Active play will help your under-five to be healthier, happier, smarter and stronger, and this kind of play is a really important consideration when you’re choosing a childcare centre.
You’re looking for a centre that will make physical activity fun for your under-five, and although enthusiastic educators and energising environments are great indicators of this, it also helps to look at the incursions on offer.
You might find that a centre offers kids’ yoga, dancing, soccer or all of the above on a regular basis, which definitely bodes well for your child’s learning and development; and if you see that a centre has partnered with hey dee ho educational services then this is good news too!
Victoria’s KindiCare Excellence Awards Winner, Cuddly Bear Child Care and Kindergarten Heathmont, has a very successful partnership with hey dee ho, and hey dee ho runs early education programs at more than 500 centres around Australia.
All of their programs are great for little learners, but if you’re particularly interested in fitness, then their active 8 multi-skilled fitness program deserves a special mention.
This program is perfect for your baby, toddler or preschooler, and instead of teaching one skillset (or sport), active 8 is a holistic fitness program that covers these eight learning domains:
Sensory
Social
Emotional
Language
Physical
Cognitive
Creative, and
Spiritual.
hey dee ho’s Director, Jenny Wilkinson, explains that, “Our aim is to help children develop the skills necessary to enjoy an active, healthy lifestyle, rather than teaching a specific type of activity.”
Fun is definitely a focus, and each active 8 session is run by an early education professional who comes into the centre on a weekly basis, armed with exciting equipment and ideas.
Jenny explains that each active 8 session is based around a kid-friendly theme, and whether the children are crossing a balance beam bridge to escape dinosaurs, stepping through a magical hula hoop to enter a new kingdom, juggling scarves in an imaginary circus, or using bean bag stepping stones to avoid crocodiles, their bodies and brains get a work-out as they become part of the storyline.
The children really get into the imaginative story arcs, and they also benefit from the structure of the active 8 program.
Jenny explains that, “The aim is to initiate good habits, exposing children to basic movement skills in a structured musical environment.”
As such, “Every session starts with an Acknowledgement of Country, welcome song and warm up activity. The children then enjoy activities centred around Cardio, Balance, Quickness and Agility, Strength and Endurance exercises. And each session finishes with some cool down exercises.”
The active 8 sessions are not too long and not too short, to ensure just the right amount of fitness focus.
The babies navigate their 20 minute sessions to the best of their abilities, while the toddlers and preschoolers throw themselves into their 30 minute sessions, and especially enjoy the Cheerleading and Tai Chi exercises!
Jenny explains that, “The Cheerleading is a real fun time of movement, listening and dancing. The pom poms are a hit, and everyone loves the popular, fun songs.”
She says, “Children also love the Tai Chi exercises, and it has been very interesting to watch how early learners resonate with the breath work and slow movements, which help them cool down at the end of the session and practice emotional regulation at other times.”
hey dee ho has been around for more than 35 years, so they definitely know how to engage early learners in fun, fit ways, and they’re also adept at supporting us grown-ups!
The active 8 presenters provide weekly supporting documentation that educators and families can easily put into action.
And if you’re looking for ways to get active with your little one outside childcare hours, then Jenny suggests that you, “Find something your child loves to do, then involve everyone in it.”
This could mean that you:
Walk around the block, counting all the doggies you see
Have a cheerleading party at home, with music, dancing and pom poms
Pretend to be mermaids or crocodiles in the shallows at the beach
Kick a ball to each other, moving one step back each time
Make or buy a kite to fly in your local park
Really, the opportunities for active play are endless, and although hey dee ho doesn’t run programs at every single early learning centre in Australia, their presence is a great selling point if you are looking for childcare.
And whatever your priorities, KindiCare makes it easy to search, compare and enquire with different childcare centres, so you can find the perfect fit for your family!
This article was written by Hejira Convery and originally published by KindiCare.