Our centres acknowledged National Reconciliation Week by creating meaningful and engaging activities designed to provide learning opportunities whilst having fun!
During the week of the 29th of May, Aussie Kindies Woy Woy provided their children with a diverse range of activities to engage and educate them about the meaning of National Reconciliation Week.
One of the highlights was an incursion with the local high school, where all children from ages 0 to 5 were invited to participate. Indigenous students from the high school led a session on the significance of reconciliation, followed by captivating indigenous dancing performances.
The children were then encouraged to join in and learn about the cultural significance behind the dances, discovering that women and men have distinct dance roles within their culture. Additionally, the students taught the children about ochre and engaged the children and staff in face painting, further immersing them in the cultural experience.
They also set up an art station where the children learned about boomerangs and expressed their creativity by painting and colouring them.
Continuing the week's activities, the children welcomed an indigenous family member who facilitated a hands-on cooking experience for children aged 3 to 5.
Together, including our centre families, they made damper while discussing the bush tucker ingredients used to create flavourful bread and exploring the connection to the earth in their culinary traditions. A family member also read a story called "Somebody's Land" to the children, aiming to foster a better understanding of Australia's First Nations history.
The children thoroughly enjoyed the indigenous students' presentation on the importance of reconciliation and their captivating indigenous dancing performances. The children's participation deepened their understanding of Aboriginal histories and cultures and nurtured respect for diversity and cultural differences.
Rachel Penboss, Centre Manager at Aussie Kindies Woy Woy, said, "During outdoor free play, one of our Prep children confidently demonstrated his beautiful artistic skills by hand-painting two of our Australian Flags at the Outdoor Artelier. Without any prompting or guidance, he even shared with his peers nearby the history behind some of the colours as he discussed with Educator Rachel what the colours of the Indigenous Flag represent."
For more information about our Lifelong Learning Curriculum book a tour at your closest centre or call our Family Support Team on 1800 CHILDCARE.
