Learning at Playgroups

Learning at Playgroups

27 May 2022

At Nurtured at Home Educators, families and tamariki can enjoy the opportunity to attend a range of children’s community groups. This term, under the Orange Setting, we have enjoyed being able to return to our regular playgroups, Discovery Days, and community events.  Some benefits of playgroup include:

  • Children develop social skills at their own pace
  • Children build emotional confidence
  • Encourages physical activity
  • Supports children’s creativity and imagination
  • Children learn through role play

Visiting Teachers can develop relationships outside the home with Educators and children and role model teaching practice through a range of both planned and spontaneous experiences.

In a homebased environment, children gain knowledge and skills in a smaller group setting and are then confident to transfer their learning and skills to the larger social context of playgroup.  As children form strong bonds with their Educator and other children in a homebased setting, attending playgroups then provides them with an opportunity to explore a larger setting as they feel comfortable knowing their familiar people are still present and available.  In a community context, children may then feel free to explore with different children and people outside of their homebased environment, making new friendships and connections.  This works well when children attend a regular, familiar group so that they can revisit their exploration, relationships and activities provided.

Nurtured at Home provides playgroups in a variety of locations and venues so that children may experience learning outside of the home, in the wider community and natural environment. To support each network of Educators, and dependent on their needs, playgroups may be in the form of nature walks and discoveries, community-run playgroups, spontaneous outings within the local community and music groups. All of these opportunities complement the rich curriculum Educators offer within their home environment.