Journey Early Learning Ballarat East

As we continue exploring different weather systems, this week our Kinder friends turned their attention towards storms ⛈️

The children worked together to create their own stormy paintings, using the wind in their lungs to blow and move the paint across the paper. This hands-on experience encouraged creativity, experimentation, and curiosity as they explored how wind and movement can shape the world around us 🌧️🎨

Our Kinder friends had a beautiful visit to Eureka Village Hostel, sharing stories, smiles and special moments with the residents. 💛

Intergenerational connections create meaningful benefits for everyone; children develop empathy, confidence and communication skills, while older generations experience joy, connection and a renewed sense of belonging.

We love creating opportunities for our children to learn from the wisdom and experiences of others. 🌿✨

🧪👩‍🔬 STEM Monsters Visit! 👨‍🔬🌋
This week we welcomed Ben from STEM Monsters! The children became young scientists as they explored hands-on STEM activities. They had so much fun making their own slime and creating colourful lava lamps, while learning about chemical reactions and mixing materials.

The children in Toddler Room 1 have been showing a strong interest in singing ‘Five Little Ducks’ during group times. To extend this interest and bring the song to life, educators created a duck pond sensory experience using water and toy ducks 🦆🐥

🍩 National donut day 🍩
Today we celebrated national donut day! The children all decorated their own donuts with icing and sprinkles. They all enjoyed them for afternoon tea. Yummy! 💕

This week from our Future Foodies Menu, we're sharing a delicious and nutritious favourite; Indian Beef, Lentil & Potato Curry!

Packed with protein-rich beef and lentils, hearty potatoes, hidden spinach and a blend of warming spices, this meal is a wonderful way to introduce children to a variety of flavours and ingredients from around the world. 🌏✨

At our service, mealtimes are about more than just food they're an opportunity for children to explore new tastes, build confidence with different cuisines, and develop healthy eating habits that will support them for life.

Why not give this recipe a try at home and let us know what your little food critic thinks? 👩‍🍳👨‍🍳

This week, we acknowledged National Reconciliation Week. The Toddler 1 room participated in a range of meaningful experiences connected to the Aboriginal flag and its colours. The children explored the significance of the colours through art, sensory play and discussions. These experiences supported the children in developing an appreciation for Aboriginal culture and the importance of coming together in the spirit of reconciliation ❤️