This week had been really exiting. We welcomed back most of our friends that we were missing so much during the past weeks. The centre is now almost as full as at the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis and as the old idiom says, the more the merrier. The children were extremely happy to see their friends and we can finally go slowly back to the laughter and joy from before. 

SPOILER ALERT: If you are a mum, don’t go forward until Sunday!

We would also like to provide you with more information about the CCS: 

If you are eligible to receive payments from Centrelink, such as Child Care Subsidy (CCS) and Family Tax Benefit (FTB), you may be asked to provide your family income estimate for the 2020-21 financial year. You need to do this even though you aren’t currently paying child care fees. This is because Centrelink will use this estimate to work out how much CCS and FTB you will get next financial year. There’s more information about updating your family income estimate for the 2020-21 financial year on the Services Australia website.

Preschoolers

Friday 1^st May: Volcano obstacle walk!

Today we repeated the Volcano Obstacle Walk but this time, we did it outside! We set up some tricky tracks in the sandpit and started our walk.  What we did not know was that our educators had been cheeky and had scattered around some baking soda so at the moment we were on the walk they pour out some vinegar and the whole floor started bubbling out like a real volcano! This experience provided us with tools to understand a little bit how chemical reactions are made while we practiced our gross motor skills and balance.

Monday 4^th May: Flora in times of dinosaurs!

This week started with an initiation on prehistoric flora. We had a look at how the plants were and which ones are still here nowadays. We saw that, like the dinosaurs, the plants were huge so they could feed the biggest animals the Earth has seen. Learning about plants increase our knowledge about the world and improves our environmental awareness.

Tuesday 5^th May: Archaeologist for a day

On Tuesday we became archaeologist and learned what fossils are. Some of us had a pretty good idea about them. Others were really surprised by the fact we can still find bones, shells, exoskeletons or stone imprints from the age of the dinosaurs that give us information about past periods. To implement our new knowledge, we did a fossil hunt in the sandpit and we dug out some dinosaurs. Later on, we used those dinosaurs to create amazing artwork by stamping their footprints on paper using paint.

Wednesday 6^th May & Thursday 7^th May: Preparing special gifts

 Mother’s Day is coming soon and we don’t want any mum to miss out on having presents for their day that show them how much we love them.  Through different stories we’ve talked about what makes a truly mum. They are the best people in the world to cuddle, they give us support and guidance and nowhere is safer than in mothers’ arms.  During two days, we worked really hard to get everything ready for them. We used lots of our fine motor skills to produce different items to surprise our mums on Sunday morning – if we can wait until then -. We worked on our hand dexterity molding clay to mix the colors and after it pressing a leaf on it to print the veins and midrib. We also practice how to write mum stamping letters into a heart that even it’s made with a mixture of flour, it’s not eatable. And we let our artistic side express when coloring a frame for a picture with our mum. 

Toddlers

Monday 4 ^th April:Making cars!

Collecting children interests and needs, we decided to make a gift for mothers and what better to make a jewelry plate! Today we made the card for mothers with each child’s creativity and open-ended resources. Letting them to express what they feel when we talk about mum, we read a book called “I love my mummy” and asked them simple questions. Children felt safe, secure and protected when we talk about their parents, finding their sense of belonging.

tuesday 5^th May: Finishing touches on our gifts!

Keeping working on mother’s gift, today we made all the process of the jewelry plate. We cut the clay´s hands last week so today it was completely dry. The children use their creativity decorating and painting it as they want, providing plenty of colors and glitter. Working with clay is considered sensory experiences, where children can experience different types of textures, smells, color, etc. This help to learn about the world, be aware of danger (ex: rojo means stop) and more. What better to make it for mummy!

Wednesday 6^th May: Painting plates!

As second gift for Mother’s Day, we made a beautiful art on plates to decorate. When we talked about feelings, the drawings are the best way to express them, communicating what we want to say, especially those toddlers who are not able to communicate verbally with others. Providing many of open-ended resources, children drew what they want for their mums, drawing the members of their families.

Thursday 7^th May: We are chefs!

 Cooking experiences makes children be more engaged in activities, develop their sense of touch, smell. This type of activities also helps them to create independence and be self- autonomy. Today we made cookies for Mother’s Day following a series of instructions that helps children to develop their problem solving and cognitive skills. To make this activity related to this important event, we provided different glass cream, where they recreated mummy’s clothes and decorated as they wanted.

babies

This week we’ve been working on the routines again. The babies after spending some weeks at home need to get back on track with the routines of the centre to be able to settle down easily.  They’ve been experimenting with different materials like clay and  paint and they practice their fine motor skills and sensory skills. They’ve also been preparing present for one of the most important person in their lives: MUM. They made nice clay print, our babies had fun placing their little hands on the clay, kneading it and then making a print to show their love for their mums.