Little Ducks Childcare

Junior Kindy and Kindy children took part in the Bravehearts Incursion yesterday morning.

The content of the presentation was about feeling safe in our own bodies, knowing what feelings we might have when not feeling safe and to say ‘no’ when we need to.

The children took part in singing and dancing to some songs as well as meeting Ditto!

We had a great morning and the children all had the opportunity to give Ditto the Lion a high 5 at the end.

Educator spotlight ✨ Miss Kirsty is our educator in the nursery room and has been with Little Ducks for almost a year now. Miss Kirsty brings with her a passion for relationships and advocating for children’s voice. We love Miss Kirsty for her kindness, patience, care, love and attention she provides to our littlest members. You will always see Miss Kirsty giving the children a cuddle or sitting on the floor engaging with the children. Leave Kirsty your message of thanks and show your appreciation for our hard-working educators.

What does risky play entail and why is this important for children? Risky play is a thrilling, challenging activity - such as climbing, speeding, navigating heights or dangerous tools, or rough and tumble games - where children test their own limits and assess and manage the risks involved, offering crucial developmental benefits like resilience, physical development, problem solving, confidence and risk assessment skills. All of these are things you can implement at home, supporting children to reflect on adaptions and ways to manage their play to ensure their own safety and wellbeing. If you are after more information on how you can include this at home, please follow this link https://earlyimpactlearning.com/examples-of-risky-play-25-ideas/.

Small world play involves children using miniature props and figures to create, manipulate, and act out miniature scenes. It fosters cognitive development, emotional regulation, language skills, and social interaction by allowing children to, in a safe environment, process complex real-life scenarios, spark imaginative storytelling, and practice fine motor skills.

Supporting families to transition into the service and begin their journey into care is a collaborative partnership between our nursery educators, parents and the children. Our nursery children have been exploring role play with babies and ways in which they can show care and interact with children smaller than they are. This supports spatial awareness, imagination, social development and boosts their sense of agency while enabling new families to grow confidence that safety and relationships are embedded into daily curriculum.

Educator spotlight - Miss Tiahna is the lead educator in our toddler room and has been with Little Ducks for almost a year now. Miss Tiahna brings with her a wealth of knowledge and passion in providing high quality care for the children. We love Miss Tiahna for her kindness, patience and always striving to learn more about her role and the ways in which she can support those around her. Please leave Tiahna a message of thanks and show your appreciation for our educators.

Educators use theory to guide practice and support the development of children. One of those theories surrounds attachment theory created by John Bowlby. The theory bases that the bond created between educator and child shapes future relationships and emotional regulation for children. Secure attachments are formed when educators are responsive and sensitive to children’s cues and voices and are consistently available. A responsive educator provides a secure base from which children can explore their world and return in comfort. This theory underpins all our practices here at Little Ducks Childcare, with the importance of this beginning in our nursery.

Children’s voice forms a vital part of our curriculum and sense of belonging here at Little Ducks Childcare Birkdale. Talking respectfully with children and having conversations where children’s ideas and thoughts are genuinely sought and valued, is the key to engaging children in decision-making processes. This is achieved through allowing children to make decisions, plan for and help set up various environments and activities, which builds and develops their sense of agency and autonomy. Recently our junior kindy space has been supporting children to plan for their outdoor learning. It is lovely to see the complexity in their planning increase as the weeks go on and the variety of experiences they are choosing.

In Kindergarten, part of our curriculum focusses on school readiness and the skills needed to support children’s development for this next step in their learning. Fine motor development is an essential skill in developing grasping, dexterity and coordination. This aids in many life skills like self feeding, learning to hold a pencil, writing and drawing, self help and builds confidence and self esteem.

Reflecting back on our wonderful end of year celebration that we shared with our children, families and educators. A beautiful afternoon spent connecting and celebrating the year that we have shared.