Working on river systems in the sand pit, creating belly slide games through water and exploring the differences between wet and dry areas was always going to be messy work.
So messy in fact that the Goodstart Flinders Street team has introduced splash suits so the children can take part in serious play without wreaking their clothes.
Inspired by similar ideas at bush kinder programs, kinder teacher Petra Diender said the suits allowed the children to have plenty of fun.
“Parents were already bringing gumboots in to the centre for the children to use in rainy weather so extended the plan,” Ms Diender said.
“We bought the splash suits with kinder funding and they allow the children to play outside during all the months of the year, even when it’s cold. The suits help them stay clean and warm and the parents love seeing them splashing outside having fun.”
She said while it looked like they were just having a play, they were actually learning a lot of skills.
“They’re making river systems through the sandpit which teaches them how to use trial and error and select the best water course,” Ms Diender said.
“They’re also using science concepts to work out the way the water finds the easiest way through the sand, they’re learning about water pressure and there’s a lot of problem solving in this type of play.”
She said the children were also learning how to work together, how to form teams and how to think about their surrounding environment by taking out the wet floor signs before they started.
The suits cost about $25 and the centre bought 40 suits across the kinder and pre-kinder room.
“Because we’re in the inner city, on the fourth floor of a building in Melbourne, it’s really important to spend as much time as we can outside. And the children love it – it’s been so worthwhile.”
So messy in fact that the Goodstart Flinders Street team has introduced splash suits so the children can take part in serious play without wreaking their clothes.
Inspired by similar ideas at bush kinder programs, kinder teacher Petra Diender said the suits allowed the children to have plenty of fun.
“Parents were already bringing gumboots in to the centre for the children to use in rainy weather so extended the plan,” Ms Diender said.
“We bought the splash suits with kinder funding and they allow the children to play outside during all the months of the year, even when it’s cold. The suits help them stay clean and warm and the parents love seeing them splashing outside having fun.”
She said while it looked like they were just having a play, they were actually learning a lot of skills.
“They’re making river systems through the sandpit which teaches them how to use trial and error and select the best water course,” Ms Diender said.
“They’re also using science concepts to work out the way the water finds the easiest way through the sand, they’re learning about water pressure and there’s a lot of problem solving in this type of play.”
She said the children were also learning how to work together, how to form teams and how to think about their surrounding environment by taking out the wet floor signs before they started.
The suits cost about $25 and the centre bought 40 suits across the kinder and pre-kinder room.
“Because we’re in the inner city, on the fourth floor of a building in Melbourne, it’s really important to spend as much time as we can outside. And the children love it – it’s been so worthwhile.”