We utilise the Play-Based Curriculum as we believe young children have the right to play. Play is the child’s way of experiencing and learning more about the world around them. Through the act of playing, children learn about language and literacy, mathematical, engineering and scientific concepts and develop the skills of collaboration, negotiation and
communication. The Play-Based curriculum incorporates a variety of activities and learning approaches and is very much child-led focusing on the children’s existing and developing interests. The educators in the room facilitate and support the children’s play and tease out and extend the leaning that arises through play. The indoor play and learning environment comprises of the following areas:
- Imaginative Play Corner – here through the educators and children workingcollaboratively, this area can become a shop, restaurant, space station, hospital. Children will explore roles, relationships and develop their thinking, language and numeracy skills.
- Construction Area/Loose Part Play: here children build with blocks, Lego, linking logs, natural materials and learn to design, construct and record their ideas.
- Messy Play Area – the children play with materials such as water, sand, play dough, rice, compost and in so doing explore science concepts such as volume, capacity and consistency.
- Creative Area – this area allows children to express their thoughts, ideas, feelings through the use of materials such as paint, paper, glue, clay and colouring and cutting implements.
- Small World Area – here the children play with trains, figures, animals. The purpose here is to develop skills such as negotiation, turn taking, communication and design.
The daily routine is also structured and allows for free play both indoors and outdoors, small group time where educators expand on the children’s emerging interests that arose in play, large group time (stories, songs, rhymes, games), music and movement play both indoors and
outdoors (rhythm sticks, bean bags, musical instruments), big movement play outdoors (climbing, jumping, obstacle courses) and transition and snack times which allow children to hone their independence, social interaction and cooperation skills.