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Food ideas to get the approval and acceptance of your little food critic

We’re sure approximately 96.3 per cent of parents deal with a child who, let’s say, is choosey about what they want to eat. So choosey, in fact, they may choose to eat almost nothing you put in front of them. The amount of stress that puts on parents can be surprisingly strong. After all, as adults, we eat what we want, we understand benefits and consequences of what we put in our bodies, we understand when we’re famished and when we’re just not that hungry. But for some reason, when it comes to the little humans we’ve created, their diet can become a massive focus of parenting-what-did-we-do-wrong. You want so badly to make all the right decisions in parenting, to ensure your child is well-fed from a variety of nutritious sources so they can grow to be the healthiest, best version of themselves.

So how do we handle this picky phase – (though the term phase suggests it’s a short period of time when in fact it can be years or even a lifetime of challenging food preferences)?

We brought the village together and came up with some suggestions to ease the stress mealtime puts on everyone.

Serve veggies first. Offering vegetables before bringing out the rest of the food can be a way to get children to scarf nutrients up before filling up on pasta and bread. For example, in Italian culture, it’s common to serve four courses, the antipasti which might include cold grilled vegetables, cured meats, etc, the primi, or first course, is where starch-based meals come into play, the secondi, or main course, is normally a protein-based dish such as fish, meat, poultry or eggs, and the cortorni, or side dishes, which are usually vegetables or even salad that accompany the second course. What we like about this is that a person’s hunger is slowly reduced, which could be a neat way to adapt into your family’s meal, Italian or not!
Drizzle the veggies with salted butter. Butter makes veggies yummy and the fat helps little bodies absorb many nutrients better!
A fun buffet! Enter, the chicken nugget bar. So yes, there’s chicken nuggets to guarantee your child will eat something, but offer a range of healthier dips for them to try that will add nutrients to their growing bodies. Think greek yogurt, hummus, beetroot dip or more. Bonus points if you can make vegetable nuggets and get them to eat those along with the dips. Speaking of dips, don’t nix dips, yes some of them may have ingredients you might question, but if said dips get your children to eat vegetables, why not give it a try? With homemade dips, you can also control the sugar or salt in them.
Make it a game! Get your child to close his or her eyes and guess the colour of the food they’re about to taste. American radio producer Hillary Frank said this is the way she got her children to eat capsicum.
Taste the rainbow. Form different coloured foods into a rainbow onto the plate, or try a drop of food colouring if you think they might be adventurous!
A tried and often true classic is to sneak veggies in other foods – blended into pasta sauces, baked into muffins, pancakes, smoothies, etc.
Ensure children are actually hungry. Additionally, offering a smaller main dish, such as a small portion of mac ‘n’ cheese, encourages them to consume more of their side dish, like garlic broccoli, as their hunger persists. This approach is both common sense and scientific evidence.
Talk about how veggies make your body strong–and then after dinner have a jumping/running/skipping/whatever contest. It’s amazing how much higher you can jump after you eat all your broccoli (wink, wink)!
Include food discovery outside of meal time. One UK study investigated the impact of a non-taste sensory activity program in a nursery school setting, involving children aged 12 to 36 months. Children in the intervention group engaged in activities focusing on looking, listening, feeling, and smelling unusual fruits and vegetables every day for four weeks. The results showed that these children were more inclined to touch and taste the vegetables they had been familiarised with during playtime activities, compared to a control group that did not participate in such activities.
“We also turn eating into a game,” says educator Kristen from our ____ campus. “Using utensils as characters that make funny sounds (our class favourite is the ‘forklift’). Playing these storytelling games during meals not only enriches our caregiving but takes the pressure off the child.”
Use a veggie discovery chart! Studies show that it can take a child anywhere between 7 to 20 exposures to a certain ingredient before they start to feel familiar with that food, so by putting stickers every time they are exposed to a vegetable on this list, that helps their exposure. If they didn’t like it, they can put a red sticker; if they liked it so-so, they get to put a yellow sticker; and if they loved it, they get to put a green sticker. The loves can help parents put successful meals together! You can find a veggie discovery chart here.
Roast vegetables with something sweeter. Children have more taste buds and a sharper sense of taste than adults, which may explain why they often find the slight bitterness in many vegetables more pronounced. Our evolutionary instincts to avoid bitter flavours, once a protection against poisonous substances, can make it challenging for little ones to appreciate these tastes. However, vegetables are incredibly beneficial and can act as a form of preventative medicine. To make veggies more appealing to children, try adding a bit of brown sugar or maple syrup to roasted vegetables. Other tasty additions could include a vinaigrette, yogurt, butter, lemon juice, or tomato sauce making the vegetables more palatable and encouraging children to try new foods.
Some parents have great success with making a little plate of veggies and serve as an “appetizer” while parents finish preparing dinner. Children are usually hungry and need a distraction. This way they fill their tummies first with healthy foods. Or be playful about it and ask the children to watch the plate, but under no circumstance are they to have any. And if they take one, be dramatic with your ‘NO NO THOSE ARE MINE ONLY’ response, which will probably result in giggles and more ‘sneaking’!
Healthy breakfast pancakes! Who says vegetables have to be for lunch and dinner? Check out this recipe.
Reduce snacks or morning/afternoon teas. Part of the culprit might be your child is already full for the day by the time they get to dinner, so they’re selective in what they’ll eat on their plate because they’re just not very hungry.
“When my cousins and I were children, our parents would try to get us to eat broccoli, they would say they were ‘little trees’ and we would all pretend we were giraffes to eat the broccoli. It worked!” Jell, social media and marketing specialist.
Why stick to traditional cutlery? Try letting your child skewer bite-sized food on toothpicks or using chopsticks. Your child might have a lot of fun and actually eat the veggies, meat or whatever they don’t normally try.
Re-Package, Re-Spin, Re-Brand. Think of yourself as the mastermind behind a food marketing campaign, where your toughest critics are pint-sized food connoisseurs. To make a food they’re not keen on seem more appealing, give it a humorous twist. For example, if carrots are a no-go, try calling them ‘X-Ray Vision Sticks’, suggesting they’re the secret behind superheroes’ sharp eyesight. The idea is to weave a bit of storytelling and humour into meals, transforming mundane foods into characters of a whimsical, edible tale

19. If you have the creativity and the time, present the food into characters, scenes or animals your child likes. Search for ideas on Pinterest or Instagram!

20. Don’t answer the question ‘what’s for dinner’. Come up with a silly answer such as “bugs and onions”, or something obvious ‘food’, but don’t give them time to dread dinner.

21. In Piaget’s developmental stages, there’s a phase known as the preoperational stage, where a child’s understanding of conservation is still developing. For example, if you pour juice from a short, wide glass into a tall, narrow one, they might believe the tall glass contains more juice because it looks “bigger,” even when they see the pouring happen. This concept can be cleverly applied to serving vegetables to children. By arranging the veggies closer together, they seem “smaller” to the child, giving the impression that they’re eating less. Conversely, spreading out items like chicken nuggets can create the illusion of a larger portion, making mealtime a bit more appealing to them

22. Everyone at the table eats the same meal, but try to include one item everyone likes. No alternatives, or if you have to, make the alternative something like veggie sticks and hummus. Eating together as a family is also a great way to bond and create lasting memories.

23. The one-bite rule: say something like, “Remember the time you didn’t think you’d like cherries, but you did? Let’s try this sweet potato now, because you might like it. Once you try it you can say, “No thank you!” but you have to at least try it! Then that food is no thank you food.”

24. The ‘silver bowl snack’ to expand their palate, one tiny taste at a time. If your child doesn’t like something, say something like, “well your tastebuds must not be grown up enough for that yet, let’s see what happens next time you try it.” Since children often want to be more “grown up” they may willingly try the offending food again the next time it was offered. If the child decides to try it, make a big deal about how grown up your child is getting.

25. Keep pre-cut vegetables and fruits in a bowl or clear Tupperware container, front and centre in the fridge and — important — then place some on a platter on the kitchen counter in your child’s line of vision all afternoon.

26. Do your children like mashed potatoes? Get more veggies in there! If the mashed potatoes turn green? Well, they’re Hulk potatoes obviously. Are they orange? Then they’re Nemo or insert-your-child’s-favourite-orange-character-here.

27. “We get our children to pick a meal they want to eat for dinner for the week and we buy the ingredients then they all get a night to cook dinner for us, makes them interested in wanting to eat the meal they make for us, and they need to choose something with a minimum of two veggies.” Jess, enrolments officer.

28. Sprinkles also go a long way. Yes, actual sprinkles, or foods that they can shake on like sprinkles. Think seasonings, herbs and chia seeds. If a child doesn’t like the food presented, ask what you can add to make it more exciting. And let them do the sprinkling. Sometimes, it really is as simple as that.

29. While it’s easy to use a smartphone or TV to occupy your child’s attention and you might even see your child mindlessly eat, that’s actually not what you want. You want children to be focused on the food, but also focused on family time and conversation.

30. Relax! Try not to put pressure on them to eat. You wouldn’t want someone constantly commenting on your plate choices and habits. Mel, operations manager of Little Scholars, said her son has been picky since he was two years old. When she spoke to a nutritionist, she said “as long as he was eating 20-25 different foods throughout the week he would be OK.” While it can feel stressful, your child is likely getting the nutrients they need, whether you’re offering fresh, frozen, tinned foods, you’re trying your best, your child is flourishing, and one day, this will just be a memory!

Teaching a small child self-respect, to find and use his or her own voice can be one of the most valuable lessons you share as a parent or special adult in that child’s life. When children can speak up for themselves, this will help them in every aspect of their lives, for the rest of their lives. Having the ability to use their voices, they’re able to command respect, protect their feelings and their bodies, and increase their confidence in their ideas, their relationships and in various social settings. There are several facets to teaching a child to use his or her voice.

Examples of self-respect for children

Allow your child to make choices about his or her body. You can start by allowing them choices on what to wear, and checking with them if it’s ok to help them dress or undress. This is the beginning of teaching your child about consent, even if he or she is a baby. Loved ones can also model consent by asking, ‘May I pick you up?’ or ‘May I give you a hug?’ and in the bath or nappy changes, asking permission before you clean or wipe your child in private places. Those conversations can lead to discussions about appropriate versus inappropriate touching, and even little children should expect to be asked permission from anyone who comes into contact with them. Even if they’re your children and you’ve been looking after them literally since day one, you’re showing them you respect their body by asking first.

Respect for their bodies

This is the same in our campuses. It’s our policy to maintain the rights and dignity of the children, that includes in terms of nappy changing and toileting, so we try to provide privacy where possible from everyone in our campuses. Our educators are all trained in respectful care, and host not-for-profit visitors such as Bravehearts, who teach children about advocating for body safety, yes and no feelings, the difference between parents, trusted adults like doctors or educators looking after their bodies, versus strangers and unsafe adults.

We recommend teaching children young the proper names for their body parts and use them any time you are talking about them. When they’re first learning to speak, this can be a great bathtime conversation as you point out the names of various body parts. Keep any cringing when talking about body parts to yourself. The sexualised nature of private body parts — giggling or shame when talking about them — that’s adult stuff that we don’t need to put onto children.

“I teach my children “Your body belongs to you and you only” as well as naming their correct private parts which are theirs only,” says Holly, a lead educator in the Senior Kindy studio at our Staplyton campus. “Children really need to be educated about body awareness/safety.”

Why is teaching them proper names so important? Getting used to these conversations young can reduce embarrassment, something unnecessarily expressed by many adults and in previous generations, and establish ongoing communications with children about sex/sexuality. But most importantly, this educates and empowers little ones about their body safety, and research shows this could protect them from predators.

Explain to your child that nobody is allowed to touch our private parts unless it’s for hygiene or medical reasons and that people who have to come in contact with your child’s private areas have to ask permission first. But while there’s no shame in their bodies, they should also know there are parts of the body that are private and have it explained to them those parts are just for them.

Holly says additionally, they have conversations with the children with scenarios about stranger danger and the steps they need to remember in case anything like that happens. They also have conversations about who the children name as their ‘safe people’.

Respect for children in public

There are lots of ways to show children respect, and it’s important when you expect them to respect others. Try to refrain from talking about your child, especially in front of them, to others, or be mindful of what you do share. This shows your child you respect his or her privacy. You may remember a time when you were younger when a parent or someone you loved shared a story that embarrassed you – even as an adult, you remember. Your child could too. Before you tell a story, ask yourself how they’d feel about you telling it.

In our increasingly digital world, this also goes for sharing everything about them on social media. Once it’s online, it’s there forever. Even if it in theory disappears after 24 hours, screenshots can be taken. That also goes for other people’s children – other parents may not want them on social media, so keep online sharing to your own children. Consider what you are posting, would your child want to have a picture for the world to see of themselves on the potty or with a bare bottom when they’re older? Keep in mind others may Google them in the future; potential and current employers, associates, and most scarily, predators.

Another way you can show your child respect is by discussing inappropriate behaviour away from public settings. Keep important conversations for a time when you can discuss them privately. You may think embarrassing them by calling their actions out in public might stop them from doing it again, but this will likely backfire. You can say in public something like ‘We will have an important talk about this later.’ and stick to that. But highlighting negative behaviours in public only causes humiliation and shame, and no one needs to feel that way.

Respect for their physical boundaries

Don’t force children to hug or kiss anyone, even family. You could ask, for example, how they’d like to say greet people in each social situation.

“I offer children the choice of a hug, holding hands or sitting together as an alternative to allow them to make the choice. When saying hello or goodbye they can say just the words, high five, fist bump or hug, but it is always up to them,” says Claire, an educator from our Nerang campus. These options still teach them to be polite if that’s important to you, but shows them how they can do it within their comfort level and respects their physical boundaries.

Respect by owning up to mistakes

Parents often focus on teaching children to be respectful, such as learning to apologise when in the wrong, but teaching children to just say ‘sorry’ versus understanding how their actions actually affect others and learning to own their actions is a better way to develop their emotional maturity. By asking the children questions such as ‘how do you think your sister felt when you hit her?’ or ‘how were you feeling when you broke that toy?’ and ‘what would you like people to do if they recognise they made you feel sad?’ will get them to begin to understand owning up to their mistakes and learning to say sorry meaningfully.

This is also where modelling comes in. It’s important to apologise to your child when you make a mistake. They learn from you, and by saying you’re sorry sincerely shows children that no one is perfect, that everyone makes mistakes, but it’s how we respond to them that counts. This could be done in other ways, rather than an adult yelling when angry, but by speaking kindly and respectfully to them, even when it’s difficult to, or if you’re setting a limit, children begin to understand their actions have consequences and can respond to situations differently in future.

Respect their voice

Let your child answer for themselves. Refrain from answering questions directed at them. If they don’t want to answer, don’t make a big deal about it.

“We use language to acknowledge how children feel for example, ‘I can see that you are upset, how can I help you?’” says Claire. “We use this language to help children to speak for themselves every day so it becomes second nature to them.”

We guide our educators to tune in to the behaviours, actions and emotions of the child to identify what they may be trying to communicate.

“Through listening to gestures cues, along with words, shows respect and ensures we are responsive to children and value their rights,” says Susan Cooper, group pedagogical leader for Little Scholars. “It is important for early childhood educators to validate what the children may be feeling and this is done by our educators asking the child about their emotions and setting spaces and environments where the children feel safe and secure to express their feelings comfortably.”

Tell them it’s OK to say ‘no’ if they feel unsafe or unsure. This teaches children and young people that it is OK to stand up for themselves and to be assertive if something doesn’t feel right. Following this, they should know that nothing is so ‘yucky’ that they can’t tell someone they trust about it. Hopefully, this is something your child never has to deal with, but if they’re asked to keep something secret that hurts them or makes them uncomfortable, then by talking to them about situations like this, they’ll speak up straight away and not worry about getting in trouble by breaking a ‘secret’. Teach them the difference between secrets, privacy, and surprises.

Here’s an explanation of the differences. A surprise is something that should be fun, happy, and temporary. Secrets that are meant to be kept for a long time are usually meant to protect someone or keep someone from getting in trouble. Although we want children to be wary of secrets (therefore, keep language in mind) —and especially to come to us when they have an unsafe secret—they also need to learn that some things should be kept private. Privacy isn’t about keeping someone from getting in trouble; it’s about respecting a person’s personal information.

Finally, please feel free to talk to your educators or campus managers about how they manage any of these conversations and talk to them about how you prefer it handled. We want your children and your family to feel respected and heard, safe and happy in our care, and if we can help with those conversations, we’d like to. These are also conversations you should have with extended family or people who will be in your child’s life.

Most importantly, model the person you want them to become. Children will remember their biggest role models their entire lives, so being a respectful, caring, supportive, confident adult influence will teach children the best person he or she can become. By showing them the respect they deserve and teaching them about self-respect, we’re setting them up for their future. Self-respecting and resilient children who spend time in positive, affectionate and supportive environments, led by clear and reasonable guidelines, and have healthy connections to parents and other adults, grow to be adults with the ability to bounce back from challenging situations their entire lives. And, all of the ways you show respect for children teaches them how they should show respect for others.

Important links:

Do your children play with dolls? There have been some fascinating research findings that highlight the advantages of dolls as a tool for nurturing social and emotional skills in children. Recent studies have shown that doll play provides children with opportunities to engage in imaginative role-playing, develop empathy, and enhance their communication about others’ thoughts and feelings. There’s also been some research that looks at traditional notions of gender preferences in toy choices, emphasising the importance of providing children with diverse play experiences, all of which we’ll explore here.

Research challenges the notion of innate gender preferences in toy choices. Studies have found that even baby boys can and will show a preference for dolls over trucks, indicating that toy preferences may be influenced by environmental factors rather than biological predispositions. By encouraging children to play with dolls, we can help them develop a broader understanding of the world, challenge gender stereotypes, and promote equality.

Doll play provides opportunities for children to practice social and emotional skills by creating imaginary worlds, taking others’ perspectives, and talking about others’ thoughts and feelings, according to 2020 research titled Exploring the Benefits of Doll Play Through Neuroscience. The study, conducted by researchers from Cardiff University and King’s College London, saw 33 children between the ages of four and eight freely play with Barbie dolls and accessories, or tablet games with a social partner or by themselves.

The children were left to play spontaneously, but their chat was monitored and they were also fitted with a specialised cap containing state-of-the-art, functional near-infrared spectroscopy equipment – a form of brain imaging technology, making it possible to track brain activity while the child freely moved around.

The study found that the children talked more about others’ thoughts and emotions when playing with the dolls, compared with playing creative games on a computer tablet, such as a hairdressing game or a city-building game with characters.

Social play also activated the right prefrontal regions in the brain more than solo play, researchers found. These areas of the brain are responsible for regulating thoughts, actions and emotions.

The children in the study were also more likely to talk to the dolls versus characters in the digital games, which showed they were developing important social and emotional skills, according to the lead researcher.

“When children create imaginary worlds and role play with dolls, they communicate at first out loud and then internalise the message about others’ thoughts, emotions and feelings,” says lead researcher Dr. Sarah Gerson in the university release. “This can have positive long-lasting effects on children, such as driving higher rates of social and emotional processing and building social skills like empathy that can become internalised to build and form lifelong habits.”

Boys and dolls

Closer to home, research conducted at the University of Western Sydney in 2013 found young baby boys seemed to prefer dolls to trucks, challenging the theory of an innate preference among babies for typical feminine or masculine toys. Researchers gauged the preferences of four and five-month-old babies by showing them pictures of male and female humans and dolls, as well as cars and other items.

Researchers then measured how long their gaze lingered on the objects, and calculated their preferences based on that length of time. Researchers found there was a general looking preference for dolls or doll faces over cars or trucks for both the male and female babies observed at five months old.

Other studies conducted at U of WS have found as babies age, there are sometimes preferences toward toys marketed at their own gender, but those preferences, researchers hypothesised, could be environmental or a result of nurturing, so if they’ve been given more opportunities to play with toy trucks than dolls, they may show a preference for toy trucks.

Babies don’t typically show gender preference until at least their second year, according to some studies, indicating that preference later may be the result of their physiological changes, cognitive development or social pressure.

Making sense of the world through play

Playing with dolls is a version of role-playing, and that’s a great thing in child development. Dolls are used to create narratives while playing. When children do this, they’re learning to make sense of the world and this kind of role-play helps them see things more broadly.

Other research has looked at how gendered toys are approached by each sex. One study in the 1980s had a few dozen girls and boys (aged four to nine years) presented with toys in three sex-labeled boxes and were given six minutes to explore the objects. The children’s memory for information about the toys was tested one week later. Results show that the children tactually explored toys labeled for their own sex more than similar objects labeled for the other sex, and remembered more detailed information about own-sex than other-sex objects. Between ages three to five, gender is very important to children, according to an an associate professor at the University of Kentucky. So when children are presented with very specifically-marketed gendered toys, they pay careful attention.

This is a time we should encourage children to play with all kinds of toys, as it sets the foundations for free thinking, creative play and removes the constraints of gender.

The benefits for children, regardless of their sex, of playing with dolls are numerous and supported by research. Doll play provides opportunities for children to practice social and emotional skills, develop empathy, and engage in imaginative play. Studies have shown that doll play leads to increased communication about others’ thoughts and emotions, activating important brain regions responsible for regulating thoughts, actions, and emotions.

At Little Scholars, we recognise the importance of supporting children’s interests and providing them with a diverse range of toys and play opportunities. Our home corner, which includes dolls and role-playing materials, encourages children to explore, imagine, and develop important skills and dispositions for learning. By embracing doll play and role-playing activities, we foster autonomy, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and a sense of agency in our children.

References:

Exploring the Benefits of Doll Play Through Neuroscience (2020). Cardiff University and King’s College London.
Study on baby boys’ preferences for dolls (2013). University of Western Sydney.
Gendered toy exploration and play: Sequelae of the gender identity interview (1986). University of Kentucky.

Are you planning a family camping trip near Brisbane? Camping with children can be a fun and rewarding experience, but it requires some extra planning and preparation. From choosing the right campsite to packing the essentials, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind to ensure a successful and enjoyable trip.

They say that there are two types of people. Those who love camping and those who don’t know they love it yet. If you fall into the first camp, you’ll be well aware of the incredible impact that camping can have on you. It’s a time to emotionally and spiritually recharge. You’re disconnected from the minutiae of urban and suburban life and immersed in a setting where all of your modern day needs and concerns are stripped away.

And if you’re planning a family camping trip near Brisbane, there’s no better time to experience the joys of camping with your loved ones. Camping is bliss. If you don’t know that yet, you’re about to. Let’s take a look at what to pack for your family camping trip and offer some suggestions for the best camping spots near Brisbane. We’ll also provide tips for choosing a family-friendly campsite, so you can relax and enjoy the great outdoors with your loved ones. So, grab your tent, pack your bags, and get ready for an adventure!

If you’re looking for childcare centres in Brisbane or the Gold Coast, look no further. At Little Scholars, our goal is to be an extension of your family. Our first priority is the growth and development of your child; we nurture, teach and guide your child to developing all the skills that will allow them to succeed in life. Find a campus near you today.

Finding a home in nature: the joys of family camping

Camping can be a magical experience, regardless of the season. In winter, watching your children marvel at the way their breath forms shapes in front of their faces as you pitch your tent can be truly delightful (if a little cold). And during the summer, camping is a great way for children to spend their childhood, despite the heat and humidity.

More than just a fun activity, camping can also teach our children valuable life skills. Through camping, they can learn to appreciate nature, become more responsible and mature, develop a strong work ethic, and understand the importance of safety and getting along with others. Along the way, you might even meet fascinating characters and make lifelong friends.

Camping is truly what childhood memories are made of. If you think you can do without the conveniences of the big city for a couple of nights, pack up your tent, hit the road, and say a cheerful “coo-ee” to your fellow campers. You might just find a home away from home in nature.

What to take camping with children

If you’re planning a family camping trip near Brisbane, there are a few essential items that you’ll want to make sure you take camping for you and your little ones.

Sleeping Gear

First and foremost, you’ll need a safe and sturdy tent. Look for a tent that’s appropriate for the size of your family and that has enough room for everyone to sleep comfortably. You’ll also want to invest in quality sleeping bags and mats to ensure that everyone gets a good night’s sleep. When camping with children, it’s important to prioritise comfort to avoid any meltdowns or sleepless nights.

Shoes and spare clothing

Appropriate shoes and clothes are also vital when camping. Well gripped shoes are a must when using communal toilets and showers to avoid any slips or falls. During the day, sturdy closed-toe shoes will also protect your child’s feet from rocks and other hazards when adventuring. Pack clothes that are suitable for the weather conditions, including rain gear and warm layers for cooler evenings.

Yummy snacks

Pack some favourite snacks. Camping can be an active and adventurous experience, so you’ll want to make sure you have plenty of snacks on hand to keep your little ones fueled up. Pack some of their easy ready-to-go favourite treats, such as granola bars, trail mix, or fruit snacks. And don’t forget the marshmallows for roasting over the campfire!

Reading material

Pack one of their books. Camping can be a great opportunity to unplug and enjoy the natural world around you, but it’s also nice to have some quiet downtime. Bring along a book that your child loves or pick up a new one before you leave. Reading can be a great way to wind down before bed or to relax in a hammock during the day.

Games

Camping is all about spending time outdoors and having fun, so make sure you bring along some activities to keep your children entertained. Outdoor games like frisbee, catch, or a soccer ball can be a great way to burn off some energy and get active. Board games or a deck of cards are also great for rainy days or quiet evenings around the campfire. And if you’re looking for a more immersive experience, try bringing a scavenger hunt or nature bingo game to help your children explore the natural world around them

Other key items

In addition to the above essentials, you’ll want to bring along a few other key items. Torches will be essential for nighttime bathroom trips and navigating around the campsite in the dark. A first aid kit is also a must-have in case of any minor injuries or accidents. And don’t forget your sunscreen and bug spray!

Lastly, make sure you have food storage containers and a rubbish bin to keep your campsite clean and free of any critters.

How to choose family camping sites

Your family will have a set of criteria when it comes to selecting the best possible campsite for your holiday. This will depend on the number of children you have with you, their ages, their physical abilities and your attachment to modern conveniences.

Here are some important factors to consider when selecting a family-friendly campsite:

Toilets and Shower Facilities:
When camping with little ones, it’s important to have access to clean and convenient toilet and shower facilities. Look for campsites that offer modern amenities such as flushing toilets and hot showers. It’s also worth checking whether there are family-friendly facilities like baby changing stations or accessible bathrooms for those with special needs.

Popularity of the Campsite:
Consider the popularity of the campsite you’re considering, especially if you’re camping during peak season. If the campsite is known for being a party spot or a popular destination for rowdy groups, it might not be the peaceful retreat you’re looking for. Look for quieter campsites that cater to families with young children.

Items of Interest for Young Children:

Choose a campsite that has nearby attractions that your small humans will enjoy, such as beaches, parks, bush walks, or open spaces. This will give your children the opportunity to explore and play, and will help keep them entertained throughout the trip.

Family-Friendly Facilities:
Make sure the campsite has family-friendly facilities like playgrounds, BBQs, and picnic tables. These amenities will help make your trip more comfortable and enjoyable for everyone. If your family likes to fish, look for a campsite with fishing spots or other outdoor activities.

Proximity to Unfenced Potential Hazards:
Be aware of any unfenced potential hazards like bodies of water near your campsite. This is especially important if you have young children who may be at risk of wandering off. Look for campsites that are fenced or have safety measures in place to ensure that your family stays safe.

Reputation and Rating of the Campsite:
Do some research on the campsite’s reputation and rating before booking your trip. Check online reviews on sites like Tripadvisor or Google to get an idea of what other families have experienced at the campsite. This will help you make an informed decision and choose a campsite that meets your family’s needs.

By considering these factors when choosing a family-friendly campsite, you’ll be able to find the perfect spot for your family to enjoy the great outdoors

The best camping near Brisbane – where to go?

Now that you’re in the mood to spread out a swag, here are some of the best campground spots near Brisbane to go camping with children.

Camping Bigriggen with the family

The scenic rim is one of the most spectacular places in South-East Queensland. The gorgeous, untouched hinterlands blend seamlessly into picturesque, quaint farm lands. The camping opportunities at Bigriggen mean that families can easily access this hidden wonderland. Powered or non-powered sites mean you can choose the level of comfort you desire.

There is opportunity to go fishing and bushwalking, 4WD tracks, bike riding and swimming. Amenities are plentiful with showers, bathrooms and drinkable water all available onsite. You can even bring the dog! A perfect first-time experience for camping with the whole family.

Visit the Bigriggen Campground website today!

Camping Hastings Point

Heading about 30 km south of the Tweed will bring you to the beautiful Hastings Point area. There are lots of different campsites around here – some of them even offering Surfari (glamping) tents for the travellers who enjoy the finer things in life! There are lots of things to see and do in the township and the winding river tributaries are perfect for exploration and kayaking.

Check out Hastings Point campsites.

Elanda Point Camping

This is a camping-with-children hotspot and for good reason. Toddlers and young children NEED space to get physical and run around. These camp sites are grassy and spacious. There is plenty of room to ride bikes and climb trees. The nearby water is peaceful and calm and perfect for a splash about. Gentle walking trails pepper the nearby areas offering plenty of opportunities for exercise and stretching the old (and young!) legs.

Visit Habitat Noosa’s website today!

Camping Borumba Deer Park

Borumba Deer Park camping is about two hours from Brisbane. It offers creek side camping with the promise of swimming, fishing and kayaking. This is a peaceful spot for reflection and contemplation. It is well appointed for families with facilities like toilets, kitchens, laundries and a little shop (with coffee!).

Visit Borumba Deer Park website today!

Other camping spots near Brisbane

The above listed sites are but the tip of the iceberg when it comes to idyllic camping spots near Brisbane. There are fabulous spots for families throughout the Gold Coast region, Toowoomba, Ipswich and further afield.

Now that you’ve discovered the best spots for camping near Brisbane, it’s time to discover how nature play can bring out the best in your child. Find out at Little Scholars.

Reading with children is transformational – it helps with communication and language development, cognitive skills, inspires imagination and creativity, serve as conversation starters, we could go on and on. It’s also fantastic bonding time that will create memories to last a lifetime. You probably know all about Little Scholars approach to reading, and that it’s a big part of our educational programming. Lately, we’ve been thinking about books that have really stuck with families and educators and of course, children! We thought we’d share some of our favourites, and they’re linked to Gold Coast and/or Brisbane libraries so you don’t have to spend a dime if you need some new reads!

Piranhas don’t eat bananas

This is one of my favourite books to read with children. It’s great for when you have a picky eater or when trying to introduce new foods that children are hesitant to try. – Claire, lead educator, Little Scholars Nerang

By Aaron Blabey, published 2017

Reading ages: ‎ 3 – 6 years

Synopsis: ‘Hey there, guys. Would you like a banana?’ ‘What’s wrong with you. Brian? You’re a piranha.’ Brian loves bananas. Trouble is, Brian’s a piranha. And his friends aren’t happy about his fondness for fruit. No, they’re not happy at all

City of Gold Coast Libraries

Stop the Clock

I recently checked this book out of my local library and read it with my three-year-old daughter. It resonated with me as mornings to get ready with drop-off at Little Scholars Burleigh and get to myself work are so rushed. In this story, I got a better understanding of what that constant hurrying might be like for my toddler, who just wants to start her day by enjoying some time at home, and with her parents.

Since we read this book, I’ve intentionally slowed down, calmed my typical encouragements to move faster and try to find time ways for more connection, with a quick story before we leave or we make up stories in the car. The point in the book of slowing down has even helped with hard moments my daughter might be having by stopping together, going or looking outside and starting to point out all the things we see. – Christina, social media and marketing specialist.

Author: Pippa Goodhart, published 2022

Reading ages: 4-7

Synopsis: Life is so busy! On his way to school, Joe is missing all the exciting things happening around him – he is in such a rush, he doesn’t even notice his little sister crying! Given a task to draw what he saw on his way to school, Joe decides to stop time to appreciate all the little details that make life meaningful, and find out why Poppy was crying.

City of Gold Coast Libraries & Brisbane Library

This is a ball

My favourite book to read to the children is This is a Ball. I recommend it for the kindergarten-aged children. It’s a crowd favourite and allows everyone to be a little bit silly! – Hayley, lead educator, Little Scholars Yatala

Author: Beck and Matt Stanton, published 2017
Reading ages: 4-8

Synopsis: For the Grown-Ups: You know how you’re right all the time? All. The. Time. Yes, well, it’s time to give the kids a turn. Which is why everything you read in this book is going to be wrong. But that’s ok, because the kids are going to correct you. And they’re going to love it!

City of Gold Coast Libraries & Brisbane Library

I wanna be a Great Big Dinosaur

This is one of my favourites from a while ago. It’s really fun to read and get children involved in, as you can make actions to the words and change your tone to match the images. It’s light reading and a feel good ending. – Yvette, educational lead, Little Scholars Burleigh

By Heath McKenzie, published 2016

Reading ages:4-8

Synopsis: More than anything in the world, one little boy wants to be a great big dinosaur. And he’s in luck! A great big T. Rex shows up to teach him how to stomp and roar just like a dinosaur. But dinosaurs aren’t so great at soccer or video games… Maybe being a little boy isn’t all bad? A story about being whoever (or whatever) you want!

City of Gold Coast Libraries

Pig the Pug

I love reading the Pig the Pug series. All the different stories are such a fun, playful rhyming with lively pictures that always capture the children’s eyes and thoughts leading to conversations and their interpretations of the pictures/story. I also love that in every book, Pig the Pug comes to see the value of honesty, friendship, sportsmanship and gratitude. -Skye, lead educator, Little Scholars Pacific Pines

By Aaron Blabey, published 2014
Reading ages: 3-5

Synopsis: Pig is a greedy and selfish Pug. He has all the bouncy balls, bones, and chew toys a dog could ever want, yet he refuses to share with his poor friend, Trevor.

City of Gold Coast Libraries & Brisbane Library

Rainbow Fish

In our kindergarten room we absolutely love to read the Rainbow Fish, it is an important story to us as it shows the importance of friendships and how to make friendships, which as we enter our final year of pre schooling before big school is so important and timely! As well as this we love learning and reading The Colour Monster daily, this book teaches us to identify our emotions and how each one may make us feel. – Ella, educator, Little Scholars Deception Bay

By Marcus Pfister, published 1995
Reading ages: 4-8

Synopsis: The Rainbow Fish learns that being the most beautiful fish in the sea can be lonely. Ultimately he learns that there is more to be gained by sharing his special qualities than by keeping them all to himself.

City of Gold Coast Libraries & Brisbane Library

Going on a Bear Hunt

I love Going on a Bear Hunt (and even better, Going on a Croc Hunt) because it’s predictable and repetitive, which supports the children in recounting the story and their comprehension skills. It’s also super fun because it can be used in combination with actions to make it a physical retelling! – Jaidyn, lead educator, Little Scholars Ormeau 2

By Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury, published 1993

Reading ages: 3-7

Synopsis: For brave hunters and bear-lovers, the classic chant-aloud by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury.Follow and join in the family’s excitement as they wade through the grass, splash through the river and squelch through the mud in search of a bear. What a surprise awaits them in the cave on the other side of the dark forest!

City of Gold Coast Libraries & Brisbane Library

The Elves and the Shoemaker

One I always remember! As a child my Nanna would read this to me when we visited, and I loved the magic it brought to my imagination. As a adult I love the storyline behind it and how amazing the message is, how important it is for children to learn. Helping others in need also looks at if you help someone, the good karma will always come back to you. – Sarah, educator at Little Scholars Deception Bay.

Retold by various authors

Reading ages: 2-5

Synopsis: A classic fairy tale about two selfless shoemaking elves shows the joy that comes from giving–and receiving–generosity and kindness.

City of Gold Coast Libraries & Brisbane Library

Wombat Stew

We love Wombat stew in my studio! It’s a great book to extend on, gathering items from nature on walks etc and using in mud play. Or exploring Australian animals and researching about the different animals in the story. – Lucy,

By Marcia Vaughan, first published in 1986

Reading ages: 0-4

Synopsis: In this classic Australian picture book, a dingo catches a wombat and wants to cook him in a stew. But the other bush animals have a plan to save their friend

City of Gold Coast Libraries & Brisbane Library

Where is the Green Sheep?

I think for me being able to get the children involved in the story by pointing out the different sheep and then the repetition of “But where is the green sheep?” where you could encourage the children to read this aloud with you. My favourite part is the second last page where it says “turn the page quietly and let’s take a peep” as the different reactions you would get from the different age groups always intrigued me, it gave you a real insight of what part of the book they took in. Was it the suspense of finding the sheep or was it the different coloured sheep that caught their eye? The discussion afterwards was almost as rewarding as sharing the book with them. – Morgan, campus manager at Little Scholars Ormeau 1

By Mem Fox and Judy Horacek, published in 2006

Reading ages: 0-5

Synopsis: This is a fun rhyming book that revolves around the search for the ever elusive green sheep. On the search, we are introduced to different sheep on every page doing silly activities that will delight both children and adults.

City of Gold Coast & Brisbane Library

Our days seem to be getting more and more hectic. There’s the 9-5 slog, rushing to and from work, drop-offs and pick-ups at daycare and school, running to appointments, weekends are for relaxing, or are they actually for rushing to children’s sports, house and yard maintenance? Even being more connected to devices means we might be losing connections with each other. We always seem to be busy, finishing one task or appointment so we can cross it off the endless list.

If we reflect on our own childhoods, do our children’s developing years look like ours? Maybe not. We likely (and hopefully) have memories of aimless play, exploration and time to dream.

Even going on family walks may come with encouragements of ‘c’mon Freddy, let’s go!’ or ‘keep walking’, but why? Challenge yourself not to give your children any instructions for the next minute the next time you’re out for a walk. Was 60 seconds hard to get through? The funny thing is, on walks, you’re probably not even in a rush.

Your children may constantly feeling hurried, rushed, pushed to keep moving. This can create feelings of anxiety, stress and resentment.

There’s a movement brewing the last few years, called Slow Parenting. Have you heard of it, or pondered it yourself?

According to a 2015 article in the Boston Globe, slow parenting ‘cherishes quality over quantity, being in the moment, and making meaningful connections with your family.’

In the article, Carrie Contey, a prenatal and perinatal psychologist, says young children need a balance of activity and down time.

“In early development, children are still wiring. They need to have moments of doing and moments of being for integration to happen,” says Contey. “If they don’t take space for integration that leads to meltdowns and overtiredness.”

Need some ideas on how you can slow down your parenting, and in a way, time?

Picnics! Children love picnics. Instead of family dinner at the table, why not take it outside? Head to the beach, go out to your backyard, or heck, lay a blanket in the living room. Children will love the special change in a daily event, and it’s a time for everyone to connect in a different way

Drink in your child/children. In the article, clinical psychologist John Duffy suggests that “parents just take time to watch their children, whether they are playing, doing homework, or eating a snack. Take a moment to drink them in. Remember and remind yourself how remarkable your children are. That pause alone, even if momentary, can drive a shift in the pace.”

Go for a walk with no intentions – no length of time or distance goals, just walk. Let your child slow down to observe something, or stop and encourage them to look at something. Get your child to point out everything they see at one point during the walk
Give children space to play independently. Unstructured play is so good for little ones—helping them build creativity, imagination, problem solving, and resilience

Stop glorifying being busy. Find ways as a family you can take back that time you give to everything else; don’t sign up for so many extra-curriculars you spend your only time as a family in the car ferrying to events, don’t agree to every birthday party or invite, decide as a family what’s important on the calendar that month and what isn’t

Throw a ball around, plant some seeds together, play a game (not on a screen) together – the singular focus of activities like these, and the conversations that will come up, will be memory-making
Read together. At Little Scholars we embrace the Abecedarian Approach Australia, which brings conversation in to time together between child and adult when reading books. Research proves there’s a multitude of benefits for children who are read to daily

Just cuddle together. The effect of physical affection in childhood is lifelong, with health and well-being benefits proven in science. Several studies have related the happiness of adults to how affectionate their parents were with them when they were babies. This was a result of oxytocin, according to researchers, the natural chemical released when you feel love and affection, being produced more in children with affectionate parents

If you are the parent of more than one child, make time to do something special one-on-one with each child. They’ll appreciate being the sole focus of Mum or Dad for a little while, and you’ll appreciate getting to bond.

Next time you’re about to hurry your child, take a moment to think about why, and how you can approach it differently. If it’s about being late for something say bed time, will an extra 15 minutes affect them adversely once and a while? What about what they stand to gain from the extra time? If it’s getting to school and work on time, reflect on how you can alter your routine to allow for a bit of flexibility. You never know what small moments will make up lifetime memories for your child.

We live in a digital world, and for many of us, our small children are quicker to learn and use technology than we are. For a parent, letting your child use technology can be a bit of a break, so you can have a few minutes to work, cook, tidy up or even just have some peace. And increasingly, children are required to have their own devices for their education once they get to big school. Technology allows them to learn things in ways a book or even a television show can’t teach them, but it also comes with risk of which parents need to be aware.

Here are our top tips on how to keep your child safe while using devices.

1. Conversations about what your child does online

Engage with your child on their digital experiences. Parents often talk about what a child does during their day – how school or daycare was, what they had for lunch, what they’re reading, but do you talk to them about what they’re doing online or on devices? We recommend being an active participant with your child while on the phone, iPad or computer and watch, read or do online activities with them. Be curious about what interests them and ask questions — at the same time, you can gently introduce online safety tips, such as not clicking on pop-ups, or question links coming from sources they don’t know before they click. Remind your child to always talk to you about anything, and to come to you if they find something online that makes them feel uncomfortable or if someone outside their immediate trust circle contacts them online. Make those conversations commonplace, because the more you interact with your children during and about screen time, the better.

2. Your child's digital footprints

Digital footprints can last for a long time. Talk with your children about what the internet is, and how (when they’re older) what they post can influence people’s opinions of them—good or bad. This is also a reminder to you about considering what you post, especially when it comes to your child. Asking them early if you may take their photo, and if you plan to share it on social media, let them know who will see it, why you want to share it, and respect their decision if they don’t want to share it. This shows respect for your child, models consent and respectful data sharing practices. The more they know about this, the better off they’ll be when it comes to making decisions about their online presence when they’re older.

3. Age-appropriate screen time

Children under two years of age are not recommended to have any screen time outside of occasional video calls, according to national and international guidelines, such as from Early Childhood Australia and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Children younger than age two are more likely to learn when they interact and play with parents, siblings, and other children and adults. After age two and until at least age five, it’s suggested that little eyes only be exposed to one to two hours of high quality programming per day.

Too much screen time and regular exposure to poor-quality programming has been linked to:

Obesity
Delays in language and social skill development
Insufficient sleep
Behaviour problems
Violence
Attention problems
Less time spent learning.

Unstructured playtime is more valuable for a young child’s developing brain than is electronic media, but not all screen time is ‘bad’ and can even be beneficial.

Sites such as Children and Media Australia and Common Sense Media can help parents understand the quality of the media and apps that their children are using with programming ratings and reviews.

4. Parental controls

Parental controls are software tools that allow you to monitor and limit what your child sees and does online.

They can be set up to do things like:

Block your child from accessing specific websites, apps or functions (like using a device’s camera or the ability to buy things)
Filter different kinds of inappropriate content — such as ‘adult’ or sexual content, content that may promote self-harm, eating disorders, violence, drugs, gambling, racism and terrorism
Allow you to monitor your child’s use of connected devices, with reports on the sites they visit and the apps they use, how often and for how long
Set time limits that block access after a set time.

The Australian government’s eSafety Commissioner is a great resource with important information on how to protect children of all ages when they spend time online.

5. Device-free time and zones

Obviously, with the recommended screen time guidelines for small children to be somewhere between zero to two hours daily depending on age, your child’s time should be mostly device-free, but this is a great idea for all family members to carve out some time each day without devices to focus on other interests and each other. Your children are always watching what you’re doing, and seeing you keep the phone or iPad away so you can read or play with them, or even focus on other passions or hobbies of your own, models healthy behaviour when it comes to devices. As mentioned above, you can set time limits on devices, with both Apple and Android, and switch things up so that when the limit is up, go do something outside.

Maybe as a family everyone can agree to device-free time together, such as at meals or weekend mornings – whatever works for you. Research shows that devices shouldn’t be used for at least an hour before bedtime to ensure your child has the best quality sleep.

You could also agree to areas in which devices are to be used such as living rooms or the study. If you keep mobile phones and other devices out of your child’s bedroom at night, your child won’t be able to play games or potentially wander into online territory you don’t want them to see. This can also stop your child being disturbed in the night by messages and notifications. Reducing the areas in which devices may be used also allows other areas for connection – like car rides and restaurants, as a family.

Resources:

Do you have a little one who is eager to learn and likes technology? Apps can improve skills in fine motor skills, reading, phonics, maths, problem-solving and more. Research suggests that after age two, children may benefit from some types of screen time, such as programming with music, movement and stories. We’ve compiled a list of what we think are some of the best educational apps for children aged three to five years.

Daniel Tiger's Day & Night

Pre-school aged children can learn about morning and bedtime routines with PBS KIDS’ Daniel Tiger. Help Daniel Tiger get ready for school in the morning and for bed at night through imaginative play and songs.

We like it because there are sing-along songs that make routines fun and a musical timer to keep routines such as teeth-brushing on track.

Pros: Simple, age-appropriate for toddlers.

Cons: There’s no order required for following the routines, and it’s limited to morning and evening routines only.

Available on the App store and Google Play

Hopster Coding Safari for Kids

Pre-coding logic game for kids

Why? We think introducing children to coding early is gives children a head start in learning how to code with Hopster Coding Safari. This animal themed pre-coding logic game to help little ones learn the fundamentals of coding. Children are presented with a series of logic problems to solve, getting different animals to where they need to be.

Children learn: The fundamentals of computational thinking

Foundations of coding
Problem solving
Planning

This game will engage young children in computational thinking – the fundamental techniques needed to understand coding – without them realising they are learning!

Pros: Wide range of activities, links to early years learning objectives.

Cons: Paid subscription based and not a lot offered without paying.

Available on the App store

Busy Shapes

Shape-sorting puzzles great for fine motor skill development

What makes Busy Shapes so clever is the way the puzzles gently gets more challenging, motivating little ones to find solutions to each puzzle through experimentation. From shape-changing to colour-mixing to hidden holes, we’re impressed with how the game spurs out-of-the-box thinking, stimulating curious young minds. The app’s designers say it’s inspired by the pioneering works of child theorist Jean Piaget (1896-1980), who believed that “children are little scientists” and that a child’s thoughts are built through experiences that encourage him or her to engage in the reasoning process.

Pros: Free version includes a lot of activities. The challenge increases, with multiple objects and holes of different shapes, moving objects, obstacles to get around or to move, and finally the need to use tools to move the objects. There’s no direction and no help. Children must explore and discover on their own how to get the objects into the holes.

Cons: Doesn’t seem to be a way to get to earlier levels.

Available on the App store and Google Play

Khan Academy Kids

Khan Academy Kids is a free, fun, educational program with thousands of activities and books that will inspire a lifetime of learning and discovery for children ages two+.

The app is designed by experts in early childhood education to guide young learners on a delightful journey through key skills in maths, reading, phonics, writing, social-emotional development, and more. It includes thousands of lessons, activities, books, and games that are age-appropriate for preschool through year two. With catchy songs and yoga videos, little ones will also have fun moving, dancing, and getting the wiggles out.

Pros: The variety of learning topics and the creative approach to activities offer breadth and depth without it feeling overwhelming.

Cons: Animations could use more captioning; written instruction and language options.

Available on the App store and Google Play

ABC Animal Toddler Adventures

This app aims to strengthen children’s cognitive skills, concentration and memory with activities such as tracing letters, spelling with an A-Z of animals, counting, jigsaw puzzles, spot the difference, pet salon, feed the animals and more. Your toddler will really enjoy playing this game as every little action has been thoughtfully designed for an effortless gameplay.

Pros: Fun cheerful characters, good for young learners working on fine motor skills, problem-solving skills, spelling, and language acquisition.

Cons: Limited activities and full screen ads in free version, some complaints about price of full version.

Available on the App Store

Zoolingo

This app for toddlers has more than 1000+ fun and educational activities and games! This delightfully interactive smart app helps children learn ABCs, numbers, colours, shapes, and more. Children can skip, sing, and dance to popular nursery rhymes with Moolingo the monkey.

Pros: The amount of activities.

Cons: Paid subscription service.

Available on the App Store and Google Play

Homer

Thoughtfully-made educational games for children aged two to eight, including early literacy skills using a comprehensive program full of interesting activities, building blocks for maths confidence, and tools for navigating social skills, empathy, and confidence.

Pros: Personalised to children’s interests across subjects, learning grows with child.

Cons: Paid subscription service.

Available on the App Store and Google Play

ABC Preschool Kids Tracing

Features letters and word learning games to help children learn basic tracing of alphabet, letters, words and numbers one to 10.

Pros: Full app is free.

Cons: Some complaints on sound issues.

Available on the App Store and Google Play

Toca Boca

The Toca Boca suite of apps for children is an interactive way to explore the world by cooking, cutting hair, building a neighborhood, and taking care of pets. For the youngest users, try a role-playing app like Toca Doctor or a simple app like hairstyling (children love the hairdryer!). And as they grow, children can design and build their own city with the Toca Life apps.

Pros: Dozens of games to choose, including some free, and ome games can be purchased as a bundle for discounted pricing. Variety of games for beginners, animal lovers, budding engineers, and more.

Cons: Not all apps will be of interest to all.

Available on the App Store and Google Play

From the moment your child is born, you are inundated with information on your child’s growth and whether or not they’re hitting their developmental milestones – the sets of functional skills or age-specific tasks that most children can do at a certain age range.

Comparison is often called the thief of joy, and you face it everywhere you look as a parent – from the other children in your mum’s groups, doctor’s visits, even what you’re searching online will show up again in your targeted ads and suggested content on social media – your child will be measured against others.

As if parents need more to be anxious about, or do they? We know every child is different, so it begs the question, do development milestones really matter?

CDC guidelines for developmental milestones

Recently in the US, Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated the guidelines for child developmental milestones for the first time since 2004, aimed to better reflect the data of when children reach milestones such as crawling, walking, speech, and more, as well as some of the early indicators of autism. The changes were met with mixed reviews from parents and child experts, bringing a lot of conversation about children’s development to the forefront.

ACECQA developmental milestones

In Australia, our early childhood developmental milestones come from The Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)

According to the ACECQA, development milestones are important for your child’s:

Physical health
Social skills
Physical health
Social skills
Emotional health
Cognitive capability
Language skills.

So, according to experts, development milestones do matter, but with a range of abilities across each age group, when should parents take it seriously, and when can they worry less about what their child is and isn’t doing?

Children will meet these needs in their own time and are on their own journey. I always remember hearing how children meeting their development domains, can be represented like ‘popcorn kernels, when placed in hot oil, they will pop at different intervals,’ this can be seen how a child will shine and develop at different stages. – Susan Cooper, pedagogical leader, Little Scholars.

“While it is important to monitor children’s development and assess against the developmental milestones, we must be mindful not to place children in a box and begin the process of a check box system. Early childhood professionals place such value in assessing children’s growth and development and through assessment, in partnership with families, early intervention can be met for their child, should it be deemed necessary,” says Susan Cooper, pedagogical leader for Little Scholars.

Developmental milestones, the EYLF and National Quality Standards

At Little Scholars, your child’s development is assessed through the Early Years Learning Framework and the National Quality Standards, and is displayed through our program The Collective. Developed by Little Scholars, The Collective is a program that encompasses all aspects of Little Scholars, including our children, families, educators and community. We use it ensure that our curriculum, environments, and relationships enable children to grow and fulfil their potential, actively learn through play and engaging intentional teaching. We aim for our inspiring programs and strategic planning to contribute, influence, and shape the development of our children, educators and community.

According to Skye, assistant campus manager at Little Scholars Pacific Pines, developmental milestones helps educators develop their educational programs.

“Milestones are important to monitor and keep track of as they can help us as educators and also families understand why a child may be exhibiting certain behaviours,” Skye said. “They also help gage what children’s interests, strengths and barriers are. Understanding and knowing age-appropriate milestones will help educators provide a program for each child’s individual needs.”

“I feel it is important to offer environments that support all levels within the milestone being focused on,” says Tori, an educator in the kindy studio at our Yatala campus. “Enabling [children] to find levels they are comfortable with and levels that can challenge their abilities. We scaffold the child’s learning, praising them for their efforts, which enables them to build their confidence.”

Your child’s weekly program evaluation and reflection informs parents of the significance of the learning experiences that have taken place over the course of the week, how those experiences tie into the Early Years Learning Framework, and include observations regarding your child’s development.

“We educate the families about the importance of milestones and when to be concerned for ‘red flags.’ I think it’s incredibly important that us lead educators are having frequent conversations about their children’s development, where they’re excelling and where they need further support,” says Holly, a lead educator in a Senior Kindy studio at our Stapylton campus.

“I have educated my families, especially during times like in my parent teachers about the importance of children meeting emotional development milestones. We also have a few Prep teachers who are parents at our campus, who have reiterated to us how critical it is for when children that go to Prep that they are able to confidently self-regulate their emotions and when to seek help, such as asking a peer for help, attempting to solve a problem themselves before asking a teacher – those kind of strategies.”

Is there a time to be concerned for your child's development?

We’re here to ensure children learn and grow to the very best of their ability. Sometimes a child doesn’t meet his or her developmental milestone, and it might warrant a chat with our families about our observations. The conversation may begin by us asking the parents how they feel about their child’s development, and if they have any concerns. We’ll share what we’ve observed, and share examples of our observations – either written, photo or video. Families may become emotional throughout the discussion, and we understand how hard a conversation like this can be to digest. Please know we’ll always give time and space for our families, and we’ll support your next steps and help in any way we can.

“We do need to be guided by the developmental domains, as most children with developmental delays are not identified early enough to benefit from early intervention and they then enter their formal schooling at a disadvantage, which can set them back,” says Susan. “When we consider how much time children spend in our care and our qualified educators ability to track development through observational learning records, for parents, we are their trusted source.”

How to help your child reach the developmental milestones

All of this might make you wonder if you can help aid your child’s development? The answer is a resounding yes!

“I feel sometimes parents are unaware of the milestones for their child. Including these in our program with potential ideas and suggestions they can do at home would support parents in being aware of their child’s milestone and assist their child in reaching their milestones,” says Tori. “The important adults in children’s lives influence their development when they interact with them! Each interaction stimulates the child’s developing brain and builds the foundations for their future.”

Adults can support children’s language and cognitive development in lots of ways:

For babies – by reading stories to them, singing songs to them, talking about what you see with them, playing with and exploring objects, playing copying games, listening to songs about numeracy and patterns
For toddlers – adults reading books to them, singing songs to them, listening to stories, playing learning games like Eye Spy, Guess Who, Hide and Seek, helping with shopping, counting, helping sort household items,
For children – reading books, writing stories, having support for their research topic of interest, playing number games, playing memory games, inventing games

For anxious parents who feel like worrying about whether their child is hitting their developmental milestones, Susan says while we need to be guided by developmental domains, there’s a range within those milestones.

“More often than not, families place high expectation on their children and make comparisons with others. We need to understand that children will meet these needs in their own time and are on their own journey,” Susan explains. “I always remember hearing how children meeting their development domains, can be represented like ‘popcorn kernels, when placed in hot oil, they will pop at different intervals,’ this can be seen how a child will shine and develop at different stages against another child, when the environment is supportive to learning and growing.”

As parents and as educators, it’s our job to keep children safe. For children, it’s their job to explore, push limits, move their bodies, and happily tune out what they don’t want to hear.

So when a child is engaging in risky play – which is so important in a child’s development as it furthers their frustration tolerance, critical thinking skills, self-confidence, resilience and so much more – it can also put the watching adult into panic mode, often triggering the phrase ‘be careful!’

But, if that adult expects the child to immediately stop what they’re doing after uttering (or shouting) those two words, they probably have another reality coming. ‘Be careful’ isn’t terribly effective because it’s vague and lacks specificity for a toddler. Saying it on repeat will likely lose any small amount of effectiveness it did carry because, well, being told to be careful isn’t any fun. Or worse, hearing that phrase could create fear and dim a child’s curiosity and sense of adventure.

What's the intention?

As adults, we also need to think about what we mean when we say ‘be careful’. Do we want the child to stop what they’re doing? Do something differently? Slow down? Do we think they will get hurt? Every situation is different, but it’s worth thinking about the intention behind the phrase. Is it possible the child could get seriously hurt? Is what the child is doing put another child at risk? Is there something valuable that you don’t want damaged?

Perhaps rather than ‘be careful’ you say:

‘Looks fun, just watch out for your little sister!’
‘Do you hear the cars? The road is close by.’
‘Before you throw that stick, just watch for the window over there.’
‘Do you feel safe?’
‘I’m here if you need me.’
‘Maybe just slow your body down a little bit.’
‘Focus on where your feet are.’
‘Using two hands might help you hold on tighter.’
‘What’s your plan for coming back down?’

Even just asking ‘does your body feel safe?’ may give your little one a second to pause and think about what they’re doing, and perhaps change course if needed.

For adults, when they observe children participating in risky play, if they approach it with curiosity and give specific feedback that focuses on creating awareness and problem-solving skills, it helps your toddler becomes more confident in their skills, abilities, problem-solving and learning.

Encouraging risky play

Risky play is something to be encouraged. Something happened between the time when many parents of small children were little ones themselves, to now. We may remember our parents letting us go play unsupervised, as long as we were back before dark. That play may be some of your best childhood memories. Society has become more risk-adverse in recent decades, from parents worries about kidnapping and injury, to the fear of judgement from others thinking they’re bad caregivers can drive many parents to intervene before their child can engage in risk during play. But those fears could actually be hurting children’s development by hovering over them constantly. Research shows that engaging in risky play can actually reduce the risk of injury, too. Something parents and educators can do is teach young children to risk-assess.

For example, rather than worrying about if your child is going to get a sharp bindi seed in his or her foot from running across grass barefoot, involve your child in the risk assessment. In this case, point out what a bindi weed looks like, and encourage your child to look for the weeds with shoes on before deciding if it’s a good idea to take shoes off. By assessing ‘risk’ situations together, your child will learn increased ability to hypothesize, predict, experiment and investigate, and your child will feel you trust their ability to make safe decisions. it’s all about balancing the risk with the benefits. Imagine if your child was running barefoot in the grass and you spotted bindis and yelled ‘Be careful!’ your child could be bewildered by your cry, ignore your yelling and keep going, or could possibly stop, landing perfectly on the sharp weed you want him or her to avoid.

At Little Scholars, risk assessment is a part of our programming, such as bush/bush kindy or loose parts play, where children have the opportunity to guide and direct their own learning tying in with activities that are child-led and learning is a process of discovery. Sites are pre-risk assessed by educators, and children are involved in the risk management process, guided to look out for themselves and have a group discussion about it before play.

“It’s all about setting boundaries with the children and asking them about what risks they think may be involved before they go ahead,” says Melanie, operations manager for Little Scholars. “We wouldn’t use ‘risk’ with little ones, so it may look like ‘how can we be safe when we play in this area?'”

“Play is a powerful behaviour that is often a missed agenda for many early childhood professionals. Extrinsic agenda will often lead to children being told what they should experience, as opposed to living the experience, says Susan, Little Scholars’ pedagogical leader and practice manager.

Susan highlights Lev Vygotsky’s theory of play as a lived experience.

“Too often, adults feel the need to apply an adult agenda, often with good intention, however this often has the potential to limit the actual multifarious nature of what we call play.

“As adults, we need to trust in the play process and accept that children will create situations in which they can act out emotions in ways they feel they can. When given the freedom to do so, children will demonstrate ability for exploration, imagination, and decision-making.”

Related:

Food ideas to get the approval and acceptance of your little food critic

Examples of self-respect for children

Respect for their bodies

Respect for children in public

Respect for their physical boundaries

Respect by owning up to mistakes

Respect their voice

Important links:

Boys and dolls

Making sense of the world through play

Finding a home in nature: the joys of family camping

What to take camping with children

Sleeping Gear

Shoes and spare clothing

Yummy snacks

Reading material

Games

Other key items

How to choose family camping sites

The best camping near Brisbane – where to go?

Camping Bigriggen with the family

Camping Hastings Point

Elanda Point Camping

Camping Borumba Deer Park

Other camping spots near Brisbane

1. Conversations about what your child does online

2. Your child's digital footprints

3. Age-appropriate screen time

4. Parental controls

5. Device-free time and zones

Daniel Tiger's Day & Night

Hopster Coding Safari for Kids

Busy Shapes

Khan Academy Kids

ABC Animal Toddler Adventures

Zoolingo

Homer

ABC Preschool Kids Tracing

Toca Boca

CDC guidelines for developmental milestones

ACECQA developmental milestones

Developmental milestones, the EYLF and National Quality Standards

Is there a time to be concerned for your child's development?

How to help your child reach the developmental milestones

What's the intention?

Encouraging risky play

Little Scholars Karalee Waitlist