Play Workshop

Measuring with Seeds Shaving Foam Fun Water Tray Investigations

Play at Southern Cross

At Southern Cross Early Childhood School we are committed to providing children with opportunities to engage in play. Our learning environments reflect our beliefs that children effectively learn through play and we support them in their individual endeavours and interests.

Early childhood education is one of society's most important professions and areas of education. Research unequivocally demonstrates that if we can provide a solid, intentional, play based curriculum with a rich creative environment with highly professional educators in the field, children will receive a quality early childhood education that will influence and impact upon their lives and learning for their futures (Early Life Foundations- Walker Pedagogy).

Aren't they just playing?

Children engaged in play are never 'just playing'. Play allows children to explore their worlds, gather new information, practise skills, role model, create, communicate and LEARN! Educators are constantly providing provocations which allow the children to think, ask questions and wonder. These provocations allow the children access to a rich learning program where they develop a deep understanding and practical knowledge of all curriculum areas.

Play is such a crucial part of our development. As we get older, our play turns to inquiry, curiosity, noticing and wonder. At Southern Cross, our Play Workshops provide children with the opportunity to play, be curious and wonder about the big questions that are relevant to our children’s lives. Our teachers facilitate and orchestrate our Play Workshops to enable deep inquiry into an area of the Australian Curriculum and the Early Years Learning Framework to make the play relevant to the lives of each child in the classroom.

Learning spaces are set up to encourage exploration and provocations to stimulate learning. Teachers teach explicitly for one-third of the lesson time and children then have opportunities to explore, play and learn and for two-thirds of the lesson time. At the end of the workshop, children work with the classroom teacher to reflect on their learning.

Teachers guide and facilitate Play Workshops while children work individually or together on shared projects. Children are encouraged to step out of their comfort zone and show their learning in a variety of ways for example, drawing, plays, construction, dance, written expression, art etc. Festivals of learning occur as the final product to celebrate the learning that has occurred over a period. Families and school community are invited into these festivals to celebrate with children.

What the children think about Play Workshop.

I like that I can be creative and that everybody can do different things.
-Elizabeth, Year 1

I like Play Workshop because you can express yourself.
-Theo, Year 2

I like being able to draw.
-Eleanor, Year 1

I can build and create with Lego in Play Workshop.
-Ashton, Year 1

We collect, build, work with our friends and play in Play Workshop.
-Banjo and Iggy, Kindergarten

I really like box construction and making things in Play Workshop.
-Hadlee, Kindergarten

I like crafting and building things in Play Workshop.
-Amaya, Year 1