Natural play strengthens children’s self-confidence and arouses their senses – their awareness of the world and all that moves in it, seen and unseen.

This is a quote from journalist Richard Louv who has written many books about the importance of children playing and connecting with nature.

At Kids on Beaufort, we couldn’t agree more!

As adults, we know there’s nothing better than being in nature. Surrounded by trees, listening to the sounds of the natural world around us, breathing in the fresh air and feeling the tranquility that comes from being away from the city and suburbia.

Imagine your children being able to feel this way every day!

Children today are unfortunately being raised in a created world filled with plastic and technology where almost everything is disposable. Nature playgrounds remind children that the world can offer so much more. It’s a reminder that they live in an environment where plants grow and leaves fall and water flows. Playing and learning in a natural environment will instil in a child a respect and love of nature that will grow and flourish for the rest of their lives.

Kids on Beaufort are so proud to open our very own Nature Playground!

We wanted to create a space that gives children the freedom to explore nature, and also to show them that the natural world can be a part of their everyday world. Children at Kids on Beaufort are encouraged to explore and learn through play, and our new nature playground offers so much! Logs to climb and balance on. Sand to dig in and build with. Rocks to sit on and plants to learn from. And all made from natural resources materials so we can escape from the plastic world!

Welcome to the Kids on Beaufort Nature Playground!

Our new nature playground is now officially open, and already the children are enjoying it every day. We have included sensory boards made from natural materials that will surely inspire young children even more. As long as they are making music and making noise – we know they are happy!

We would love parents to come and have a look at our Nature Playground – we’re pretty proud of it! Next time you drop off or pick up, take a minute to head to level 2 and check it out.

Coronavirus – it’s a word that most of us had never heard until just a few short months ago, yet now it’s everywhere on our news feed. It’s a word that’s brought fear into our world and made us all more than a little more cautious.

At Kids on Beaufort, we are taking Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) very seriously, and we want to reassure our parents and carers that we are on top of the latest information and are taking all necessary precautions.

Kids on Beaufort is acting on the latest information from Department of Health, and will continue to keep up to date with their advice.

The Facts on Coronavirus

• An outbreak of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was detected in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in late December 2019.
• Since the initial outbreak, Coronavirus has spread to almost 100 countries, including Australia.
• Coronavirus is a respiratory illness. Symptoms range from a mild cough to pneumonia and can include fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue and shortness of breath.
• Some people recover easily, others may get very sick very quickly.
• There is evidence that it spreads from person to person by the virus touching the skin and being transmitted into the body via nose, moth or eyes.
• Good hygiene can prevent infection.
• While recorded deaths from 2019-nCoV across the world is over 3,800 people; in WA there has been one death. The majority of deaths are people with existing medical conditions and poor health.

Advice from Health Department

At this stage, the Department of Health is advising that parents of children are asked not to send their children to day care or school only if the child has returned from mainland China or Hong Kong within 14 days, even if they don’t have symptoms.  Although the risk to children is very low, this is a precautionary approach to ensure the safest possible environment for children.

What can we do to help prevent the spread of Coronavirus?

At Kids on Beaufort, some steps we are focusing on:

• Teaching and encouraging children to wash their hands often with soap and water before and after eating, as well as after attending the toilet;
• Teaching children to cough and sneeze into their elbow;
• Encouraging children to avoid too much contact with each other – no hugging, or sharing pillows or blankets for example.
• Increasing hygiene within the centre – more cleaning of the rooms, bathrooms, sleeping areas etc.
• Reminding and ensuring staff are carrying out safe hygiene practises also.
• Regularly cleaning toys and play equipment.

While we are all hoping for a quick end to this nasty virus, the staff at Kids on Beaufort will continue to do our best to keep children safe. But we need your help! We encourage parents to discuss good hygiene with your children, and please do keep them at home if they are unwell.

Together, let’s keep life going as normal as possible for the children, and lets all keep healthy and happy!

If you’d like more information on the Corona virus, you can visit the WA Department of Health homepage at https://healthywa.wa.gov.au/ or  the WA Coronavirus Hotline on 1800 300 243.

If you’re a parent of a toddler or young child, these two words no doubt play a big part in your life: Chicken Nuggets!

What child doesn’t eat chicken nuggets? It’s your go-to food when your fussy eaters won’t eat anything else; they’re a fun treat for a birthday party. Chicken Nuggets are fun!

At Kids on Beaufort, our menu has everything BUT chicken nuggets! We want even our fussy eaters to experience a range of food that is healthy and nutritious, and offers exactly what growing bodies need.

Food is one of the most important things in life, and setting up good eating habits while children are young is a good thing. At Kids on Beaufort, our menus include hot meals, cold food, finger foods and plenty of fruit and vegetables.

We love to focus on colours in our food. The bright red of a strawberry or capsicum. Pretty pink watermelon. Yummy yellow bananas and little round blue berries. The green celery sticks that are fun to crunch!

We want kids to experience different textures and smells, temperatures of food, foods they eat with a spoon and food they eat with their hands. Foods from different cultures with different flavours that they might not get at home.

Kids love to play, and we like to include cooking or meal preparation as part of their activities where possible. And it doesn’t have to stop here! We encourage kids to help with cooking at home, and to keep eating their different coloured fruit and veggies!

Kids on Beaufort want all children to grow and thrive, so the food we offer must always be beneficial to their healthy growth. We pay extreme attention food allergies, and to general dislikes. We are pleased to offer a Halal menu and will cater for religious or cultural preferences.

Our new Autumn menu will be coming soon and we thank parents who have given their suggestions on meals for the cooler months.

If you want to know more about our menus or have any suggestions, we’d love to hear from you!

Summer-time is our favourite time of year. The days are longer and everyone is happy to be outdoors in the sunshine. And of course the most important thing about summer is playing in water!

We love water play! Water play is a sensory activity that combines learning with fun. Water play serves so many purposes – and not just to cool us down on hot days. Here’s a few reasons why your children will be splish-splashing with us this summer!

Develop Motor Skills

When playing with toys in a tub of water, children will increase their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination through actions like pouring, squirting, scrubbing, stirring and squeezing. Water play also introduces children to textures and temperatures.

Learn problem solving skills

Discovering the way water works will help teach children important skills. For example if they are watching a something heavy (such as a stick) sink in the water; or something lighter such as a leaf float, they will learn how and why things happen. This encourages imagination and develops creative thinking which plays an important role in problem-solving.

Increase language

Oh the stories children can learn, tell and make up as they play in water. Tales of boats and fish and pirates and mermaids. There’s so much adventure tied up in a tub of water; and your little one will love sharing and re-telling these stories when you pick them up at the end of the day!

Teach about science and mathematics

Through water play, children learn about measurements. We play games that teach them about the bucket being full, or half full, or empty. They observe motion and compare volumes. And all while getting refreshingly wet and having fun.

But the most important part of water play is that it’s fun! Water can be invigorating as they splash and make a mess, or can be calming and tranquil as they play quietly with toys or feel the water through their hands.

Kids On Beaufort have a great undercover area that we set up with water play activities that are safe and suitable for all ages. So when you send your kids to Kids on Beaufort this summer, maybe send along an extra set of clothes for your child. Because we’re gonna get wet!

The Festive Season is nearly upon us and many of us are winding down for the year. But parents – be warned: Before you know it, the new year will be upon us, and it’ll be “back to school” time!

And if you are a parent of a toddler, then no doubt you’ve heard about “3-year-old kindy”.

The West Australian school system allows children to begin formal schooling at a public or private school the year they turn either 4 or 5, depending upon which half of the year they were born in. Kindergarten is not compulsory, but is recommended for all children.

However, 3-year-old kindy is a program that is not offered at schools, but is run outside of schools such as at community centres and day care centres. 3-year-old kindy is optional of course, but is highly beneficial for a child’s education, and is a fun and exciting start to their school years!

3-year-old kindy is a structured play-based program that teaches children about themselves and their environment. Kids learn social and communication skills; and there is a big emphasis on social development and emotional regulation which helps to prepare children for attendance in 4-year-old programs the following year.

If your child already attends regular day-care, you may think they don’t need 3-year-old kindy as well. But there’s plenty of reasons why your child will thrive by attending 3-year-old kindy!

For a start, attending the program helps “break them in” to school routines and a school environment and allows them to adapt at their own pace.

The programs are designed especially for this age group. Children learn a variety of literacy and numeracy skills, including how to write their names, identification of simple numbers and shapes, recognition skills, such as identifying their school bags, and a range of communications skills, tools and tactics.

And of course the biggest factor: 3-year-old kindy is about having fun learning and making new friends!

If you would like to give your child the best possible start to their schooling, consider enrolling them into 3-year-old kindy in 2020.

Kids on Beaufort are taking enrolments now for the new school year, so get in touch with us today!

When you leave your child at day-care for the first time, it’s natural for there to be a little anxiety – and we are talking about parents here!

All the small anxieties are normal, and every parent goes through the same thing. Am I doing the right thing leaving my baby in the care of strangers? Is he too young to be away from me? Have I chosen the right centre for my child?

The last point is the most important, and once you have chosen the right centre with caring and supportive staff, you can feel reassured that you have done the right thing by your child.

In fact, children who are in regular day-care are actually better adjusted, smarter and more confident than those who aren’t.

Studies have shown that children thrive from regular scheduling and activities that day-care centres offer. They may be more advanced academically than other children from being in a structured early education environment from a younger age. They benefit from regular time with peers and they learn social skills in a nurturing environment. They also benefit from regular interaction from other adults, meaning when the time comes for them to go to school, they won’t be scared of their teacher as they have already developed these communication skills.

But the most important part of their day-care experience is that the children are all having FUN!

There’s nothing better than picking up your child at the end of the day and seeing the artwork they have created, or hearing the stories of what they have been up to, or seeing photos of how they have spent their day. They are learning through play and enjoying every moment of their day – which is exactly what all parents want for their children, no matter what age they are!

The team at Kids On Beaufort will always go out of their way to make sure children at our centre are having fun. If they are not, we will change things up. If they enjoy certain activities and are learning and growing through participation, we will keep doing those activities. And we love to get feedback from parents too on what their child enjoys doing!

Pop in and see us to find out more about our centre and all we have to offer for your child!