Newsletter | April 2025
What’s On This Month
Key Dates
2nd April | World Autism Day
18th - 21st April | Easter
25th April | Anzac Day
28th April | Pay it Forward Day
Recipe | Creamy Dijon Chicken with bacon and Mushrooms
PREP 30 MINS | COOK 20-25 MINS | SERVES 6
Ingredients
3 chicken breasts
1 cup plain flour
3 tbs olive oil
250 ml chicken stock
2 cups button mushrooms, sliced
150 grams bacon, finely diced1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
2 cups baby spinach leaves
salt and pepper
3 tbs butter
250 ml cream
2 tbs Dijon mustard
Method
Halve chicken horizontally. Season generously with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess. Heat 1 tbs butter and a drizzle of olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
Working in batches, add 2-3 pieces of chicken to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until golden. Carefully turn chicken and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until cooked through. Remove chicken and transfer to plate.
Repeat steps 3-6 and cook remaining chicken. Heat 1 tbs butter and 1 tbs olive oil in the fry pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and bacon and cook for 5-7 minutes or until golden and cooked. Transfer cooked mushrooms and bacon to a plate.
Add stock to the pan, bring to the boil and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan for added flavour.
Reduce heat to gentle simmer, add cream and Dijon mustard and stir to combine. Add parmesan and stir until melted. Add spinach and stir until wilted. Return chicken, mushrooms and bacon to pan, garnish with parsley. Serve immediately. Enjoy x
Source: Image & recipe ‘My lovely lunchbox'
Learning through Play
Rough and Tumble Play
Rough-and-tumble play is when children do things like
climb over each other, wrestle, roll around and even pretend to fight. Rough play is probably a basic human instinct that helps children develop many skills, but mostly children like this kind of play because it’s fun!
Rough play helps young children:
understand the limits of their strength
explore their changing positions in space
find out what other children will and won’t let them do
work out social relationships as they play roles, take turns and sort out personal boundaries
burn off energy and let go of tension.
Play fighting or real fighting?
You might worry that your child is being aggressive, but you can usually tell rough-and-tumble play or play fighting from the real thing. In rough play, children smile and laugh. You might see excitement and pleasure on their faces. No-one gets bullied, hurt or forced to do anything. Once children are finished with rough-and-tumble play, they keep playing together.
If you see frowning, crying, fear or anger, it isn’t play. And children who are really fighting move away from each other once the fight is over.
Rough play can sometimes lead to real fighting, so try to set some rules about what is and isn’t OK during play. You can get even young children involved in working out what the rules should be. For example, you and your child might make rules about checking that everyone is happy with playing this way and stopping if anyone seems uncomfortable. This is important because it helps to keep everyone safe.
Rough-and-tumble play: ages and stages
Babies and toddlers enjoy exciting movement, as long as they feel safe. Babies and toddlers like to be bounced on their parents’ knees or lifted into the air. It’s best to be gentle with young children, though, to avoid any accidental injury.
Toddlers love playing chasey or tiggy, spinning around and dancing. Some toddlers like gentle wrestling on a safe, soft surface with you or other toddlers. This kind of active play works best when children are wide awake and not expected to go to bed or sit quietly any time soon.
Primary school-age children are the biggest rough-and-tumblers, particularly with their friends. Like toddlers, they often enjoy wrestling on safe, soft surfaces where they can fall or roll around. At this age, it’s important to talk with children about keeping rough play respectful, safe and fun.
Source: raisingchildren.net.au
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Sustainability
Start a Vegetable Garden
April is also a top time to get into the patch! There is a little bit of rain around, the weather is cooling down, and shed loads of stuff is ready to plant! So, don’t be a bunny, get into gardening this April! Hop to it!
Starting a veggie patch can be daunting. What do I plant? Where? Bunnings has a very simple guide to get you started. You can find it here!
Source: Chart-zones / Vegetable-Herb details
Use the chart to know what to plant this Autumn.
Noteworthy
Illness Exclusion Policy
Illness is a normal part of childhood, but attending care while unwell can quickly spread germs to others. Keeping your child home when they are sick helps protect the health of all children, educators, and families in our community.
Why It Matters:
Prevents the spread of illness – Viruses and infections spread easily in close-contact settings. Keeping children home reduces outbreaks.
Allows for proper recovery – Resting at home helps children recover faster and return to care feeling their best.
Protects vulnerable individuals – Some children and educators may be more susceptible to complications from common illnesses.
Maintains a healthy learning environment – When children are well, they can fully engage in activities and learning experiences.
We kindly ask all families to review our Sick Children Policy to ensure we continue to maintain a safe and healthy environment for everyone. If you have any questions, please reach out to us. Thank you for your cooperation and support!
Health & Safety: Stranger Danger
For generations, kids have been taught stranger danger: the principle that all strangers can potentially be dangerous. But a certified child safety educator says stranger danger doesn't work. In fact, it actually works against a parent. Safely Ever After founder Pattie Fitzgerald says 90% of sexual abuse or harm comes from someone the child knows, not a stranger. "Stranger danger doesn't teach kids about that. Stranger danger is looking in the wrong direction here."
Strangers can be confusing to kids Speaking to News Regional Media, Pattie says kids also have a different perception of what a stranger is. "If someone wants to offend against a child, they will often make themselves friendly or introduce themselves and then that child doesn't think they are a stranger. Kids also see their parents talking to strangers all the time. With learning stranger danger, when there is no danger perceived kids don't see that stranger as a threat which is why we need tricky people and why tricky people makes more sense."
Learning to spot ‘tricky people’ Tricky people is Pattie's philosophy; one she has been teaching to families all over the world for 15 years. "The main principle of tricky people is a tricky person can be someone you know or don't know but it is someone who breaks a safety rule or asks you to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable." But before we rush out and teach kids about tricky people, Pattie says it is important to teach kids safety rules first. "My whole philosophy it is a process.” The first thing parents need to do is teach kids what is okay and not okay and anyone who breaks those rules is a tricky person. "I call them thumbs up/thumbs down. Someone doing something thumbs down - breaking a safety rule - they're a tricky person."
Pattie recommends these 10 rules for kids:
I am the boss of my body!
I know my name, address and phone number and my parents' names too (don't forget kids need to know their parents' mobile phone numbers)
Safe grownups don't ask kids for help (they go to other grownups if they need assistance)
I never go anywhere or take anything from someone I don't know
I must "check first" with my safe-smarts grown-up for permission before I go anywhere, change my plans, or get into a car even if it's with someone I know. If I can't check first, then the answer is NO!
Everybody's bathing suit areas are private
I don't have to be polite if someone makes me feel scared or uncomfortable. It's okay to say no even to a grown-up if I have to
I don't keep secrets especially if they make me feel scared or uneasy (no adult should tell a child to keep a secret)
If I ever get lost in a public place, I can freeze and yell or go to a mum with kids and ask for help
I will always pay attention to my special inner voice, especially if I get an "uh-oh" feeling.
Source: The 'tricky people' lesson you need to teach your kids. (2019). Retrieved www.kidspot.com.au
Kids need to learn self-regulation now more than ever
Twenty years ago, children would meet up with friends in person, play outside, do puzzles and read books. Things have changed a lot since then. We are constantly on electronic devices. And kids are tech-savvy. I’ve seen second graders demand mobile phones from their parents to take photos or go on social media. But it’s not so much the access kids have that worries me. It’s the lack of self-control and self-efficacy regarding the access. How much time should kids have on a digital device? How often should they use it? What should they be doing on it? Self-regulation isn’t just about screen time. It ultimately helps them become more capable and confident in all aspects of their lives.
How parents can help kids self-regulate
Self-regulation begins to develop rapidly in the toddler and preschooler years, so the sooner we start teaching it, the better.
1. Model a healthy relationship with technology. Think of the last time you were eating lunch while typing an email while listening to a podcast and checking your phone each time it dinged. We’ve all been there. Children can have a hard time self-regulating because their parents model this behaviour. Remember, our kids are constantly watching and copying us!
Even worse, a survey of over 6,000 participants found that 54% of kids thought their parents used their devices too frequently. Thirty-two percent of kids felt “unimportant” when their parents were on the phone. Unimportant. That makes me sad. How many of us adults have felt that way when someone checked their phone during a conversation? Yes, phones are addictive, but for our children’s sake and ours, we must set boundaries.
2. Teach them to be patient. Self-regulation is made up of many skills, and one of them is patience. A study on delayed gratification found that kids who are able to wait longer for rewards tend to have better life outcomes. Here’s the opposite of teaching patience: letting a kid be online for the entire day — in the car, in restaurants, at the dinner table.
For my girls, waiting and saving were part of our lives. We didn’t have much money when they were growing up, so we saved for what we wanted. They each had their own piggy bank, and they filled them penny by penny. We even cut coupons from the newspaper every Sunday. When they were able to purchase something they wanted because of their patience, they felt a sense of accomplishment.
3. Let them be bored. As a teacher, my students would sometimes complain to me that I couldn’t hold their attention during lectures. But I never got upset or offended. I seized it as a learning opportunity and said: “I want you to go home and ask your parents if they are ever bored at their jobs. If you come back tomorrow with the answer that they are never bored, you can skip my lecture.” That got their attention. “Being bored is preparation for life,” I told them. “You are practicing right now.” They laughed, but they all understood. Life is sometimes, or often, boring. But you can learn a lot during those moments. You can either go straight to your phone, or you can dream: What are your goals? What are your next steps? What obstacles are in the way? Where do you feel the most excitement, the most hope?
4. Set tech rules. This is a no-brainer, but surprisingly, many parents don’t establish the ground rules.
Here some top rules for technology:
1. Set up a plan with your kids, not for your kids.
2. No phones during meals, whether in your house or someone else’s.
3. No phones after bedtime. Explain the importance of sleep for brain development and remind them that their bodies grow when they sleep.
4. Use discretion with small children. Younger kids, starting at age four, should be taught how to use a mobile phone in case of an emergency.
5. Children should come up with their own mobile phone policies for family holidays, or any kind of social activity where they need to be present. Be sure to choose a penalty for disobeying their own policy (e.g., losing a certain amount of time on a device).
6. Discuss what pictures and audio are appropriate to share online. Explain that whatever they post leaves a digital footprint.
7. Help them understand what cyberbullying is, and its negative impact on others. I always say: “Laugh with your friends, not at them.”
8. Teach them to not give out personal identification information.
The goal is to empower them and teach self-efficacy. When kids can self-regulate, they are more likely to have more successful relationships with themselves and with others.
Wojcicki, Esther. (2022). I raised 2 successful CEOs and a doctor. Here’s the No. 1 skill I wish more parents taught their kids today. Retrieved from cnbc.com
Educator of The Month
Congratulations to …
Nikki Clarke
Mill Park
Coordinator: Sue Romey
Nikki exemplifies dedication and passion in her work with children. She fosters a welcoming environment and maintains excellent communication with families, ensuring they always feel well-supported and informed.
Through regular outings and engaging programs, Nikki provides valuable learning opportunities that foster development and creativity. Nikki incorporates a Bush Kinder program in collaboration with another local educator, allowing children to participate in a variety of nature-based activities. Nikki also organises a weekly music program that features singing, dancing, and instrument playing. This initiative not only encourages early literacy but also supports cognitive development in an enjoyable way. Nikki further enriches the children's learning by arranging regular visits to the local library, where children can borrow books, participate in storytelling sessions, and engage in arts and crafts activities.
Thank you for your dedication, passion, and commitment to providing a safe, loving, and stimulating environment for your FDC children. Your creativity and enthusiasm shine through in every activity, helping little ones to learn and grow in ways that are both fun and meaningful. We truly appreciate the individual attention and care you give each child, fostering their unique strengths and interests.
Books we Love
Our Top Picks
Easter Fun
Easter egg hunt—but with a twist!
That traditional Easter egg hunt is fun for children, but you can quickly transform it into an educational adventure. To turn this into a play-based learning activity, fill plastic eggs with letters, numbers or simple shapes. Hide the plastic eggs throughout your service, both indoors and outdoors, if possible. Have children hunt for the eggs, then encourage them to open them and match the surprises inside to charts.
Additionally, they can form simple words or put numbers in order, making it a creative way to build early literacy and numeracy skills. The egg-citement of hunting for the eggs and discovering the hidden surprises inside will keep young learners engaged.
Easter crafts inspired by nature
Easter crafts aren’t just a fantastic opportunity to teach children about sustainability. You can use natural materials for Easter crafts to encourage creativity as well as sustainability. Some ideas include:
Have children collect leaves, twigs and flowers to create beautiful patterns on hard-boiled eggs.
Repurpose cereal boxes or other cardboard to create bunny masks and decorate them with petals, seeds or leaves.
Use natural dyes like boiled beetroot or turmeric to colour eggs.
Weave and decorate Easter baskets from recycled strips of paper, fabric scraps or small branches and twine.
Use flowers, grass, leaves to create Easter images
These unique activities encourage children to eggs-press their creativity while also promoting environmental awareness in a fun way.
Easter-themed sensory play
Sensory trays can serve up oodles of play-based learning fun. Children will certainly enjoy touching and sorting coloured rice, shredded paper “grass” and hidden Easter treasures like small chicks or plastic eggs. The bright, festive colours and themed items help children connect with Easter celebrations in a unique way.
Instead of using their hands, you can provide spades, tweezers and containers for children to sort, scoop and transfer items. In addition to building fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, it also sparks imaginative storytelling as children discover and group their Easter finds.
Bunny hop challenges
You can further encourage the enhancement of gross motor skills and physical development with outdoor bunny-themed activities. Some ideas include:
Bunny hop races—no walking or running allowed!
Hold decorated Easter egg-and-spoon relay races.
Create a bunny-themed obstacle course with tunnels little “bunnies” can crawl through and items for them to hop over.
Include some animal-inspired stretches for a fun, movement-filled Easter session before you begin or as a cool-down activity.
Egg science experiments
Spark curiosity with simple eggs-periments. You can adapt several of these ideas based on children’s ages and abilities.
Egg drop challenge—Use recycled materials to protect an egg from a drop. But don’t worry about “failures”—the splat is half the fun, right?
Eggs-plore buoyancy—Introduce the concept of density by testing whether an egg floats or sinks in freshwater and saltwater.
Rubber egg—Dissolve an eggshell in vinegar and observe changes over several days.
Hands-on, physical learning is a fantastic way to get children eggs-cited about learning new things. Fun eggs-periments are the perfect way to engage curious young minds.
Source: https://www.ourxplor.com/blog/play-based-learning-activites-for-easter/