For our 2 - 3 year olds, we ensure Bay Explorers is a daily dose of fun and learning as individuals, in small groups, and as a whole group. There are many milestones typical of this age group and their main developments will be associated with self-help skills, toilet training, and independence from comforters, including dummies
Our Educators consciously build on the children’s learning from our Toddler environment when they enter Junior Kindy. The children are encouraged to develop their abilities in essential life skills such as serving themselves at morning tea using tongs, scraping their own bowls, helping to clean up after art experiences, putting their hats and shoes away when they come into the room and helping to pack up the playground/room after play. As the children grow more comfortable in the room and better able to help themselves, the list will grow.
Engaging the children in areas of their own personal interest is vitally important as a curious child will engage, explore and develop with great focus when they find the activity/topic interesting. Hearing from families and friends about what the children enjoy at home and in different environments is just the start in developing our knowledge of each child. Educators observe and experiment to test levels of interest and support pathways for each child’s full involvement in the activities, then extend these experiences to continue the adventure across many days and weeks, and sometimes months. This could be anything from creating their own post office or shop, to play with dinosaurs and fossils or giving dedicated attention to our vegetable patches.
As our Junior Kindy children show growing levels of indpendance and physical ability, they thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to explore our largest playscape.
With mature trees for shade, long verandas for all weather outdoor enjoyment and a shaded sandpit, this is a playground like no other. Curvy bike paths, a giant fort, climbing wall and our mud pit - the children have so much to explore. The children's participation in gardening continues with Junior Kindy, with a large vegetable patch ready for their invovement. We focus on helping the children to understand the concept of 'garden to plate', as they take pride in what they are able to grow and then experience the excitement of eating the end product!
