Yann Tyng Kooi
- Aug 1, 2022
- 9 min read

Playing is Learning for Life with TG's Child Care Play Experts - the children!

✦ Masters of how to learn through play, TG's children shine at what they do best - play!

“When children pretend, they’re using their imaginations to move beyond the bounds of reality. A stick can be a magic wand. A sock can be a puppet. A small child can be a superhero.” – Fred Rogers

Child's play takes on a whole new meaning at TG's Child Care.

Gardens that make playing a joy

TG's beautiful award-winning gardens have been specially designed to be natural, nurturing, safe and secure spaces for children to play, live and learn. These exciting and dynamic spaces are where children can explore and develop their fine and gross motor skills, build curiosity, social and emotional intelligence, engage in active and passive play.

Jump into an old boat and have an adventure on the high seas with your gang of pirates. Get down close to the ground and hunt for little bugs and see what they're up to this busy morning. If it's a warm day out there's water play waiting and you can pretend you're having a nice day at the beach. The imagination of a child knows no limits, and it is not limited by their geographical space.

TG's Child Care toddler and Educator exploring outdoor garden

Hey! Where did the bug go?

What makes TG's stand out is how they have implemented their philosophy of Playing is Learning for Life and blended in their sustainability values as well. Armed with their imagination and with Nature by their side, TG's children have endless hours of learning through play.

It is thanks to Trevor Kee that TG's Play Experts have these beautiful gardens to explore and have their adventures. He brought his extensive landscaping and design background to create these dynamic, sustainable, natural environments where children can thrive to their fullest potential. We may be living in an urban environment, but Trevor really wanted to invite nature into TG's playspaces, so you will notice Nature's touch as you walk through the gardens - there are paved pathways, timber bridges and transition areas that use natural materials and local resources.

Sustainability is an important value at TG's, and even their gardens are in keeping with sustainability practices. Exploring nature is part of their sustainability practices as it builds a foundation of values for making the world a better place. TG's children develop independent and creative minds through playing in these gardens. It's where they learn to engage in collective thinking with their peers and build relationships with each other. Through exploring, the children identify their strengths and discover their own unique gifts. When you are bathed in an environment rich in love, care and respect, you simply grow.

Read about TG's Sustainability

It takes two wings to fly

TG's Play Experts are supported by the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) on one side and the Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) on the other.

The EYLF is from the Australian Government's Department of Education which dictates five major outcomes that extend and enrich children’s learning from birth to five years and through the transition to school.

These are the five outcomes from the EYLF:

Children have a strong sense of identity
Children are connected with and contribute to their world
Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
Children are confident and involved learners
Children are effective communicators

The Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) is where TG's implements indigenous programs in all of their six centres across regional Australia. It is part of their sustainability values and it boosts the children's eco and social intelligence. The children are supported by indigenous wisdom and they look at how they impact the environment, social aspects and economy of their locations in a way that is relevant and identifiable for them. It builds pride and responsibility when the children realise they, in their own way, can make a difference to care for the planet and their communities. They may be wearing ordinary clothes but inside, every child is a superhero who wants to and can save the planet.

Read about TG's Urangan' s RAP

So with this balance of EYLP and RAP, TG's Educators design quality outcomes for the children, and equip them with the skills they need to navigate through life. What TG's children foster here is a life-long compassion, love and respect for themselves, their environment and their communities.

Why play?

Play is trusting the brain to do what it does best i.e. learn. Take a look at a typical day in the life of a TG's Play Expert, and you may find yourself asking if there's an adult version of TG's that you can sign up for!

Here are all the reasons why playing is simply the best way to learn.

1. Build curiosity

Children are naturally curious, they'll explore and touch things, grab whatever catches their eye, keep asking you "Why?" until you run out of answers. At TG's, the children are encouraged to explore and ask questions. They are given the space to simply wonder why something works the way it does, and through their own exploration they come to their own conclusions. TG's Educators are always on hand to guide them and together, the children pick up new knowledge which really sticks in the brain because they did it themselves! It's not about 'feeding' random, irrelevant, meaningless information to children. TG's Educators plan activities that are relevant to their interests, experiences and backgrounds and take into account the unique learning journey of each child.

Toddler examining an ice block with dinosaurs in them

Ooo...it's cold! And where is all that water coming from?

A simple block of ice with dinosaurs frozen in them becomes a most exciting activity! Put on your Dora the Explorer hat and go on an archaeological dig! Feel how cold the ice is and how it starts to feel wet when it starts to melt. Children can be incredibly careful if you tell them how fragile the buried dinosaurs are and how we have to be patient and gently brush off bits of ice. And brrr...it's cold, so make sure you wrap up and have your warm coat on! One simple play activity and you are learning about science, geography, history and self-care without realising it!

2. Build motor skills

Toddler taking a leap in outdoor exercise

How high can you jump?

TG's Play Experts love being outdoors and getting a good dose of exercise in their strong little bodies!

They're always up for a game and if it involves quite a bit of running, jumping, tunnelling, crawling and rolling, they're in!

TG's outdoor areas have plenty of space for the children to engage in different physical games and you'll always hear tons of laughter and squeals!

See how high or how far you can jump! The children are not at all interested in how they are training their motor skills, they just know they are having FUN and they want more!

TG's Play Experts get stronger and healthier each day when they engage in outdoor games that also foster team work and team spirit.

3. Build confidence

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up." - Pablo Picasso

What are your superpowers?

There is something incredibly empowering about seeing a child play. Their total trust in their make believe and pretend world allows them to fully explore their gifts.

When you play and let your imagination lead, nothing is impossible. A child's world is wonderfully rich, and in their world of play and imagination, they can be anything and anyone. Nothing is holding them back. What a wonderful way to build confidence, trust and self-esteem! As adults, perhaps it would behoove us to remember what it was like as a child and tap into all our unexplored and forgotten talents!

What would your Inner Child want to do if you were to invite them to play?

4. Build respect

At TG's Urangan, their Reconciliation Action Plan involves going on a beach kindy every fortnight. This is something the children really look forward to! Getting out into nature and just smelling the sea, feeling the soft warm sand sink below their feet...it's an environment absolutely primed for learning.

Look at what we found!

You can show a child a picture of a beach and illustrations of corals and they may well forget it soon enough. Take them out to a real beach and have them actually notice dried up corals and letting them touch it and feel the texture, the roughness, the little holes in them and how light or heavy they are...and the children will be so fascinated they'll be talking about it for hours and days after. Very often, families learn about what the children have been doing at TG's from the children themselves! They are so excited about what they have learnt they can't wait to go back and share it with their families! "Did you know that...?" is a common thing to hear at the dinner table after a day of Playing is Learning for Life at TG's!

The next time you go on your personal beach kindy, why not slow down, really stop and notice the nature around you. Where's that crab scurrying off to? Do you notice how ticklish the waves feel when they wash over your feet and then drain away? And most importantly, something TG's Play Experts know by heart is to leave gentle footprints wherever they go. They respect the environment and land they walk on, and make sure they take real good care of it and not leave anything behind that does not belong there.

5. Build life skills

Do you remember how you used to play pretend when you were a child? All you needed were some old boxes, a blanket or two, an old hat and you cooked up stories worthy of being made into a Shakespeare play!

Pretend play is a way children 'play out' what they see in the world around them. It's how they are making sense of the world. It's their way of trying out 'roles' to see how it would feel and it helps them to get into the shoes of another person and imagine what they would do, say or behave. It's also how they interact with their peers and learn to negotiate, share, feel empathy for, figuring out what works and what doesn't. A pretend picnic, or tea party, or shopping at the supermarket, or going to the doctor's, or the police running after the thief...the list of pretend play scenarios are endless.

A lot of it has to do with what different people do in their communities, and TG's has always enjoyed either inviting the local firemen over with their exciting big trucks or taking the children out and getting to know their friendly grocer in the area. It builds a sense of community and appreciation.

Three toddlers play pretend at a supermarket

And...that'll be $3.50 thank you!

Adults have never really lost their interest in pretend play - just look at the popularity of cosplay for example, and you'll see the child in us still wants to engage in pretend play!

6. Build creativity

Beyond some basic rules of keeping things fair and everyone safe, there are really no other rules when it comes to playing. There is no right or wrong answer or way to do it. It fully allows children to be as creative as they like, and TG's Educators observe closely how each child responds to play, what their preferences are, how they like to work, how they problem solve, what gifts they are unconsciously developing.

Hmm...How can I make this stay and not fall over?

There is no competition and no final end when it comes to play. Children learn best in a stress-free environment, and it's the process that brings joy. TG's Educators and families always celebrate their final creation and there are many milestones to celebrate there. At the end of the year on Graduation Day, the children present a portfolio of what they have created to their families and there is so much pride when one looks at how much each child has grown and developed. At TG's, every child is celebrated.

The next time your child invites you to get into some creative play with them, see if you can be just like them, and just enjoy the process. Get messy, get muddy, not know what you're going to create but simply having lots of fun! It could well help to spark off your own creativity at work!

Educators play too!

Did you know that TG's Educators love to play too? It's one of the defining characteristics of an Educator in the TG's Family! That's what makes them so much fun to be around. They fully understand what it's like to be a child, and they know what children need. When TG's Educators are not engaged in play with the children, they are also equally fun-loving when they are in their teams.

Paddling the canoe together is how TG's builds strong team spirit across their centres, and it's how they continue to retain quality professionals on their team. TG's Educators practise what they preach, and they walk the talk of Playing is Learning for Life. They're not afraid to show their goofy or silly side! With Educators like that, it's no wonder the children are excited to go to TG's everyday!

TG's Educators love going to work to play!

Learn why TG's Educators love going to TG's!

Playing it Forward

So, are you excited for Playing is Learning for Life yet? We certainly are feeling a wee nostalgic now about our schooldays and all those days of endless playing.

If you need some inspiration about playing, learn from TG's Play Experts, who will be more than happy to share with you what their favourite playing activity is!

TG's children will continue Playing it Forward long after they have left TG's, so this beautiful legacy of Playing is Learning for Life is never lost and will get passed down through the generations.

And it starts right here. At TG's Child Care.