Children’s Week is an annual event in Australia, which celebrates the right of children to enjoy childhood. It is also a time for children to demonstrate their talents, skills and abilities!

As early childhood education providers, Grow Early Education is privileged to partner every day with families to celebrate and support children.  It is also our responsibility to provide a safe, loving, and stimulating environment where children can thrive emotionally, socially, and intellectually.

The Children’s Week National Theme for 2023 is based on UNCRC Article 31:

All Children have the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.

We love this year’s theme, because at Grow Early Education we embrace the Early Years Learning Framework’s definition of play based learning and intentionality! Children learn through play, and through spontaneous and planned learning experiences and interactions. With this in mind, we have designed large inspiring play spaces that allow children to learn through exploratory play.

Our inspiring learning environments are set up with a variety of indoor and outdoor learning spaces. Children are encouraged to move freely between the two environments to explore their individual interests. We provide active and quiet spaces, and areas for messy, wet, and creative play.

Extra-Curricular Activities to Enhance Learning

At Grow Early Education, we also maximise the learning opportunities available to children by providing a variety of extra-curricular activities (all included in our daily fee).  This extends on children’s interests and enhances their learning experience.

These specialised learning programs include; Yoga, cooking classes, language programs, community gardening, sports programs and science and technology experiences delivered through our state-of-the-art interactive whiteboards and individual computer stations.

Our Approach to Rest & Sleep Times

One of the many ways we support the children in our care is to promote regular routine and ensure they are well rested. Rest time is an essential part of the day’s program and we comply with National Legislations and ACECQA (The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority) recommendations.

At Grow Early Education, we adopt a flexible approach to sleep and rest at our centres, which is individualised to each child’s needs.  We partner with the families to learn and follow their at home schedules, in addition to watching each child for verbal and non-verbal cues to assess their individual needs.

Each classroom creates a relaxing and peaceful environment by playing soft music, turning off the lights, and allowing children to have their own personal cuddle toy or comforter from home whilst resting. Each classroom has been designed to ensure adequate ventilation, and that the temperature, lighting and ambience of the sleep room or area encourages sleep and rest. Depending on the age and developmental stage of the child, we offer cots or beds during sleep and rest times. We also provide bed linen as part of our daily fee, which is a huge convenience for our families!

Older children who do not wish to sleep, are provided with opportunities for play so they are engaged in restful and quiet activities.  This ranges from relaxing in bed, to yoga and reading books in our quiet reading nooks.

We are pleased to say that Grow Early Education is compliant with the new sleep and rest legislative requirements from ACECQA that commenced from 1 October, 2023.  This includes having conducted a risk assessment of our centres in relation to sleep and rest for the purpose of preparing sleep and rest policies and procedures (regulation 84C).

Child Safety is Our Priority

Grow Early Education is committed to providing safe, clean and welcoming environments for all families. Our centres are accessed only through a single entry with key pad technology and our sign in and out kiosks provide families with a secure and convenient drop off and pick up system.

Our Educators at Grow Early Education all hold a current working with children check and relevant Early Childhood qualifications including first aid, asthma and anaphylaxis training. Regular audits of our safety systems, staffing and play environments are conducted to ensure the highest protection of your children.

Cultural Experiences

We are deeply committed to embracing the cultures and heritages of our families, Educators and local communities and celebrate the rich diversity that this brings to our early learning curriculum.

Each of our Grow centres strive to create an Educational Program that truly reflects the lives of children, families, staff and the wider community. Educators will have an open, caring attitude to diversity and inclusion within the centre. Cultural sameness and diversity is celebrated!

Our Educational Programs include the provision of a range of multicultural activities, books, toys and games for all children at our centres. This creates an opportunity for Educators to raise awareness and positively affirm differences on an ongoing basis with these multicultural resources.

At Grow Early Education, we celebrate diverse festivities to educate ourselves and the children on different cultural celebrations. Some examples include Diwali, Chinese New Year and NAIDOC week. Educators will program activities around these special days as one approach to raising cultural awareness, which creates opportunities for child-initiated exploration, extending conversations and creating teaching moments.

It is important to note, that our Educational Programs also reflect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. This is done through posters, books, play equipment, music, language, displays, celebrating NAIDOC Week, proudly displaying an acknowledgement of county in our centres and making connections with local Elders (to name a few).

If our approach to early education and care sounds like the right fit for you and your family, give our friendly team a call on 1300 934 769 and book a tour of your closest centre.  We are currently taking enquiries for 2024 enrolments!

If you would like to get involved in Children’s Week, there are a diverse range of events and activities organised at National, State and Local levels. These focus the attention of the wider community on children, their needs and achievements. You can find out how to get involved by visiting the Children’s Week Council of Australia’s website at www.childrens-week.org.au