Have you ever stood in a toy store and wondered what to buy because your child doesn’t seem to play with the same things that other kids enjoy? Perhaps they will only play if you play with them. Some children need help to engage in play. If this sounds like your kid, keep reading, as Michelle Knuckey from Choose Play has shared with us some tips to engaging children in independent play.

Join Mercedes College for the exclusive ‘Hike for History’, part of May’s South Australian History Festival. Limited to only 50 guests, this inaugural event will see participants enjoy a pre-hike coffee in the beautiful College grounds, once part of Springfield Estate and considered for the residence of the Governor of South Australia.

The Hills Montessori School has been operating in the Adelaide Hills for over forty years, fostering the curiosity of children in their educational programs. Located in a bush setting with two campuses – the primary campus in Aldgate and middle school campus in Stirling. The Hills Montessori School offers an education based on the Montessori philosophy of respect for self, others and the environment by fostering a love of learning and commitment to community.

Echoes Montessori is an early learning and care environment embedded into the vertical village of Encore Apartments independent retirement living. In this innovative space the children and their elders not only share land, but also share their lives with one another.

Michael Parker, Author of Talk with your Kids about Things that Matter has given a handy checklist of what you can do when kids broach thorny topics you might not have been expecting! From Plato to veganism, cancel culture to consent, and politics to basic kindness, Michael takes us through topics are set to engage, inspire, and even divide.

You might be surprised to know that there is more to school readiness than writing the alphabet and counting to 100! Early years teacher and mother of two, Lauren Hunt, gives us 5 important skills for starting school that have nothing to do with a pencil and paper!

When it comes to Education, BIN SHIFT is a fantastic tool for schools to use to facilitate sustainable waste separation and deliver the education needed to know which bin to use and why it’s so important for a sustainable future. Sustainable waste management doesn’t have to be rocket science, BIN SHIFT makes recycling and caring for our Earth fun & easy!

St Peter’s Woodlands this week launched its DARE Graduate Diploma — a 12-month experiential learning program that’s completed at home as well as at school. As part of the program, the students will be tasked with developing essential life skills — including household chores and preparing a 3-course meal for their family — undertaking a year-long Passion Project on a topic or subject that inspires them, as well as completing community service.

So what is good sleep? And how do we get it? Brooke Michell from Calm Space Psychology takes us through the value of healthy sleep for school children and how to make the most of those szzzzs!

The early years (officially 0-8) are such an important time in a young person’s life. They have an enormous thirst for knowledge and pretty much everything is new. Madhavi Nawana Paraker from Positive Minds Australia has given us 8 simple ways to help early learners thrive, that won’t put you under more pressure than necessary.

There is an enormous body of research showing that participation in music making directly affects children’s developing nervous systems. Music is one of the few things that uses both sides of the brain and it is also a dynamic way for children to develop their language and maths skills. Elizabeth McCall from the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra talks to us about the ASO learning and community program and how we can support South Australian children from all backgrounds to participate in music making.

Since its launch in February 2021, The Blackfriars podcast, The Torch has covered everything from teacher interviews to the annual swimming carnival and is used as a tool for building communication and collaboration skills, while at the same time giving students the media skills of the future.

Welcome to the new school year. After being in somewhat of a COVID bubble over the Christmas holidays, and having online and staggered starts, returning to school has fuelled anxiety in both parents and children! Teacher and counsellor Mark Le Messurier gives us some of his top tips for busting the back-to-school anxiety.

Children’s brains are still developing, which is why they often find it difficult to manage their ‘big feelings’. Having a basic understanding of the various structures and functions within the brain can help us to understand children’s behaviours and manage those big feelings more effectively. Kerra-Lee Wescombe from Connect.Ed explains it in a simple way, using the hand model of the brain.

St Raphael’s School in Parkside has announced its upcoming multimillion dollar redevelopment, featuring purpose built flexible learning spaces to inspire creativity and encourage collaboration, including a dedicated, state-of-the-art STEM facility. 

Over the last five years, education design – or in some circles – learning environments, has become one of the most sought after and innovative categories in Architecture. This influx of design projects has been seen at all levels of learning from early childhood centres through to higher education settings, and budgets that range from $5 million to $90+ million. Dr James Crane, design academic, writer, educator and SA DIA Deputy Chair takes us through some of SA’s up and coming innovative learning environments.

Significant investment has been committed to continually improve learning environments in schools across SA. Take a look at some of the major school upgrades completed, underway or scheduled for commencement this year.

Gaming addiction is a massive problem for parents all over the world. There is a window between the ages of 11 and 22 where our sons and daughters are at their most vulnerable to becoming addicted to games (and anything else for that matter). Gaming addiction expert, Simon Andrews from OK Psychology gives us some tips on how to develop a plan for incorporating real life and screen time into our kids activities.

As parents, it’s our role to nurture childhood, to provide the space for our children to be curious, creative and courageous. There are few things more rewarding than seeing your child develop their sense of self, witnessing them find their place in the world and cultivating their understanding of their own impact, abilities and strengths. While tinkering with pots, pans, spoons, tools, flowers and dirt may seem like little more than a recipe for a pile of washing and good scrub in the bath, it’s so much more than mess.