Peregian Beach Community Kindergarten

25/03/2026

25/03/2026

That big, loud, physical style of play that dads often naturally gravitate toward is not something to redirect. It is actually one of the most important things happening in your child's brain development right now.

Rough and tumble play is one of the primary ways young children learn to regulate their own physical aggression. When Dad holds a wrestling match or a rowdy game of chasey while keeping firm boundaries, he is giving your child a safe place to find their emotional and physical limits. The science connects this kind of play directly to the development of the frontal lobe, the part of the brain responsible for self regulation and impulse control.

Those noisy, breathless, boundary pushing moments are quietly teaching your child how to manage their biggest emotions before they ever need to navigate them in the schoolyard.

Children who have a consistent, engaged rough and tumble play partner in the early years actually become less aggressive in everyday life. They learn to read the room, modulate their strength, and keep the fun going even when things get heated.

So the next time the living room turns into a wrestling ring, try taking one slow breath and letting it unfold. Hand Dad the floor. What looks like beautiful chaos from where you are standing is actually some of the most important work your child will do today.

You can read the full study here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MLN4RT6b1JojwgDcfF3ifRwSd1PeSvjF/view?usp=sharing

And find safe rough and tumble play ideas in our Dad's Play Menu in the printable resources area of our website.

25/03/2026

🤷‍♀️ Why can something as simple as making a choice feel so overwhelming for some children? ...💌 Comment '338' to receive this PDF.
💡For neurodiverse kids, it’s not “just deciding”...it can trigger anxiety, overload, or even a sense of loss of control. And while the behaviour might look the same (freezing, refusing, shutting down), the reason underneath is very different.

💬 Comment 338 and I’ll send you:
📄 2 helpful PDFs
🎧 The podcast episode: Why Choice Making is So Hard for Neurodiverse Children & What To Do

25/03/2026

Being physically active through movement and play is critical for young children’s health and development.

Healthy behaviours are often set early in life, yet 90% of children aged 3–5 years do not meet the physical activity recommendations in the Australian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for the Early Years. This is largely due to a lack of energetic play.

Young children are encouraged to be active throughout the day, aiming for at least 180 minutes of physical activity, including 60 minutes of energetic play.

There are many simple ways to encourage children to be active. Younger children can build forts, climb trees, or test their balance by walking along a low wall. Older children may enjoy ball games, races at the park, dancing, or skipping.

Regular physical activity supports healthy growth, improves mood and focus, strengthens bones and muscles, promotes better learning and thinking, helps build confidence, social skills and establish lifelong habits that can reduce the risk of chronic disease later in life.

For more ideas to help children move more, visit:
https://hw.qld.gov.au/blog/getting-kids-to-move-more-and-sit-less/

07/03/2026

Yes! Chores are life skills! Not only that; they are opportunities for motor planning, executive functioning, heavy work...and so much more! Here are chores by age: https://www.theottoolbox.com/age-appropriate-chores/

Image: https://www.sunshineandhurricanes.com/the-importance-of-chores-for-children-printable-chore-chart-included/

07/03/2026

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07/03/2026

I know the routine. You pick up your child, you are exhausted from work, and the easiest thing to do is hand over a tablet so you can get dinner ready in peace. I get it, but we need to talk about the long term cost of that convenience.

When parents tell me they don't have time to play a game of catch, read their child a story, or enjoy a game of hallway hopscotch, but we know children are spending over two hours on a 2D device and missing out on these important developmental moments, we have a problem.

Your child’s brain and body are biologically designed for movement, not for 2D screens. The symptoms we are seeing in classrooms, inattention, impulsivity, and a lack of core strength, are often the direct result of a sedentary, digital childhood.

It is hard to set boundaries. It takes time to teach children how to play independently and also play with a sibling without fighting all the time. It is uncomfortable to deal with a tantrum when the screen goes away. But your child deserves your effort and your discomfort now, so they don’t have to struggle with dysregulation and poor physical foundations for the rest of their lives.

Instead of an easy out today, set a timer for just five minutes. Let your child choose one physical movement, whether it is jumping like different animals such as frogs or kangaroos, crawling through a tunnel of chairs, or a quick game of hide and seek. For those five minutes, you are 100% in their 3D world. This tiny burst of connection and movement does more for their brain than any tech app ever could.

Visit our website for more simple home play and movement resources. Let’s work together to build a healthy balance for screen time, connection, and movement.

07/03/2026

If we want children to be successful at reading and writing, we need to let them be successful at exploring and playing first.

Play builds the brain for problem solving, focus, creativity and regulation skills.

Learn some ideas here or visit our resources hub - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XZDDx4MwdoYrwGWx23V59jpaPxtTzuCk/view?usp=drivesdk

16/12/2025

Humans are creatures of habit and we often seek out the familiar. Let's make that a good thing. ❤️

16/12/2025

When terrible things happen, we want to make sense of things for our kids, but we can’t. Not in a way that feels like enough. Some things will never make any sense at all.

But here’s what you need to know: You don’t need to make sense of what’s happened to help them feel safe and held. We only need to make sense of how they feel about it - whatever that might be.

The research tells us so clearly that kids and teens are more likely to struggle after a tr@umatic event if they believe their response isn’t normal.

This is because they’ll be more likely to interpret their response as a deficiency or a sign of breakage.

Normalising their feelings also helps them feel woven into a humanity that is loving and kind and good, and who feels the same things they do when people are hurt.

‘How you feel makes sense to me. I feel that way too. I know we’ll get through this, and right now it’s okay to feel sad/ scared/ angry/ confused/ outraged. Talk to me whenever you want to and as much as you want to. There’s nothing you can feel or say that I can’t handle.’

And when they ask for answers that you don’t have (that none of us have) it’s always okay to say ‘I don’t know.’

When this happens, respond to the anxiety behind the question.

When we can’t give them certainty about the ‘why’, give them certainty that you’ll get them through this.

‘I don’t know why people do awful things. And I don’t need to know that to know we’ll get through this. There are so many people who are working hard to keep us safe so something like this doesn’t happen again, and I trust them.’

Remind them that they are held by many - the helpers at the time, the people working to make things safer.

We want them to know that they are woven in to a humanity that is good and kind and loving. Because however many people are ready to do the hurting, there always be far more who are ready to heal, help, and protect. This is the humanity they are part of, and the humanity they continue to build by being who they are.♥️

20/11/2025