Play first, eat second

When I was at school we all raced out at morning tea to eat our lunches. We had to eat lunch before we got to play. Most of us were keen to get on the netball courts, to continue the skipping or elastics games or to get to the newly opened library first to borrow the one and only copy of Pippi Longstocking the school had. Lunches went under the seats, in the bin or back in bags in our hurry to get out to play. We would all be starving by the time we went back into class (at which point my teacher made us drink the milk provided by the government of the day - but that's another blog post). I don't remember but I'm pretty sure not a lot of high quality learning went on after no food and rushing about the playground and returning hot and sweaty to class.

The merit in playing first is that kids do sit and eat properly. There's no point throwing your lunch away when you still have to sit through eating time. There is no more play! This is the time to chat with your friends, cool down, solve some gripes, plan the play for the next break and go back into class refreshed and ready to learn.

Kids just want to be up high

For quite a few years we only had a small adventure playground for Preps and another one for Years 1, 2 and 3. The word 'adventure' in this context is a bit misleading as kids and adults alike would tell you there's not much adventure in these two playgrounds.

Then last year, thanks to our P&C's fund raising events and some massive contributions from Jodie Curran, a much loved community member and parent of our school, we were able to build this massive spider net for our older students. Now the word 'adventure' can certainly be applied. The minute a staff member comes on duty kids rush on climbing and clambering around. I'm always so happy to see what this must be doing for their gross motor and perceptual skills.

The net can hold nearly 100 children climbing around, bouncing on the ropes, hanging about, stretching their muscles and their confidence.

But in the end, they just want to be up high...

Think 5

The best gift we can give a child is the ability to be resilient and the confidence and skills to solve and resolve conflict. Our Take 5 program has been a common feature of our school for many years and children use it with ease. It gives them the tools to feel they have something to do and the confidence that there's back up if it all falls apart. Sometimes when we have a problem we just want an action we can take and someone to tell for support.

There's more to it than that. All action is preceded by thinking. Good quality thinking leads to good quality actions - ones that are most likely to succeed, that is, result in improved relationships.

The Think 5 hand aims to make good quality thinking automatic. It's our first 'go to place' - think the problem through and then take the action you most feel comfortable with - the one that's going to help solve the problem. Children need so much practice doing this. They need to hear it modelled, see it working, say the words aloud to themselves, practice it in a safe place (e.g. role play in a classroom), and then try it themselves out in the playground, knowing there are plenty of adults there on hand to assist.

The Take 5 and Think 5 hands are everywhere in our school - and even the adults find them useful.

Rewarding children for helping others

Little kids feel good when they help others. They innately feel compassion for others and want to help. It seems we're born this way.

As adults we value this behaviour in our children and unwittingly probably seek to reward it some way. What happens then when children then get something in return for helping others? What happens to their intrinsic motivation to feel compassion? The desire to get credit for good deeds becomes an external reward. How often then do they want to help when they are not being given something tangible in return?

The human race benefits when we seek to help others because it feels good. The human race is harmed when we only help others to get something.

Our endangered species

Image credit - https://tinyurl.com/y76t36zs

Right at the front of our school we have a Richmond Birdwing Butterfly vine plantation. It's strong and healthy and spreading far enough that we hope some Richmond Birdwing butterflies notice it and lay their eggs. This beautiful butterfly is endangered and only lays its eggs on this particular vine.

The huge posters near the front of our school were created by our Year 6 Earth Smart Leaders a few years ago. The posters tell the life cycle story about this magnificent but very vulnerable insect.

The other place on the Sunshine Coast where you would see this vine is at the Sunshine Coast Airport between Arrivals and Departures. I'm not sure what self-respecting butterfly is going to brave jet planes and their passengers! I really hope they discover our more peaceful habitat and we get to see them flying in our school soon.

If you are keen to get your own butterflies in your garden contact the Coolum Community Native Nursery.