Grounded Practice with Alyna

Bras Basah light + messy joy. Glass collages that drift, paintings that go floor-wide, and a white dress turned wildflower. Growing children who think for themselves and aren’t afraid to start.

When educators act as custodians of play, they protect children’s right to explore, take risks, negotiate relationships, and make meaning in their own ways. This means designing environments that respond to children, holding safety and freedom in balance, and standing firm when play is misunderstood or undervalued.

As Educational Leader Kate Montiglio shared in a recent article for CELA's Amplify! newsletter, being a custodian of play is about courage and care. It is about trusting children, working in partnership with families and communities, and advocating for play as the foundation of learning, not an optional extra.

Colours of Spring 🌸 10 Jan 2026 to 31 Jan 2026
A process-led messy art studio for curious hands and open hearts.

This spring, children are invited into an open atelier to explore colour, texture, light, and movement — not to make a product, but to follow ideas as they unfold.

✨ In the studio, children will:
• Create a large-scale collage on the glass wall using coloured cellophane, paper, and markers, exploring transparency, layering, and light
• Paint on cellophane stretched across glass, watching colours drip, blur, and transform
• Experiment with spray painting and bold, expressive marks
• Build and paint cardboard flowers and tubes as part of a shared spring installation
• Work on the floor with space for whole-body mark making and collaboration
• Add marks to a shared white dress, a living canvas that gathers traces of many children’s encounters over time

🌿 What goes home
Each child will take home a cardboard flower they’ve created and painted — a personal piece shaped by their own ideas, choices, and process.

Here, we honour process over product,
expression over perfection,
and the confidence that grows when children are trusted with real materials and real choices.

🕊 DM for dates and timings
🎨 Dress for mess
🌼 All ages welcome

Spring isn’t something we teach —
it’s something we leave traces of, together.

🌸 Limited slots — WhatsApp 97975138 to reserve a slot.
Choose 2-hour studio entry or a late-start within first 30 minutes.

🌿 Introducing: Wiggle + Giggle — A Baby & Parent Play Club 🌿

A gentle, joyful play space where little hands explore, build, and make meaning through loose parts and messy play. No themes, no templates — just open-ended discovery powered by curiosity.

For babies 9 to 18 months
📍 Bras Basah Complex
📅 Tuesdays or Thursdays, December 2025
⏰ Play 9:30–10:30am · Mingle till 11:00am
💚 $32 per parent-child pair

✨ December Special: Double the Fun!
Bring a friend and get a free class — because play is richer when shared.

Message us to reserve your spot:
📩 WhatsApp 97975138
✉️ [email protected]

Powered by The Learning Caravan — connecting children through stories, play, and wonder.

Hi parents! 👋

We’ve just launched our official WhatsApp Channel for all updates, play session announcements, and early-bird booking links.

If you’d like to stay connected and get the latest news without the noise of group chats, simply follow us here: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbC28DM6buMBsg3CDP3K

Your number stays private, and you’ll always get first access to our upcoming sessions and pop-ups.

We’d love to have you with us there!

We’ve been so touched by the kind words and memories many of you have shared about The Learning Caravan. 💛

From your stories, one thing is clear — TLC has always been a space where children are seen, heard, and free to explore through play. ✨

“She listens and attends well enough to accompany children on their imagineering journeys.” — Sarah
“Every child felt welcomed and heard.” — Joy
“It charges my weary mum batteries.” — Dr. Farhan

Thank you for believing in what we do and for walking this journey with us. 🌱

We’re bringing TLC’s programmes to more places across Singapore — same heart, same values, and the same magic your children know and love.

🇸🇬 Singapore turns 60 this 9 August!

As a proudly homegrown company, we’re filled with gratitude for all that this little red dot has given us — a place to grow, to dream, and to advocate for children and educators with heart.

To celebrate, here’s a fun way to learn more about Singapore’s past and present!

Try it here: https://www.straitstimes.com/multimedia/graphics/2025/07/national-day-game-challenge-2025/index.html?shell

🎉 Can you spot all 60 iconic items in this National Day game by The Straits Times?

60 years, 60 items: A National Day game challenge Take our SG60 National Day challenge and hunt for 60 items, some of which are uniquely Singaporean.

Love these self-regulating ideas

A little thing I made this morning - for myself, and for anyone else who’s running a bit low already (hello summer holidays).

It’s a micro-menu for spending 15 minutes outside - no pressure, no expectations, just some gentle ways to meet yourself where you are.

Sometimes the act of making something for others is also how I look after myself. This was that.

Feel free to save or share it. I hope it finds whoever needs it.

💚 Candice | Calm in the Wild

🌱 Do you want to break the cycle?

Maybe you were told:
❌ “Stop crying, it’s not a big deal.”
❌ “Because I said so.”
❌ “Good kids don’t talk back.”

But deep down, you’ve always known,
✨ there’s another way.
✨ One rooted in connection, not control.
✨ One where children are heard, not hushed.
✨ One where love doesn’t come with conditions.

You don’t have to repeat the script you were given.
You can write a new one that’s with empathy, trust, and intention.

💭 Are you ready to break the cycle?

❤️ Drop a heart in the comments if this speaks to you.
📩 Share this post with someone else rewriting their parenting story too.

More materials do not always lead to more meaningful play.

What if a single mirror and a few curious objects were enough to spark a story?

What if thoughtful curation mattered more than how much we provide?

Loose Parts ≠ Junk Play invites you to simplify with intention and curate with care.

DM us to find out more.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿
𝑅𝑒𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒, 𝑃𝑢𝑟𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑓𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑚 𝑖𝑛 𝑇𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑅𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠

Supply teachers often arrive quietly.
They walk into unfamiliar rooms, pick up someone else’s plans, and hold space for children they’ve never met.
Too often, they are treated as placeholders who are expected to supervise, not to teach.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲.

The Relational Supply Teacher is a reflective, practice-based course that centres the humanity, intention, and agency of educators working in temporary or relief roles. Whether you’re covering for a day, a week, or a term, your presence holds the power to connect, affirm, and gently shift the culture of a classroom.

This isn’t just about “managing the day.”
It’s about showing up wholeheartedly, humbly, and with the quiet authority of someone who understands the child, the moment, and the meaning of relationship.

⸻

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲
• The image of the supply teacher: shifting from stand-in to steady presence

• Strategies for entering classrooms with care, curiosity, and clarity

• Micro-moments of agency: how children’s voices can be honoured in brief encounters

• Tools to support responsive practice, flexible planning, and meaningful documentation

• Reflective habits to grow your professional identity across different contexts

⸻

𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲
• A set of adaptable planning and reflection tools designed for transient roles

• Printable Note to Self and Leave-Behind templates

• Loose parts and storytelling prompts for use in unfamiliar settings

• A reflective practice journal and portfolio starter kit

• A certificate of participation from The Grounded Collective

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𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝘀 𝗙𝗼𝗿
This course is for:
• Early childhood and primary educators working in supply, relief, or short-term cover roles

• New graduates navigating flexible work

• Experienced teachers returning to the field part-time

• Any educator who wants to stay grounded in their values while working across multiple contexts

⸻

𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒍𝒆, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈.

𝑳𝒆𝒕’𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒎 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒂 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆.