We were delighted to welcome Minister for Education, Sabine Winton MLA, and Frank Paolino MLA to Ruth Landau Harp Early Learning earlier this month.
It was a wonderful opportunity to showcase the incredible learning taking place at our service and to share how the Supporting Children in Early Childhood Education and Care WA Grant has enabled us to establish our Bush Kindy program at Herdsman Lake Wildlife Centre.
Our Bush Kindy program gives children regular opportunities to connect with nature, take considered risks, build resilience, develop environmental stewardship and learn through authentic, hands-on experiences in the natural world. Seeing the children so confidently explore, discover and learn outdoors is a reminder of just how powerful play-based learning can be.
We are also incredibly grateful for the WA Government commitment to investing in our children's future through the $20,000 election commitment to upgrade our outdoor learning environment. These improvements will further enrich the play and learning opportunities available to the children in our care for years to come.
Thank you, Sabine Winton MLA and Frank Paolino MLA, for taking the time to visit our service, meet our educators and children, and recognise the important work happening in early childhood education. We appreciate your ongoing support of quality early learning and the positive difference these investments make for children, families and our community.
We invite you to read Minister Winton's post below. 👇The early learners at the Ruth Landau Harp Early Learning kept Frank Paolino MLA and I on our toes!
This centre is one of the successful recipients of Round 3 of the Supporting Children in Early Childhood Education and Care WA Grants.
It was great to pay them a visit to hear first-hand how this support is making a difference.
They’ve launched a special bush kindy program at Herdsman Lake Wildlife Centre, supporting children to engage with the natural world through play.
Play is at the heart of children’s development, health and learning. I’m proud to support this work through our Government’s $20,000 election commitment to upgrade the centre’s outdoor area.
Thank you to the staff for showing us around and for everything you do to support early learners!
🍃🌿 Another wonderful day at Lake Herdsman Bush Kindy! 🌿🍃
It was another beautiful day of learning and exploring in nature. We are so proud of how well the children are listening, following instructions and working together to help make our Bush Kindy experiences safe, happy and enjoyable for everyone. 💚
Our morning began with our bus trip, where everyone found their seat and buckled up safely before we headed off to our adventure.
When we arrived, we met our guide who shared a wonderful story about insects and taught us about the important role bees and flowers play in our gardens. 🐝🌸
The theme for today was gardens. We explored the plants growing in the garden before planting some of our own seeds and seedlings. It was fantastic to hear the children recalling what they learned earlier this year when we explored seeds and planted our sunflowers. 🌻 Their growing knowledge was wonderful to see!
Planting strawberries was definitely a favourite, with several children suggesting we should grow some in our own garden too. 🍓
Our creativity blossomed as we made our own natural paintbrushes using branches collected from native plants. The children loved experimenting with the different textures and patterns they could create with their unique brushes. 🎨🌿
As we wandered along the lake path, we discovered fascinating fungi, spotted old cocoons and admired intricate spider webs woven throughout the trees. Nature always has so many treasures waiting to be explored.
One of the highlights of the day was quietly observing a tawny frogmouth sleeping peacefully in a tree. What a special moment to witness such beautiful wildlife in its natural habitat! 🦉
It was another memorable day filled with play-based learning, curiosity, creativity and meaningful connections with the natural world. We cannot wait for our next Bush Kindy adventure! 💚🍃
🌿🎨 Bethanie on the Park Art Excursion with Little Green Steps 🎨🌿
This week our children enjoyed a wonderful visit to Bethanie on the Park for a nature-inspired art experience with Little Green Steps.
The morning began with a colour-matching nature hunt, where the children explored the outdoor environment to find natural treasures that matched the colours on their palettes. This playful learning experience encouraged careful observation, colour recognition and a deeper appreciation of the natural world.
Using the materials they collected, along with leaves, rocks and sticks, the children drew on their creativity to design and create their own unique animals. They also explored weaving leaves through cardboard weaving frames, strengthening their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and persistence while experimenting with different natural textures.
It was wonderful to see the children confidently sharing ideas, solving problems together and expressing themselves through their creations. Their enthusiasm, creativity and collaboration shone throughout the morning as they engaged in meaningful play-based learning and formed connections with both nature and the wider community.
Thank you to Bethanie and Little Green Steps Western Australia for providing such a memorable and enriching experience. 💚🌱
🌿🏕️ Building a Mia-Mia 🏕️🌿
During a recent bush walk, our children were inspired to create their own mia-mia — a traditional Noongar shelter.
Working together, the children gathered large branches and carefully arranged them to construct an impressive structure. Throughout the process, they shared ideas, negotiated roles and collaborated to bring their vision to life.
This hands-on learning experience provided valuable opportunities to develop teamwork, problem-solving, communication and creativity skills while fostering a connection to the natural environment and local Aboriginal culture.
We were so proud to see the children working together with such enthusiasm, persistence and imagination to achieve their goal. ✨🍃
#ruthlandauharpearlylearning #natureplay #bushkindy #learningthroughplay #outdoorlearning #earlyyearslearning #connectiontocountry #NoongarCulture #CuriousLearners
🌿🔢 Learning Through Nature and Creativity 🔢🌿
Did you know that our Kindy 4 children regularly enjoy bush walks at Coolbinia Bushland?
During a recent visit, the children explored the natural environment and collected a variety of nature treasures including leaves, sticks, rocks and flowers. Back at the service, these discoveries became part of a meaningful learning experience as the children used their collected items to create number collages.
As they carefully arranged the natural materials to form different numbers, the children explored early mathematical concepts such as number recognition, counting and one-to-one correspondence while expressing their creativity through hands-on learning.
The children were incredibly proud of their creations and the finished collages are now displayed in our classroom for everyone to admire. We love seeing learning come to life through nature, creativity and play-based exploration! 🍃✨
#ruthlandauharpearlylearning #natureplay #bushkindy #learningthroughplay #earlymathematics #CreativeLearning #outdoorlearning #KindyLife #earlyyearslearning
