and see the centre rated Excellent by ACECQA in action.

15/02/201815/02/2018

Building strong teams and positive culture

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:

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.
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.
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.
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!
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!

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.

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.