Diversity comes in many forms and should be celebrated and embraced at every opportunity. This year, National Families Week (13-19 May) is doing just that, with the theme Celebrating Family Diversity and Connections. In early learning centres, where children are introduced to the world around them, it’s crucial to promote an environment that reflects and respects the diverse families that make up our communities. Families Week is the perfect opportunity to encourage children to celebrate different cultures, traditions, and family structures.
Nature Play Week (8-18 April) is an ideal opportunity for early learning centres to engage children in fun and educational activities that connect them with the natural world around them.
We’ve compiled our favourite activities that you can organise in your early learning centre to celebrate Nature Play Week and encourage children to explore, learn, and play outdoors. These activities are not just there to be enjoyed during Nature Play Week. We know the children in your early learning centre will love them all year-round!
It’s hard to believe Easter is just around the corner! Children are no doubt counting down the days until the Easter bunny arrives, so now’s a great time for early learning centres to engage in fun and educational activities. From Easter egg hunts to Easter-themed crafts, there are so many ways to bring the spirit of Easter into the classroom. Here are a few ideas to make this Easter season a memorable one for the children in your centre.
Is your centre looking a bit tired? It might be time to refresh your early learning centre. So how do you manage this with minimal disruption, little time, and a budget? Turn your worn-out environment into a vibrant and nurturing space for your little ones.
We have created a guide for refreshing and refurbing your early learning centre.
The holiday season is a magical time of year, especially for young children. Early learning centres have a unique opportunity to create festive experiences that inspire creativity, promote learning, and bring joy to little ones. With Christmas just around the corner, the focus can shift to incorporating some festive fun learning experiences into your daily activities.
We’ve put together a list of engaging, festive Christmas activities that will educate, and entertain the children in your early learning centre.
Starting kindergarten can be an exciting but nervous time for children. Whilst it is a time of much anticipation, they don’t really know what to expect.
As school approaches for children in your early learning centre, consider ways in which you can engage them in positive experiences to support their transition to school. Here are 5 engaging experiences and ideas to support children in their journey to ‘Big’ School.
Children’s Week is a national celebration of children’s rights, talents and citizenship. The Children’s Week National Theme for 2023 is based on UNCRC Article 31: Children have the right to relax, play and to join in a wide range of leisure activities.
In this blog, we will explore the essence of Children’s Week and offer some ideas for activities that will create more opportunities to play.
It’s finally that time of year. The sun is shining, the air is warmer, and the days are longer and brighter. Spring is the perfect time to start spending more time outside exploring with your little learners. Are you looking to refresh and restock your outdoor resources?
Play provocations are a powerful tool for igniting curiosity and increasing engagement in young children. A provocation refers to intentionally setting up an environment or providing materials that inspire children to explore, investigate, and create. These set-ups not only enhance play experiences, but also play a crucial role in fostering critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity.
Nicky McCarthy – Queanbeyan and District Preschool Association
Nicky has worked in the Early Learning industry for more than 25 years in a variety of roles from Educator through to Centre Director, Area Manager, Advisory & Development Coordinator, Program Manager and Quality Advisor. Currently, Nicky is the Managing Director of a group of community-based Preschools in NSW. In this role, she has recently project managed the construction, fitout and opening of a new community Preschool for her organisation and it is through this process that she partnered with Step4 for the fitout of the new Preschool.
After spending part of her teenage years living in a remote part of the Kimberley in Western Australia, Nicky’s appreciation for the indigenous history of Australia began. Through her career, she has worked with and assisted Educators and Directors in their journey of understanding this important aspect of learning and history and how to ensure that their approach is collaborative, respectful and appropriate.
Nicky has recently completed a Graduate Certificate in Indigenous Education as a specialisation subject for an ongoing Masters of Education. The extension of her own understanding of Indigenous perspectives was something that she wanted to support and this has assisted her in identifying ways that she can further support Educators across all levels and experience in reflecting on and extending their own knowledge.
Prue Gardner
Prue commenced her career as an early childhood educator before progressing to a centre Directors role. She later became an Area Manager supporting children, services and families throughout Sydney..
Prue has been working with STEP4 for almost 4 years now supporting services with their ongoing needs and requirements for resources, furniture and equipment as well as contributing her industry knowledge and design concepts to new centre startups. She loves the creative process of working with service owners, managers and educators to enable their vision come to life and create engaging and bespoke learning environments where children’s curiosity and engagement can be fostered. She loves sharing her passion and ideas and working collaboratively with industry leaders, educators and owners.
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