OCTOBER 2016

Attention members:
Register now to attend our 2016 AGM

We're excited to have Professor Marc de Rosnay as our guest speaker. Marc is Academic Director and Professor of Child Development at the University of Wollongong's Early Start Program. An expert in young children's social, emotional and cognitive development, Marc believes early intervention provides the single best mechanism to improve children's lives.

Marc will share his insights about:

Giving your children the best start: Brain building tips

Parents are a powerful influence over their child’s development in their early years. Marc will discuss:

• How every experience as well as the ways you play with your child influences the their brain development

• The importance of physical and emotional attention and responsiveness

• Effective physical and social environments to encourage early learning

Members are invited to bring a guest to our AGM which will be held on Wednesday evening, 19 October at Figtree Conference Centre in Olympic Park. 

You can register online or ring 1800 171 882 to book your place.

Choosing the right childcare or early learning centre for your child

Content provided by Starting Blocks, a government initiative that provides parents with information about early childhood education and care to help them make the best choice for their child and family.

There are multiple types of early education and childcare - how do you choose the best one for your child(ren)? Although similar in the types of activities they undertake, you should pay close attention when choosing an early learning centre for your child, as each of them comes with its own particularities.

Learn more about the different types of education and care for early childhood, as well as the most important questions to ask before choosing a service.

We've partnered with CHOICE to give playgroup members a special offer

CHOICE has been around for 57 years. Chances are, your own mum or dad turned to CHOICE to figure out what to buy for their growing family.

Today, it's harder than ever to work out what you need and what you don't when it comes to products and services for babies and kids. Then there are the big decisions like home loans and health insurance.

That's where CHOICE can help. They test everything they review in their own accredited labs - and only recommend products that pass their strict safety standards. Like Playgroup NSW, CHOICE is non-profit so they aren’t influenced  by marketing or promotional deals.

From 6 October to the end of November, Playgroup NSW members can take advantage of major savings on a CHOICE subscription.

7 tips for helping your child's development by playing with building blocks

(Provided by Kinderling Kids Radio, a Playgroup NSW Media Partner)

In a series of interviews that Playgroup NSW CEO Karen Bevan has been doing with Kinderling Radio, she provides some tips for play that involve building with blocks and imagination.

“Building things and knocking them down” is what experts call “constructive play” and is the type of play where children use wooden blocks, DUPLO^® or sand to build something of their own.

Karen explains, “[you] don’t need to wait until kids are old enough to click LEGO’s DUPLO_^® together, therefore you can introduce your kids to building play as soon as they are ready to sit up.”

Construction play is much more than just putting a bunch of blocks in front of your child. This type of play “ignites a child’s imagination,” says Karen, “and creates opportunities for parents, carers and kids to have conversations and to build their relationship.”

Karen has some great tips for encouraging your little builders.

You could WIN a DUPLO party for your playgroup!

Today we’re kicking off our biggest DUPLO competition of the year. One lucky playgroup will win a DUPLO themed end-of-year party for your group.

Valued at up to $5,000, the party includes themed catering and decorations, DUPLO play activity, music, event staff and more. Plus, 10 other playgroups will win a DUPLO Push Train Set each valued at $89.99RRP. To enter, go to the Playgroup NSW Facebook page and share your DUPLO moments by posting a photo, video or tell us your DUPLO story in 25 words or less. All parents or carers who attend your playgroup are welcome to enter on behalf of your playgroup and you can enter as many times as you want. 

The more you post, the more chances your group has to win.  Remember to include your playgroup’s name with your post and to ask parent or guardian’s permission if you are posting a photo of their child. Competition closes 21 October.

Click for more information about this competition, including Terms and Conditions as well as ideas about creating with DUPLO.