Under Eights Week highlights strong community connections
Under Eights Week highlights strong community connections as schools and services came together to celebrate play.
Children use creativity and curiosity as tools to explore and learn about their world. So the first thing we do is provide an environment that encourages children to express themselves. We will support your child to share their interests and talents with us so we can nurture their development with programs and play spaces that capture their imagination.
Our educators will constantly create new play environments that reflect and build on your child’s current interests. Does your child have a special interest? Don’t forget to let us know when you take a tour so we can make sure we can develop opportunities which will spark your child’s creativity.
Hear how you can watch your child grow creatively at Catholic Early EdCare.
At Catholic Early EdCare we acknowledge the profound role the environment plays on our behaviour and how we learn. Research shows that our space becomes a third teacher when light colour, texture, sound and smell are used consciously in the design of a room. Rather than create colourful walls and spaces which can overstimulate, our intention is to establish a nurturing environment which allows your child’s mind and eyes space to rest and create.
Our environments set the tone for learning and assist in creating a warm, welcoming atmosphere where your child feels calm and connected.
When visiting our centres you will see neutrally coloured walls which leave space for our educators to purposefully feature the projects and creations your child is most proud of. We’ll also encourage them to show you what they have achieved.
While the school was being built the children at St Clare’s Kindergarten at Yarrabilba were surrounded by construction every day. It’s no surprise that they became very interested in what was taking place in their own backyard. Their teachers saw this as an opportunity to tap into the children’s natural curiosity and create a unique learning experience.
So they made regular visits to the construction site to watch the progress of the building and make observations about the changes taking place. Our teachers encouraged the children to imagine what the buildings and spaces were for and to predict what might happen next. The children drew what they saw as ‘mini construction plans’ and when they returned to the classroom they recreated their drawings using building blocks. The children loved having the opportunity to closely explore the construction and work on their own creations. Their finished pieces certainly made you pause to think about what our schools would be like if children had a say in the design!
Our natural play environments will inspire your child's creativity and curiosity, encouraging them to explore, create and construct something new every day.
In our mud kitchens your child will be able to perfect their 'mud cake' recipe.
In our vegetable patch they will be able to plant and watch strawberries and other fruits grow.
Whether it's a fairy garden, a construction site or a racing track, our natural play spaces allow children to create a new world every day.
At Emmaus College Kindergarten the children use recycled jars to mix paints and create their own colours. We love hearing the names they come up with. In 2018 ‘Wooden bookshelf brown’ was one of their favourites. Throughout the year the children add to their jars to make new colours and when one of their favourites runs out, they challenge themselves to re-create it by getting the mixture just right. We enjoy watching the colours evolve along with the children’s creative interests and their understanding of the mixing process and complementary colours.
The dramatic play space or 'home corner' is a favourite for many children, providing unique opportunities for them to create something new every day.
The children at St Mary's Long Day Care + Kindergarten recently created their own mechanics garage and brought in some of the diggers for a service.
While at Majella Long Day Care + Kindergarten the children have set up a market stall to sell fresh fruit and veggies to families.
At Star of the Sea Long Day Care + Kindergarten the children had been making ice creams in their sandpit and now have now created an ice cream stall in home corner to sell them.
For children in our nursery exploring their emerging creativity is also an opportunity to develop their fine motor skills. At Majella Long Day Care + Kindergarten the children love investigating the different textures and colours of the craft materials in the nursery. They especially enjoy playing with different types of card and paper, trying to tear it and creating collages by glueing pieces together. They love to explore different tools, learning to hold a pencil and make marks on paper or using paint brushes and glue sticks. Our educators are always on hand to provide guidance for children as they experience these things for the first time, encouraging their early attempts and sharing their delight in success.