What an exciting month of March we’ve had at Eastwood. Our children were surprised with the spontaneous and delightful opportunity to create their very own stuffed toy. With choices ranging from the Heart Bear to Bennie the Tiger and Pinky the Pig with a beautiful assortment of outfits and a sparkling wish, this was a very special treat for all our little ones. This was an excellent opportunity for our families to partake in this activity with the children, as the EYLF suggests, ‘Children thrive when families and educators work together in partnership to support young children’s learning.’ This was evident in the significant amount of families that took part in this fun-loving experience.
Our children had the opportunity to watch and take part in stuffing their chosen animal. More than once we ‘accidently’ let soft fluff fly as we watched eyes pop wide open and hands fly into the air as little balls of fluff rained down like snow. A special star was given to each child, who in turn ‘made a wish upon a star’ this involved turning in a circle and hopping three times as it was placed into their very own toy’s heart. Along with their new furry friend, they were given an individual birth certificate and a t-shirt to take home and keep. This allowed some of our pre-school children to take it upon themselves to rename their new friend. In doing so our children were given the opportunity to have a sense of ownership and belonging to their care environment through this experience. The EYLF states that, ‘When children have positive experiences they develop and understanding of themselves as significant and respected, and feel a sense of belonging.’
We ended the day with a lovely picnic outside under the shade in the glorious sun, where we had a lovely school of new animal friends join us in our feast of afternoon tea. ‘Create Your Bear’ provided our families, children and staff with the opportunity to connect, communicate and create. It was an enlightening experience which provided an opportunity to partner with families. As the EYLF eloquently writes, ‘Children are more likely to be confident and involved learners when their family and community experiences and understandings are recognized and included in the early childhood setting. This assists them to make connections and make sense of new experiences.’
