Educate

As our little ones develop, they have rapid periods of growth at different ages where key skills are established. Your child’s early childhood years are critical to their growth and development and set them up with good foundation skills to support them in their friendships, learning, communication, problem solving, physical abilities and emotional wellbeing. One key area of development is communication. Here are a few critical skills that you will see: Birth-12 months:– Understands around 10 words, responds to their name, recognises familiar people and objects– Start babbling around 6 months, and learn a few words, copy sounds and noises (e.g. animal sounds)– Enjoys early turn taking games (peek-a-boo), smiles and squeals in response to others 1-2 years:– Will follow simple commands (e.g. put it in the bin), understands up to 50 words, and shows interest in playing and interacting with others– Closer to 2 years, children will point to many body parts and pictured items that are named, follow instructions with 2 parts, and use toys for their purpose (e.g. brush doll’s hair)– Will say at least 50 words as they approach 2yrs and begin 2-word combinations 2-3 years:– Children understand more questions by now (“what” “where” “who”)– Developing knowledge of basic adjectives such as colour and size, and can identify objects that go together.– Noticing feelings in others and themselves– Sentences are up to 5 words long, and a variety of words are used (action, naming, location, describing words)You should be hearing established sounds such as m, n, b, p, h, k, g, w, t, d, and newer ones such as s, f, ng in their words 3-4 years:– Understands most ‘wh’ questions (what, who, where, when), can answer most questions about their day, and will share, take turns and play cooperatively– Uses joining words, asks lots of questions, uses pronouns (e.g. he/she, me/you) and negatives (e.g.‘don’t/can’t)– Some sounds are a little difficult still including s, sh, ch, j, th, z, l, r 4-5 years:– Can follow 3 part instructions (e.g. get your hat, take an apple, wait at the door), and can understand them while doing another task– Starts to recognise some letters, sounds, numbers– Sentences are formed well, stories are simple but have a beginning, middle and end, and most speech sounds are accurate– Plays cooperatively with their peers, and uses imaginary play Red Flags:– Early signs that may indicate that it’s worth looking into support and guidance from a friendly speech pathologist include:*Children are not achieving their milestones*None or limited facial expression, interaction, sharing enjoyment, eye contact from 9 months onwards*Prefers to line toys up or throw/bang toys rather than playing with them how they are intended to be played with (from 2 years)*No clear words by 18months, and not putting words together at 2 years*Speech is difficult to understand at 3 and 4 years*Poor interaction/unwillingness to interact with others*Lack of response to sounds and visual information **There may be times that you are not quite sure how your child is tracking, it is always helpful to seek advice and support if ever you are unsure. The SPOT Speech Language Pathologistsare always happy to discuss your concerns and answer questions, feel free to contact us today! Bio: Lauren Jones Originally from the USA, Lauren initially found her passion for working with children while spending holidays working at one of American’s premier summer camps. Lauren completed her studies in the USA before moving to South Australia with her partner. In 2018, Lauren and fellow SLP Director Eilis Melino opened the doors to SPOT Paediatrics with the aim of bringing a holistic therapy approach to families in the greater Adelaide area. “We offer speech therapy, occupational therapy, and social programs for children of all ages. We are excited to be bringing two more team members on this year, and we will be moving to a larger facility come July in order to better serve our families!” Sources: Adapted from Speech Pathology Australia and The American Speech Language and Hearing Association Developmental Milestones SPOT Paediatrics 

If you’ve ever been to a Wild Imagination event you’ll know that you will find all kids of nature play activities specifically designed to let any kiddo’s mind run wild and free. Wild Imagination is a wonderful alternative to vacation care in the school holidays where little ones laugh, splash, crawl and climb through mud play, nature crafts, potion making and cubby building. All of the activities utilise ingredients from the natural world around us such as flowers, sticks, herbs, spices, leaves, wood and anything Brooke Davis can come up with. Brooke is the imagination behind it all who believes that kids need more green time and less screen time. To help this idea come alive she has recently launched a crowd funding campaign for her nature play activity book for kids ‘Your Wild Imagination’. From 3+ years old the book is for anyone big or small who wishes to be inspired. It includes over 20 nature play activities that can be transformed by your own unique creativity. We spoke to Brooke Davis about her new book and what inspires her: What inspires you? I am constantly in awe of the inquisitive disposition of children and their innate connection to nature. My two cheeky and adventurous children show me every day how to be playful (although some days I wish they would play more like superb fairy wrens and less like baboons!) I am fortunate enough to live in the Adelaide Hills with a beautiful garden, which is where the images for the book were photographed. The ever-changing trees and diverse bird life provide me with so much joy and it urges me to encourage others to spend time in nature. Have you always wanted to do a printed book? Writing a book was actually something that came to me in a dream early last year – yes, I know that sounds a bit woo woo! The dream was so vivid that when I woke up I decided that ‘sometime’ in my future I would write a book. Initially I thought it would be a decade in the making, but in November last year I went on a magnificent trek in Nepal and while technology-free (as well as husband- and kid-free!) for 12 days I found myself drawn to writing and planning the book. I hope this adventure leads to many more books because I have planned them all in that travel journal! What was your first nature play memory? I spent my early childhood living in Darwin and I remember being outside pretty much all the time. My sister and I would bring our dolls outside and make cubbies for them, and play imaginative games while climbing trees. I remember listening to the deafening sound of the cicadas and collecting their skins – it was like a mini treasure hunt finding them all over the backyard. I would follow the green ant trails to their intricately weaved nest and eat their tasty bottoms whilst trying not to get bitten. What has been the most exciting thing about the crowd funding journey?  Planning and photographing the book was a lot of fun! But it has been seeing the reaction of those who have only just discovered Wild Imagination become so passionate about the book. I have loved seeing people from all over the world pledge to buy the book; it gives me hope that the next generation of leaders will have a strong connection to nature and will work to protect the environment. Playing in and with nature is the first step to developing an environmental conscience, because we won’t care for something if we don’t connect with it. What’s next for Wild Imagination? Short term, we’ve got some events with partners lined up for the coming months and the October school holiday program is in the planning stages. We’ll launch the book in October and will be working hard to get it into book shops and gift shops. Longer term, I plan to create more nature play books with different activities for various age groups and interests – including for tweens/teens and adults. The many benefits of nature play are well documented. And the importance of nature connection cannot be understated. The question I always come back to which drives me forward is: How are our children going to care about the environment if they spend a decreasing amount of time connecting to nature? We need all the nature warriors and change makers we can get to protect this one beautiful planet we share, and I’m grateful that the way I have chosen to spread the joy of nature is embraced by so many people. For more information on school holiday programs or to support Brook’s Crowd Funding Campaign visit: wildimagination.com.au @wildimaginationnatureplay Photography by @sweet_little_light 

by Dr Lyndsey Collins-Praino, Senior Lecturer, Adelaide Medical School, University of AdelaideEducate Reflections from a Neuroscience Mumma As my son enters toddlerhood, talking seems to be all I talk about these days. Watching him discover how to describe the world around him, and his excitement at being able to interact and be understood in entirely new ways, has been amazing. But for me, like for many other parents, it has also been a source of some anxiety. Is everything on track? Is he saying as many words as he should? Is the fact that my Italian partner and I are raising him bilingual going to slow down his language acquisition? My fears were sent into overdrive a few months ago, when we brought him to see an ENT for an unrelated problem. Much to my surprise, she barely spoke about the issue we were there for, instead suggesting that we consider inserting grommets. Now I know that such a procedure is routine and very safe, but, like any parent, I felt my heart immediately contract at the idea of putting my little bubba through surgery. I was also a bit taken aback, as my son had no history of ear infections or other risk factors that usually lead to such a recommendation. When I asked her why she was suggesting this, she vaguely mentioned that his speech might be a bit delayed and began to use a model to describe the structure of the ear. Smiling inside, since, as a lecturer of anatomy, I use that model nearly every day to teach the same to future ENTs (sometimes you need to know your audience), I tuned out her lesson and began to wonder, was it true? Was my son’s speech delayed? Everything seemed on track. He was readily able to understand many of the things we said to him (now, as we get closer to the “terrible twos,” whether he listens or not is an entirely different matter; today’s request that he brush his teeth led to a meltdown that 2007 Britney Spears would be proud of). He was also able to say multiple words, pulling from both English and Italian. But how did I know if I was right? Was this ENT predatory or were her fears founded? Part of what makes it so difficult to tell is that there is a large variability between children in terms of language development. At its heart, language is built up of “building blocks” of meaningless sounds called phonemes. We learn how to combine these phonemes into words and, eventually, sentences, according to rules of grammar (rules for using language) and syntax (how to order language components in a meaningful way). Yet the exact time frame at which this occurs can vary between individuals, due to a complex combination of biological and environmental factors that we are just beginning to understand. There is also a large discrepancy between expression and comprehension, with the capacity of children to understand language far surpassing their ability to produce it. While the average child produces fewer than 10 words by 12 months, they understand close to 40. Between 18 and 30 months, rapid language development occurs for most children, significantly increasing not only their vocabulary size, but also the way they combine words to make sentences and use language to communicate. By the age of 3, children will have close to 1000 words and, amazingly, by the age of 6, children have acquired nearly 3,000 words and can understand approximately 20,000! Children also increase the number of words they use per sentence, increasing from around 3 words at age 2 to 5 words by age 8. But how do these language changes mirror what is happening in the brain? Neuroscientists know a great deal about language areas of the brain. What we are still learning about, however, is how these brain regions develop and mature. Even as newborns, babies show a preference for sounds in the range of language frequencies, indicating a predisposition to learn language. However, it isn’t until later childhood or even early adulthood that the language areas of the brain show the same organisation seen in adulthood. Experience likely plays a key role in the maturation of language areas of the brain. We know that exposure to language from birth is critical for the development of ability to understand and produce language. When you kiss those adorable little toes and “baby talk” to your bubba, you are emphasising important distinctions between sounds. Interestingly, while very young infants can perceive and discriminate between phonemes in all languages, by 6 months of age, infants begin to show preference for the phonemes of their native language. By 12 months of age, they no longer respond to foreign phonemes. This suggests that there is a critical period during which exposure to language must occur for us to acquire it normally. So what can we do to maximise language development? Quite simply- keep talking! Even before your little one can answer back, actively engage in conversation, leaving pauses where they will someday answer, to model the rhythm of speech. Spend lots of time snuggling up and sharing books together, pointing to the photos as you read the words. Go for long walks and describe what you see. As your child becomes older, encourage them to describe to you what they are seeing or feeling. Provide as many language-rich experiences as possible- and try to avoid the temptation of allowing a screen to sub in for you, as the reciprocity that comes from you engaging in conversation together is key for language development. Keep chatting and you’re sure to give ‘em something to talk about! Tips for Parents: 1. Keep talking!: Even before your baby can answer back, have a conversation and leave brief pauses where they will someday answer back. This helps to teach them the rhythm of language.2. Narrate the day: Go for a walk and describe what you see around you. When making dinner or giving your

They say that music is the language of the soul and answer to all your problems! We think that is reason enough to get involved in Girls Rock Adelaide! Girls Rock Adelaide uses the medium of music to inspire confidence, encourage creativity, celebrate individuality and ensure opportunity for young people in a non-judgemental space They run week-long mentorship programs for female, trans and gender non-conforming youth between the ages of 10 and 17. No music experience necessary and instruments provided! Girls Rock! Adelaide is a not-for-profit youth organisation that takes inspiration from a network of incredible initiatives across Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Aotearoa and around the world. They believe the fun, creative and healing presence of music is essential in the lives of young people and that a more inclusive music industry benefits us all. Girls Rock Adelaide works to: create space for young people to engage and contribute in local music communities  empower female and gender diverse youth in music amplify voices that might otherwise go unheard. School holiday camps: Their music camps run over the space of a week (Monday – Friday). Campers form a band for the week, learn an instrument, participate in creative workshops, see live bands, and collaborate to produce an original song. At the end of the week campers experience what it’s like to perform live to an audience at the Girls Rock showcase. Their first camp will be held 15-20th July 2019. Apply now for the first ever Girls Rock! Adelaide program! Applications close end of June: girlsrockadelaide.org/program girlsrockadelaide.org@girlsrockadl

Phil Cummings is Coming to the State Library! Whether your childhood was 5 minutes, 5 years or 50 years ago Phil Cummings: Stories behind the books exhibition will enchant all!Phil Cummings is an award winning South Australian author of over eighty books for children (from picture books to novels) in a career that has spanned thirty years. This FREE and INTERACTIVE exhibition (yes, emphasis on the free and interactive wahoo) was co-designed with children from Peterborough Primary School and will allow kids to explore and for adults to be kids. The characters and worlds that Phil created in his books will be brought to life in the exhibition space, including:– A country chook shed reading space to feel at home in Phil’s books– A recreation of the younger Phil’s lounge room as he watched the history-making Moon landing in 1969.Interactive elements include:– Giant light-box sand table to encourage dynamic storytelling in a highly tactile medium, and to spark reflection on Indigenous stories and methods of transmitting them.-A ‘writing ideas’ table, with plenty of scrap paper and writing prompts to capture the essence of creativity and perhaps even begin your own bestseller.– Inspired by Phil’s fable Boy (about a little boy who faces a dragon and stops a war) visitors can face their own ‘dragon’ and sculpt a dinosaur, dragon, monster or even their greatest fear from clay, then display it, take it home or conquer it as they want. This activity is about finding power within to be your own hero! Presented by the State Library of South Australia as part of the DreamBIG Children’s Festival discover the wonder of childhood and inspire your own kiddos creativity, through Phil Cummings work. Fast Five With Phil Cummings What is your earliest memory of reading?The earliest memory I have is sitting with my Nanna and she was reading poems from When We Were Very Young by A.A Milne.  I remember trying to read them myself and struggling. I also remember reading my first reader when I started school. What age did you write your first novel?My first novel, Angel, was published by Random House in 1998. Up until then I had been writing picture books and junior fiction; mainly for educational publishers. What advice would you give aspiring junior authors?Writers learn to write by writing and reading; the more you do, the better you will become. It is also important to try many different things and to challenge yourself. Which author had the biggest influence on you?It wasn’t any one author, but the books that had a real impact on me when I was young were The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. What inspires you today?I search for stories everywhere, I observe the world and see if any passing moments can somehow find their way into my stories. I love finding new characters and settings and seeing where I can fit them into my writing. Phil Cummings: Stories behind the books18 April to 21 July 2019State Library of South AustraliaFREE entryOpen during Library hoursFor more information about the exhibition visit:slsa.sa.gov.au

Developed in partnership with Reconciliation SA, Like Me Like You is an interactive performance for students in years one to three. It explores all of the different people, cultures, and stories that make up Australia today; from the First Nations people who have been here for thousands of years, to the new migrants who’ve just arrived! Kids will meet three characters who will take them through a series of short scenes. With songs, dance, puppets and stories about what makes you, like me, like you. The show is presented with three characters and one facilitator. The facilitator is a woman of colour, one character is white Australian, one is first nations Australian, and there are two versions of the work for the third character; an Asian Australian or a Muslim Australian. This means that the work can be adapted best for actor availability, and for the cultural make-up of the local area and audiences. Like Me, Like You was created by Australia’s leading forum theatre company ActNow Theatre after strong demand from primary schools sector following the success of their anti-racism production for years 7 – 12, Responding to Racism. A development run happened throughout 2018 with close partnership with the Department of Education, Catholic Education SA, and the Association of Independent Schools of South Australia. The work will premiere at the DreamBIG Festival 201922 – 24 May 2019 Book Now dreambigfestival.com.au

At KIDDO we are always keeping an eye out for great local businesses for kids and families. This week we spied Blue Dolphin Swim Centre and we’d like to tell you all about it! Blue Dolphin Swim Centre is a privately owned, family oriented swim centre and school that has provided swimming lessons to babies, toddlers and children in the local Adelaide community since 1986. The centre’s focus is to create a fun and enthusiastic atmosphere for teaching children and babies of all ages the efficient swimming techniques, water survival skills and what it means to be safer in the water. It can be daunting sending your little one to swimming lessons if they aren’t yet competent in the water. However the staff at Blue Dolphin are as welcoming and friendly as can be! More importantly they are all professionally qualified in a range of aquatic areas. The centre offers an extensive swimming education program for all different capabilities. Instructor qualifications include Austswim, World Aquatics, Swim Australia Teacher Qualification and Royal Life Saving, making Blue Dolphin’s swimming education offerings some of the best in the state. We spoke to Blue Dolphin Swim Centre to learn more!  How is learning to swim more than just a life skill? Learning to swim not only keeps you safer around water but it gives children an opportunity to keep fit along with the ability to enjoy other aquatic sports in the future such as surfing, sailing or scuba diving. Our mission statement is building happy, healthy and confident kids all year round. The milestones that children achieve in the water are really important to help them feel accomplished and confident which follows through into their lives outside of the water. Another added benefit is that it enhances their ability to learn and improve their physical development. As swimming is a complex skill that involves both physical and cognitive skills, research has proven that learning to swim gives children an advantage when it comes to their early childhood development. How do you achieve such a family centric vibe in your swim centre? We actively encourage parental participation, particularly with our younger kids until they progress into the learn to swim program. We also ensure our facility has the whole family in mind when it comes to making the customer’s experience as easy and as comfortable as possible. What is the history of the centre? Is Blue Dolphin a family run local Adelaide business? Our centre began back in 1992 from a leased pool and has always been a family business. The centre as it stands today at Happy Valley was purpose built in 2001 and continues to go from strength to strength. Over the years we’ve proudly taught thousands of children to swim and educated as many families. What makes Blue Dolphin the leading baby swim program in SA? Through extensive research both in Australia and overseas, we’ve implemented a progressive skill based program that results in children being able to swim. We are proud to be able to deliver our own nationally recognised infant aquatics program. As such we are able to qualify our own teachers with the infant aquatics certification. How does Blue Dolphin cater to different age groups and capabilities? We set ourselves apart by offering a skills based program that begins from 2 months right through to 16 years. Being competency based this means that there are no age restrictions to being able to learn to swim. This enables children to learn at their own pace whether it be quick or slow. What makes Blue Dolphin more appealing over other centres of swim programs? First of all the quality of our program and our commitment to progression. Having a senior teacher in the water means that we are able to consistently monitor, develop and grade both our children and teachers. Because we understand the pressures that life can present we offer unlimited makeup lessons so that children are not missing out on vital practice. Our shiver free UV sanitised pool also means that our water quality is not only more comfortable but always crystal clean and clear. We aim to make our customer experience as easy as possible. From ample car parking to our friendly customer service team. Our customers are also able to purchase a quality coffee so they can relax and enjoy watching their children glide through the water as they have fun learning to swim. Why we love Blue Dolphin Swim Centre Award winning Swim Centre ✔️Times that suit you: Morning, Afternoon and Evening Sessions ✔️Focus on Fun and Safety ✔️Classes up to 16 years ✔️Adelaide’s leading baby swim program ✔️Holiday swim program ✔️Warm UV Sanitised Swimming Pool ✔️ How Ultra Violet Filtration works:  The installation of UV Light Filtration was a large investment by Blue Dolphin Swim Centre. As the centre’s water circulates through their sanitisation plant, it passes under the UV Lights. At this point all bacteria is killed by the UV rays and then a small quantity of chlorine (Health Regulations requirement) is automatically added to the water to combat any pollutants entering the water from the plant room back to the filters. Ultra Violet light is similar to using the rays of the sun for water purification and presents no danger to users. Blue Dolphin is equipped with the most modern UV Treatment System available, ensuring the best quality environment for your child to swim in. The result is a sparkling clean pool that does not have the undesirable traits of a chlorine only pool, such as sore eyes, smell in the air and on the skin caused by chloramines. CLASS OPTIONS Little Ones2-4 monthsBlue Dolphins FREE Little Ones program for 2-4 month olds Baby Dolphins4 months – 3 years oldAdelaide’s leading baby program which is both nationally and internationally recognised. Kinder Dolphins3 to 5 years oldDesigned for 3-5 year olds to develop their water skills in a relaxed, fun filled and friendly environment. Learn to Swim3 to 16 years oldCommitted to teaching

No child should hate their body. Laying the foundations for body positivity in our kids is a marathon effort. Taryn Brumfitt, Adelaide mother of three, Director of award-winning documentary Embrace and founder of The Body Image Movement, knows first hand what it’s like to have spent a lifetime being at war with her body. We are living in a landscape where body image has become a global problem of epidemic proportions, and sadly, at the frontline of this war against ourselves, there is a generation of children struggling to find the way towards body positivity or even acceptance. Taryn wants to change this; to lay the foundations of body positivity before our children even consider that there is a one-way street of hating your own body. “We weren’t born hating our bodies, this is a learned behaviour”, Taryn says. “When we’re young, we say yes, we do more, we’re free. We learn to not love our bodies, so we can unlearn it as well”. But Taryn is leading the charge to shift thinking before our impressionable kids get to the point of hating their bodies in the first place. And that’s where Embrace Kids comes in; a documentary aimed at 8 to 12-year olds, to be given to schools across the globe as a free resource to educate and inspire the next generation to embrace their bodies. “As a mother of 2 boys and a girl, I want them to grow up valuing their body not as an ornament but rather a vehicle in life. I’ve seen with my own eyes the devastation that poor body image can have on an individual and entire families; this is why Embrace Kids is so important”. To bring this much needed documentary on body image to life, Taryn is hitting the ground running. Literally. On May 26, Taryn and hundreds of people from the Embrace Team around the world will go for a run, with the aim to raise funds to make this documentary a reality. Some will run a marathon. For others it might be 5km. They might run alone, with a group, or with their kids. They might carry within them a child who learned to hate their body long ago. But they will all be running with one thing in common; love. And you can join them. To contribute to this important project or join the Embrace Team, visit au.gofundme.com/embrace-kids-documentary. All funds raised will be used to make the documentary. If you’ve seen Embrace the documentary, you will know how powerful Embrace Kids will be. Keep your eye out in the next issue of KIDDO, where we will be chatting with Taryn about her journey towards body confidence and acceptance, and her hopes for the next generation. Embrace is now available on DVD and Online in Australia and New Zealand at the following outlets: SanityJB Hi FiiTunesGoogle Play StoreBig W You can also view the Embrace trailer bodyimagemovement.comfacebook.com/bodyimagemovement/@bodyimagemovement DONATE HERE: au.gofundme.com/embrace-kids-documentary

Just to add to the daily challenges of parenting in the online world, in recent weeks it would have been hard to miss the social media frenzy that was the Momo challenge. The media stories, school and news warnings and accompanying images are enough to make any parent sick with worry. Let’s shed some light on the subject. If you’re lucky enough not to have heard of the Momo Challenge it can be explained as a self-harm and suicide challenge. It was said to have found its way onto young people’s social media platforms, threatening them to complete a series of increasingly more dangerous self-harm tasks.  The first media report of its existence appeared early 2018 with stories of a teenager reported to have completed suicide after following a series of self-harm instructions that featured on her WhatsApp platform. The eSafety Commissioner warns that there are videos online showing people “taking the Momo challenge”. It’s important to know that these videos are scripted, and staged performances being acted out with fake messages. They are, however, convincing and may scare young people into believing that Momo is a real thing. There have been media reports and concerns that images of Momo accompanied by voice overs have been spliced into existing children’s video content. Fortunately, there is no evidence that any recent occurrence of this challenge exists and linked to any teen suicides, and no Australian cases have been reported. It has now been widely reported and exposed as a hoax.  Cyber safety and IT experts in Australia have agreed with this and claim they haven’t come across any children who have been involved with the challenge. YouTube have also said there have been no recent videos uploaded with the Momo character in it.  Please remember this doesn’t mean YouTube is safe for children, moderators struggle to keep up with the sheer volume of uploads, and disturbing videos, spliced into what appears to be an innocent video can find their way in. Whilst the video challenge discussed may not be genuine, the images that can be found online when simply typing the word Momo in the search bar can be very distressing for children and parents to see. The image itself is believed to be a Japanese sculpture that is completely unrelated to this challenge and the artist has reported that it has now been destroyed. If your child is talking about Momo it’s most likely the image they have seen after curiously running a google search. If your child has been fortunate enough to have missed all the Momo hype, then it is not necessary to warn them about it by introducing it to them. Breathe a sigh of relief and thank your lucky stars, but don’t go resting on your laurels just yet. This is not the first type of frightening online scam to challenge our young people, and it won’t be the last. Use it as a timely reminder to revisit some family online safety guidelines, equip your family with skills to both protect and prepare them for the next challenge. Tips To Keep Them Safe Online Talk to your children often, asking questions about what they see and do on their games and platforms Have conversations about the risks of searching for things online and put guidelines in place around safe searching Talk about what to do if something is discovered online that makes them feel worried, scared or uncomfortable and put a plan in place. Remind children that you are there to support them should they see anything online that makes them feel scared, worried or uncomfortable. Remind them that they are not in trouble if they do discover something accidentally, or even on purpose. In instances where a child has seen something disturbing, often a parent’s normal gut reaction is to take the device away, depending on their age, this could isolate them from their online world and prevent them from telling you next time something untoward appears on their screen. Monitor closely what children are doing online. Ensure that any online activity is taking place in a common place in the house and not in bedrooms or private places where children find themselves alone. Check safety settings on all family devices and enable Google safe search (but keep in mind this is not failsafe) Have a family conversation about the risks of talking to strangers online and not accepting friend requests or sharing personal information through gaming and social media platforms with people they have never met before Remember Youtube is not for under 13’s, and if you do choose to set up a kids movie, TV series or video clip for their viewing, it’s important to watch it first or watch it with them to ensure that it is safe. Discuss with your children that not everything they see online is real or true, there are actors, photoshopping and digital tricks used to make things appear very real. Find examples of where these are used for suitable age appropriate fun. As an experienced Teacher and Counsellor, Danielle has a special interest in the wellbeing of children and working with families. Through her 25 years of experience working in education settings; teaching, counselling, and delivering quality wellbeing programs to students of all ages, Danielle has found a passion for providing safe online environments for all children and identified a need for cyber safety education and support for families, schools and communities.

Word On The Street With Helen Connolly, Commissioner for Children and Young People It goes without saying that the world our children are growing up in is very different from the world you or I grew up in. Now that we are living in the age of smartphones, gaming, and tablet devices – 5G is almost here – it’s hard to believe the internet has been in mainstream use for less than 30 years. Artificial intelligence, machine learning, robots and space travel are going to become daily realities soon enough and none of us really know what’s next. But what does this actually mean for you as a parent? Rather than fearing the future, or spending all our efforts trying to predict what it will look like, I believe it is more important that we work to prepare our children, equipping them with the skills to help them define that future. And how can we do that? The myriad responsibilities of a parent include building and maintaining a strong relationship with your child, providing ways for your child to learn the skills they are going to need, and ensuring your child is safe during their time interacting with the wider world, whether that’s in real life or online. From my work speaking to children and young people it became clear that there’s something practical and beautifully simple that parents can be doing right now to meet these challenges – and that is to embrace shared family screen time. Increase the ‘share factor’ to reduce the ‘scare factor’. Simply recognising that you play an important role on your child’s digital learning journey as a parent or carer is the starting point to making a big difference to your child’s digital success. Showing an interest in what your child is viewing, and joining them in activities that promote positive learning and play, allows you to reinforce management of screen activity to reduce potential for negative habit forming behaviours. Whatever your child is learning at school, the more you can do with your child at home to build their digital skills with safe access limits and timeframes considered, the further they’re likely to reach on their digital learning journey. So sit down with your child and switch on. Make it part of your daily or weekly routine as you might when preparing a meal, doing a garden activity, or reading aloud with your child. Each shared experience can strengthen your relationship and you’ll be building fun and valuable memories at the same time as preparing your child for a brighter future. After all, when your child has a healthy and empowered relationship with digital technology, they’re more likely to have the skills they’ll need to create the truly inclusive, democratic and equitable society that our children today, and their children tomorrow, deserve. Take the Commissioner’s Digital Challenge at home I’ve introduced my ongoing digital challenge as a way to increase digital empowerment after children across SA asked for ways to be creative, to learn what they need to know now, and to start preparing for the jobs of the future. In 2019 the Challenge is all about coding and computational thinking. My Challenge gives families a way to get involved even if they’ve never tried coding before. There’s also an extensive library of free resources covering all areas of the digital learning journey from design thinking to digital literacy. Before you know it, you’ll have learnt some interesting skills yourself. The Commissioner’s Digital Challenge is currently running in many schools across SA, at public libraries and through Scouts and Girl Guides with an unplugged version for preschools to be rolled out. commissionersdigitalchallenge.net.au If you’re a child, young person or parent and there’s something you think I should be doing to make things better for the lives of kids in SA, please get in touch! commissionerCYP@sa.gov.au

From the makers of Grug, comes this slightly sideways tale about unexpected friendship, finding where you fit, and learning…. just to mix it up a little. In Mort’s Village everything has its place, every day is the same and everyone likes it that way. Until one morning, crash, boom, bang… down comes Beep. What is this annoying interruption to Mort’s breakfast molly melon? Who is this noisy robot girl? And how will she find her home? With Windmill’s trademark design, gentle storytelling, music and puppetry, Beep tells the story of what happens when someone new comes to town. Windmill Theatre Company Artistic Director, Rosemary Myers is excited to bring the show back to Adelaide for DreamBIG Children’s Festival, ahead of it’s seasons at the Arts Centre Melbourne and Sydney Opera House, she says, “This show takes everything audiences loved about Grug and Grug and the Rainbow, but uses them to imagine and create a whole new world of excitement and adventure. ”Now the world can’t get enough of Beep! The show toured China for nine weeks late last year and will be heading to the US and Canada in 2020 BEEP! Space Theatre29 May – 31 May Tickets available: DreamBIG Children’s Festival 

Primary school aged girls will put on their game faces and level up their computer coding skills with a roaming classroom set to visit Adelaide for the first time as part of the Adelaide Fringe Festival. Australian Science and Mathematics School is hosting Code Like A Girl’s roaming classroom where girls aged 6-12 will learn the basics of coding to create their own personalised computer games during two-hour workshops on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 March, 2019. Up to 80 girls will learn the Scratch coding platform during the fun and highly-interactive workshops. The roaming classroom been designed for maximum visual impact – a pink classroom filled with motivational posters, programmable lamps, neon signs, and colourful chairs, desks and lockers. The workshops are being run with a view to increasing diversity in the technology industry and improving girls’ engagement with STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Australia currently needs nearly 100,000 workers to keep up with current demand in the IT industry, which the demand expected to increase to 750,000 workers by 2023. Currently women make up less than one-quarter of the technical IT workforce and studies suggest fewer than 3% of school girls are considering a career in technology. “The ASMS shares our commitment to growing the representation of girls and women in STEM,” said Ally Watson, CEO and co-founder of Code Like A Girl. “When we needed to choose a venue for our Fringe Festival workshops, the school was the perfect place. “Gaming is big business, but playing is only half the fun. Coding platform Scratch is great for beginners but also holds its own against programs used by industry professionals.” Jayne Heath, Principal of the Australian Science and Mathematics School, said the school and social enterprise shared the same values. “We are pleased to be hosting a Fringe Festival event which supports our work to increase the number of girls studying STEM and improve their representation in associated workforces,” she said. “Our school takes a hands-on approach to learning to prepare our Year 10-12 students with the skills necessary for jobs of the future, so it’s great to see this starting with primary school-aged girls.” The two-hour workshops are being run at 10AM and 1PM on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 March, at Bedford Park-based Australian Science and Mathematics School. Tickets are still available to purchase for $15 each from Adelaide Fringe

Talk to most adults these days about their early years and they’ll tell you stories about climbing trees, building cubby houses and making mud pies. They weren’t just having fun and playing outside – they were making decisions about taking risks and learning from their mistakes. Fast forward 30 years and rather than spending time outside playing, research reveals the average eight-year-old has already spent one year of their life in front of a digital screen, choosing the indoors over the outdoors. Other research reveals more than 80 per cent of children don’t meet the physical activity guidelines of 60 minutes of exercise a day. We’ve had a chat with Goodstart Early Learning’s General Manager, Pedagogy and Practice, Sue Robb, and she explained that not only is physical activity vital for development, but it also encourages risk taking. “We know that encouraging children to take risks in a safe environment is a good way to build confidence and self-belief,” says Sue. “As an early learning provider, one of our responsibility at Goodstart Early Learning is to ensure that the risks children are exposed to are as safe as they are possible. “For example, children exploring an obstacle trail where all the equipment is well grounded and there is adequate supervision allows the children to take a risk as well as learning to balance,” explained Sue. “When children have strong balance, it helps them with jumping, with riding a bike and learning to surf and ski and many other things that children enjoy and love.” Sue went on to explain that most people and children have a built-in policeman that lets them know their risk appetite. “Many children know when they don’t want to climb any higher or travel further away from their parents. It’s our opportunity to support children to thrive as learners and rounded human beings to take a risk, learn from mistakes and be bold in what you want. “These are all life lessons that will help them as they grow and develop. It builds confidence and a sense of self belief in their own decision making,” says Sue. Tips for encouraging risky play: · Allow your child to learn to ride a scooter or bike on tarmac, on sand or on grass. · Allow them to explore at the park within your sight, allowing safe boundaries to take risks, find their threshold and their tolerance. · Let young children crawl around on different textures such as mud, sand and water to encourage physical development. · Let them smell and taste a variety of textures and foods. As Australia’s largest social enterprise, Goodstart Early Learning is committed to ensuring all children have the learning, development and wellbeing outcomes they need for school and life. This includes having access to physical experiences which will support their development. Head to their website goodstart.org.au or call 1800 222 543 to find your nearest centre and learn more about how you can join one of their happy little communities.

Combining movement, music and sensory Star Academy‘s new Mini Stars will aim to develop your little one’s confidence, imagination, coordination and rhythm. Parents and caregivers can be a part of the fun too, joining in on classes to help and support the children’s learning! Not sure if your little one is born to dance? To see if they want to get into the swing of things Star Academy is inviting you to their Mini Stars Open Day on Tuesday the 12th of February. Come for a complimentary session for you and your child! There will be 2 classes on offer:– The “Mini Munchkins” class for 6 month olds – crawling age is 10am – 10.45am.– The “Mini Movers” for toddlers – 2 and half is 11am – 11.45am. All children attending the open day sessions will receive a special “First Mini Stars” session certificate and a small gift! Mini Munchkins Class Little ones from 6 months old are provided with lots of opportunities for safe exploration with colour, music and movement in the “Mini Munchkins” program! Carers provide an essential role in the class as they guide, support and nature their small children through the program. There is an emphasis on props, toys and storytelling in a relaxed and welcoming environment helping to build little one’s confidence to explore more and learn! It gives a positive introduction to the routine of a structured activity while also providing children with lots of fun and laughter and bonding with their carer. Mini Movers Class A magical, colourful and exciting introduction to the world of dance and music! Todlers experience jazz and ballet dance techanique through an inspired curriculum creted specifically for their developmental needs. You’ll never miss a step as parents/care givers attend each class to support and encourage their little ones. Mini Movers develop their dance and rhythm in a series of structured yet relaxed sessions with music, singing, props and imaginative play. Our activities support children’s coorindation, strength and flexibility while also encouraging confidence, creativity, language development and social skills. This program also segways intot the Star Academy ‘Fairy Ballet’ and ‘Funky Dance’ classes which are attended by children once they are ready for a more formal dance class. staracademy.com.au Open day RSVP’s to info@staracademy.com.au!