Early Years

This video looks at some tips and ideas to intentionally create a playgroup space that builds opportunities particularly for social and emotional development.

Understanding how the brain “wires up” through experience and playful interaction is critical to helping adults understand the link between play, child/adult interaction, brain development and learning.

In playgroups, the repetition of a specified language focus across all the play setups of the day can assist adults to use more words, more spontaneously, to build back and forth conversations with their children.

This video looks at developing “play complexity” using props to promote storytelling.

Gaining a child’s agreement to play creates the platform from which all future successful social interaction & co-operation can grow. The OWME is one simple strategy that helps adults to gain this co-operation and to engage in the back & forth of social interaction that we know is a core skill for all of us.

7 year old Molly Wright highlights the benefits of play on lifelong learning, behaviour and well-being, sharing effective strategies to help all kids thrive by the age of five. 

All babies give cues to how they’re feeling and what they need from you. Eventually, you’ll get to know your baby’s individual cues and what they tell you about your baby’s feelings.

Created by raisingchildren.net.au, this video shows parents using positive strategies like praise to encourage the behaviour they want.

In this video, play specialist Catherine Sewell talks about letting children lead play. Children have their own ideas about how to play, and child-led play lets them explore these play ideas.

This how-to video by the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University breaks down ‘serve and return’ into five simple steps and features adults and young children doing each step together.

In this video created by UNICEF, learn how to boost your baby's brain from a Harvard Professor.

This video by Vroom explains five steps to help build your child’s brain. 

These two downloadable craft activities are great for developing hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills and concentration.

This printable guide gives simple visual instructions for breathing exercises, calming yoga poses and partner yoga poses.

Resources designed to promote literacy skills in early childhood.

Join hub leader Debbie as she reads the story ‘We’re going on a bear hunt!’

This webinar discusses strategies to support your child’s transition back to school.

Talking Matters Speech Pathology have put together a selection of activities and ideas that are simple, in-expensive and easy for families to do at home

Mt Druitt Ethnic Communities Agency (MECA) has put together a pack full of resources and activities to help keep kids busy during school holidays.

Creative Alliance have put together a list of activities, events, downloadable resources to keep young creators engaged.

This printable document from Big Life Journal contains tips, tricks and advice to help you return to school, continue learning from home or somewhere between the two.

It’s time to sing and dance to one our favourite playgroup songs! 

Join trusted Child Psychiatrist, parenting expert and mother of three, Dr Kaylene Henderson as she shares her tips on how to tackle your child’s separation anxiety so that your child can soon feel safe and settled.

CWA has put together a fantastic site, with content across six areas of interest: Cookery, Craft, Children and Young People, Gardening, Wellbeing, and Communication. 

Join Sharon for a story about the Stubborn Monkey in Bahassa.

Sharon shares a story with us about the Tamil Emperor Rajaraja Chola.

Sing along to ‘The Pony Song’ with one of our fantastic hub leaders.

Sing along to ‘The Seven Steps’ with one of our fantastic hub leaders.

Check out this incredible kinder-on-a-page created for the step into kinder program at Dandenong Primary School.

This is an online storybook about the way the world stopped due to covid, and how we can influence what happens after it. 

Berala Bibs and Bangles supports newly arrived families with preschool children living in Berala to create bilingual digital resources through a process of creative engagement. 

Join hub leader Debbie for storytime as she reads ‘Guess who says Moo’.

A web resource to search for books with a specific focus.

Join hub leader Debbie to sing ‘Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” with the help of a special friend!

Join hub leader Debbie to sing one of their favourite playgroup songs with the help of a special friend!

Join Mimi for games, singing, arts and crafts in her beautiful garden.

Sing along to Incy Wincy Spider in English and Arabic

Here’s how to making reading aloud to your children one of the greatest things you can do for them

Join one of our hub leaders Debbie as she reads the story ‘One mole digging a hole’

Bertrand the friendly Boredom Monster sleeps in the walls at Charli’s house, and due to coronavirus, is making everyone in the house bored!

One of our fantastic hub leaders Debbie has created a video of a favourite playgroup song, perfect to sing and dance along to!

This pack contains info on why learning through play is so important for early development, and includes activities to do at home.

Got water and a bit of dirt? Then, Lukas Ritson says, you’ve got an excellent opportunity for your kids to learn through play.

Sing a song with one of our hub leaders Debbie to acknowledge Australia’s people.

Dandenong Primary School’s community hub has filmed a storytime video, with Jaihoona reading ‘What noise does a Giraffe make?” in English and Dari.

Join one of our wonderful hub leaders Sarah for some music and singing. 

30 days of nature adventures, for kids to learn all about the Earth and our impact on it. 

‘Little Bluebirds’ is a collection of creative ideas for you to share with your growing little bluebird. The blog posts are brought to you by members of the Bluebird Foundation early childhood team.

This site contains free resources including printable colouring sheets, and beautiful craft videos

A fun wreath making activity using leaves and paper!

A fun list of things your kids can do with toilet paper rolls that will get them thinking creatively and keep them busy.

These activities for kids will hold their attention and satisfy their curiosity

Australian Government’s Learning Potential has activities and resources for children of all ages. 

The Royal Botanic Gardens in Victoria have developed a range of Digital Garden Experiences based upon their most popular learning programs and designed for learning at home.  

Four year olds are preparing for school and their play is becoming more about setting the direction of play in a certain way i.e. with rules; playing more closely with their peers and their imagination continues to develop.

Storynory is a website full of free audio stories. They want their audio stories to showcase imagination, good writing, and great narrations. 

This site has a useful list of where to find online storytime sessions, read by the authors or illustrators themselves!

Art for Kids Hub has fun, easy-to-follow art videos to bring out the Picasso in anyone!