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Early Childhood Development

All the things we know about how to improve outcomes for children relate to how we engage with children and how we relate them with opportunities. The solutions are social.

It’s important to acknowledge what we know about child development from infancy to childhood. The brain in early childhood - especially in the first years - is growing at an absolutely staggering rate. As the child grows, their brain consolidates. In other words, the infant's’ brain is like a super organ ready for experience and input.  As it starts receiving that input, it starts to narrow down what it focuses on. 

A child's development is driven by both genes and experience. And while there is only so much you can do about genes, there are a lot of things you can do to encourage an early childhood development in your child.

We understand that proper early childhood development is extremely important. In this section you can learn more about how infants develop in the most important areas during the first years of life.

  • Playgroup NSW

    Passive toys are instruments or learning. The best toys for babies and toddlers are simple. There are several things to look for when buying a toy. 

  • Playgroup NSW

    Parents have a valuable resource on their hands to help their children learn important life lessons: play is children’s favourite activity, especially for children 3-5 years old. It is also one of the simplest and most natural ways for children to learn, as they don’t even notice they are doing it.

    Let’s see some of the ways play can have an important role into the learning process of a child.

  • Playgroup NSW

    Your baby or toddler can be your perfect resource for play ideas. Any activity can be fun to young children, and any type of play will allow them to acquire new skills. As a parent, you are your child’s favourite playmate. Here are our top tips on how to make play fun for you and your child:

  • Raising Children Network

    From the moment they are born, babies are very social - they want to spend time with you and communicate with you. How you respond helps them learn. It's natural for your baby to want to communicate with you through babbling, facial expressions and gestures - for example, waving and nodding. Tuning in and responding to your baby with warmth and gentleness lays the foundations for development. 

  • Telethon Kids Institute

    The research from the Telethon Kids Institute, It takes a village to raise a child: The influence and impact of playgroups across Australia, shows that children who attend playgroup are half as likely to have developmental vulnerabilities when they start primary school.  
    The benefits of playgroup are seen  for all domains of child development: physical, social, emotional, language and cognitive development and communication. They also benefit parents who need support networks and advice. Overall, one in three Australian children attend playgroup before they start school. Even in the most disadvantaged communities, one in four children attend playgroups prior to school.   We know that children learn through play. This research shows just how important playgroup can be in facilitating children’s development.

Playgroups looking for you

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About Playgroup NSW

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Playgroup NSW, the peak body representing playgroups across NSW, is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting families and strengthening local communities through playgroups.

Play Activities

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Children love playing with balls of all shapes and sizes. And with good reason: balls are great for group play, organised sports or just playing by yourself. They are also suitable for a variety of age groups (from babies to children and even adults).

Featured Article

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Mothercraft nurse, Chris Minogue, answers one of Kinderling Radio listener’s question on how to keep their child safe on the ground.

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