Play Baby arrives

Many of you have heard about our new Play Baby initiative that we launched at State Parliament House on 15 February. We had a great mix of parents with babies, MPs and representatives from government, community and not-for-profit agencies attend. Many agencies and parents are already helping us promote Play Baby—our initiative offering a one year free Playgroup NSW membership to NSW families with a child under 12 months old. 

You know how great playgroup is, so we hope if you’re not already a member and you have a child under one, you’ll take advantage of this offer and if you are already a member, you’ll help us spread the word by telling your friends and family who have a child under one about our free membership offer at playbaby.org.au.

Sleep deprived?
7 Food Tips To Boost Your Energy Levels

Content provided by Kinderling Kids Radio, a Playgroup NSW media partner

Is your baby or toddler keeping you awake at night? Do you usually get just a few hours of sleep every night and then have to rush through the day with your energy tank empty?

Sleep deprivation occurs often in parents with young children, so don’t beat yourself up just yet. There are ways to overcome the lack of sleep - and one of them is by making sure that you get enough energy from eating a healthy diet.When you have a child that keeps you awake at night, your biological clock is turned upside down. And because your energy levels are at an all time low, you might find yourself craving for sweets, coffee, or greasy meals - which is not always the healthiest solution to beat sleep deprivation.

Here are seven food tips to boost your energy levels.

World's Biggest Playgroup Day

Get ready for loads of fun and join us as we celebrate National Playgroup Week in Sydney with our World’s Biggest Playgroup Day 2017!

Held in Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour on Wednesday 29 March from 10am to 3pm, the day will be filled with spectacular entertainment and lots of free activities for kids.

Entertainment will kick off with a disco from Kinderling Kids Radio, followed by a late morning and afternoon performances by Bananas in Pyjamas as they celebrate their 25th birthday with us. SplashDance and ABC TV’s Nay Nay will also have special performances.

Other free Activities will include:

• Pinch, squeeze, stretch playdough with Kids Smart
• Discover and celebrate the power of imagination at the LEGO® DUPLO® Imagination Station! Get some tips on how to help your child learn through play from international guest and play expert, Hanne Boutrup, snap a pic on an epic DUPLO Train and enjoy plenty of DUPLO fun with your little ones.
• Play, create and discover at the Australian National Maritime Museum Mini Mariners under sea grotto
• Sand and water fun with Starting Blocks
• Play Baby area by Tiny Tots Toy Hire

We will have a variety of food trucks and coffee vans onsite so make sure you pack a rug to enjoy a picnic at the Park.

This is a FREE community event but we encourage you to pre-register to go into a draw to win fabulous prizes. To register and for more exciting event information visit our website. 

Why is play important for babies?

“Because they’re still developing those motor skills, we often tend to think they’re not capable yet; so, they’re waiting to learn, rather than learning,” Sheila Degotardi, Associate Professor in Early Childhood at Macquarie University, says.

Play harvests the cells in a baby’s budding brain, kindling the connections – or ‘synapses’ - that underpin their emotional, social and intellectual growth. From birth to three years, children are at their most fertile, growing faster than at any other time in their life, with about 80 per cent of their brain profile locked in, according to extensive research.

Make sure your playgroup gets counted!

During the week of 6 March, Playgroup NSW is conducting a census to capture the extent of playgroup participation throughout the State, including playgroups that are affiliated with Playgroup NSW as well as playgroups provided by other organisations.  

We will use this census data to advocate to the NSW Government about  the important work playgroups do in engaging families with young children in an environment where there are few other services supporting community engagement with families with children in this age group.  

We’ve provided the link to the online Census From to all Playgroup NSW committee members. So, if you’re at playgroup this week, make sure you remind them to complete the Census! We’ll share results with all our members.

A message from the CEO

Dear Playgroup Members,

After almost three years as CEO, I’ll be leaving Playgroup NSW. I’ve loved meeting many of you and your children, visiting playgroups and hearing about your highs and lows

I’m proud of what our team has accomplished over the time I’ve been here, but am even more proud of the fact that Playgroup NSW has thousands of people working voluntarily across the State to keep the playgroup movement alive and connecting parents and children through play every day.

To our members, I wish you and your families all the best. May your children’s childhoods be full of the joy of play and as a result may the rest of their lives be filled with creativity, ingenuity and the joy of good friends.

I’m not going far – I’m heading over to Girl Guides Australia to take up the national CEO role there, so no doubt I’ll connect with some of you again down the line!

Take care and happy playgrouping.

Best,

Karen Bevan