Video transcript
Narrator: Children love to play. It’s fun and gives them the chance to express their thoughts and feelings, and to practise all the skills they’ve learned since birth. Your child might start school any time now, which means her day will become more structured, with lots of rules to follow, so giving your child some time for free play after school is really important. It gives her time to let her imagination roam.
Your child is becoming more independent, but she still needs your support and encouragement to try new things, develop new skills and make friends. The relationships and interactions she has with other people continues to support her brain development and learning, and the skills and things he learns now builds on everything he’s learned already. So things you do with your child every day, like buying food, preparing lunch, going to school and playing together, are all important moments to interact with each other and help your child learn.
Shopping for food can be a great way for your child to learn about different foods: their names, colours, tastes and how they grow. Making a shopping list together also helps with her language skills. When you choose food and pay for it, your child can learn about counting and adding up, and there’s also the chance to develop social skills through talking to shop assistants and other people you meet in your neighbourhood.
Spending time outside gives your child more space and freedom for big movements like running and jumping, which is good for his health, fitness and physical development. He can play favourite games, test his physical limits, express himself and build self-confidence as he takes on new challenges.
Starting school is an important change in your child’s life that can be challenging and exciting, and she’ll need lots of support from you. You can support your child by dropping her off and picking her up on time, building relationships with teachers and other parents, and making after-school time a bit special, with a healthy snack, talking about her day and supporting any school work she might have.
Your child is an amazing learner. She is learning new things all the time through the relationships and interactions she shares with you and others. All the things you do every day help your child to grow and thrive.