Early Years Activities for Global Be Well Day

2. Acknowledgements With sincere and grateful thanks to Rachael Symes, Head of Early Years, Australian International School, Singapore,  for putting together all the Early Years slides for Global Be Well Day.

3. Intent • The intent of the following slides, is for the suggested activities and the ‘why’ behind offering Early Years children these experiences, to be used as a resource for Cognita Early Years Educators. • The ‘why’ is to help keep our parent body informed of the benefits of having a holistic and balanced educational approach to ensure the ongoing and long term benefits of mental and physical well-being. Research shows that the single most important factor in education is the Early Childhood Educator. “The Early Childhood Educator is the secret to the prosperity of society. The opportunity that the educator has to lay the trajectory to a child’s pathway is huge.” Dr Stuart Shanker

4. The 100 Languages - (Reggio inspired approach) Imagine believing that children have the ability to express themselves in more than one way. Now times that by 100! Loris Malaguzzi, founder of the Reggio Approach, describes the "infinite ways that children can express, explore, and connect their thoughts, feelings and imaginings." These languages (the Hundred Languages of Children) are symbolic and are open to the endless potentials in children. They believe in the potential of a child's ability to wonder. It is the belief that there are "multiple ways of seeing and multiple ways of being."

5. GBWD linked to Unit of Inquiry: How We Express Ourselves Transdisciplinary Theme An inquiry into the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetics. Central ideas for our programs for 3 and 4 year old children • Creatively using tools and materials helps people to express their ideas and feelings • Exploring and using a variety of materials to be creative (honouring the 100 languages of children)

7. Alternative to screen time: Mud play • “Outdoorplay is among the greatest gifts we can give out to children; and healthy, adventurous and curious children are among the greatest gifts we can give our community.” • Activity: providing the learners with sticks/ stones/ mud/ water/ buckets/ flowers and leaves to explore nature

8. Alternative to screen time: Mud play Since the dawn of time children have been drawn to mud puddles and dirt as a part of their play. Mixing soil, water, and other natural materials like pebbles, leaves, or grass provides children endless possibilities for learning and fun. Many of us have fond memories of creating mud pies, digging for worms, or making streams and valleys in the mud. But it’s not just about fun. Children benefit from messy, muddy play. Scientists have now confirmed something that children have always instinctively known; playing in mud is a joyful experience. Recent research has shown that dirt contains microscopic bacteria called Mycobacterium Vaccae which stimulates the immune system and increases the levels of serotonin in our brains, an endorphin that soothes, calms, and helps us to relax. Scientists say regular exposure to the bacteria may help reduce a child’s vulnerability to depression. In short, playing in mud makes you happier!

9. Alternative to screen time: Two wheel fun Activity: Setting up a bike and scooter track in the play area. An addition would be to setup an obstacle track. • Encouraging the learners to cycle with their friends.

10. Alternative to screen time: Story baskets and props Activity: Story stones/ books/ hand puppets/ finger puppets/ fabric/ hats/ feathers/ sticky tape/ cardboard/ small books/ pencils/ ipads to record their voices. • Creating a corner, where the children could turn into the characters from their imagination. Encouraging the learners to create their own stories and providing them with the opportunity to be, authors/ actors and directors.

11. Alternative to screen time: Light and shadows Activity: Projector/ loose parts/ shadow puppets/ blocks/ wooden animals/ branches/ prisms/ white cloth/ springs/ feathers/ cardboard/ CD disks • Set up the projector and invite the learners to investigate.

12. Alternative to screen time: Messy play Activity: Sand / water / spades / buckets / troughs / stones / shells. • Messy play, involving water and sand would encourage the children to have a great sensory experience.

13. Early Childhood Australia - Statement on young children and digital technologies • A statement on young children and digital technologies can benefit the early childhood sector by providing an evidence base from which educators can make decisions regarding digital technologies that are relevant and sensitive to the digital contexts experienced by children and their families. A contextual approach rather than a one-size-fits-all, recognises that educators are skilled at working in partnership with children and families in the best interests of the child. • This statement therefore provides an overview of existing research about young children and digital technologies in four known areas of importance in early childhood education. These are: • Relationships • Health and Wellbeing • Citizenship • Play and pedagogy The following slides on the above areas are taken directly from the resource below:http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/our-work/submissions-statements/eca-statement-young-children-digital-technologies/

14. 1. Relationships - Principle: Young children’s relationships with adults and peers matter in digital contexts Practice advice: 1. Use digital technologies in early childhood education and care settings to promote social interactions between children, peers and adults. 2. Support children in turn-taking and learning to share when using digital technologies in collaboration with others. 3. Foster children’s peer-to-peer interactions as opportunities for co-learning about and with digital technologies. 4. Model self-regulated digital technology use with children and families that recognises the importance of sustained social interactions between children and adults. 5. Create shared understandings between families, educators and services about digital technology use, by adults, in front of children.

15. 2. Health and Wellbeing -Principle: Young children’s health and wellbeing is actively supported in digital contexts Practice advice: 1. Provide digital technology experiences for young children that promote movement opportunities. 2. Ensure children participate in both digital and non-digital activities to build strength and skills in their hands and fingers. 3. Ensure that screen-based digital technology use while sitting is only for short periods and does not replace periods of active physical movement. 4. Promote postural awareness and change by providing a variety of spaces and heights for children to use digital technologies. 5. Minimise screen glare and reflection and promote regular breaks with a variety of visual distances when using screen-based technologies. 6. Support families to understand that exposure to disturbing or arousing content and screens in the hour before sleep time decreases the length and quality of children’s sleep. 7. Promote screen-free sleeping areas and the use of non-screen-based calming activities with children before nap times and evening bedtimes. 8. Help children develop self-regulation for using digital technologies and support them to transition from digital to non-digital activities. 9. Establish routines and structures that promote access to a variety of digital and non-digital activities in the early childhood education and care setting.

16. 3. Citizenship - Principle: Young children’s citizenship is upheld and fostered in digital contexts Practice advice: 1. Participate in professional learning opportunities to build educator understanding about young children’s digital rights and how these relate to young children’s socioeconomic, geographic, gender and culturally based experiences in digital contexts. 2. Seek permission from children and families to use digital documentation, including photographs of children via social media and/or other digital documentation platforms. 3. Develop policies and guidelines about the collection, use, retention and deletion of digital data held about young children and families. 4. Ensure proactive adult supervision of young children’s online activities, including the use of filters and restrictions on devices and networks in the early childhood education and care setting. 5. Maintain conversations with young children about their online experiences, both positive and negative, to ensure they are supported by adults in their online engagements. 6. Help children develop an understanding of the internet as a network that people use to generate, store, retrieve and share information. 7. Model internet use with children for learning purposes and provide opportunities for assessing the quality and relevance of information. 8. Direct families towards government and/or not-for-profit organisations for advice on the selection of digital media, content, apps and games that are appropriate for use by young children.

17. 4. Play and Pedagogy - Principle: Play and pedagogy promotes young children’s exploration, social interaction, collaboration and learning in digital contexts Practice advice: • Provide opportunities for children to explore and experiment with the functions of a diverse range of digital technologies alongside adult modelling and instruction in digital technology use. • Promote play involving children in digital technology use with digital and non-digital tools and materials to build knowledge about the use of technologies for communication, collaboration and information sharing. • Seek young children’s perspectives regarding the role and use of digital technologies in their own lives, play and learning. • Model active decision making regarding digital technology use with, by and for young children that provides a balance of digital and non-digital experiences and activities in early childhood education and care settings.