Thursday 24 February 2011

by Deb Delaney
Family Support Worker, Port Douglas Neighbourhood Centre

Do you have a child under five years of age?  Are you looking for somewhere to go where you can have fun with your child, meet other parents, share your parenting stories and relax a little? 

If so, then playgroup at the Port Douglas Neighbourhood Centre may be your answer. 

The Neighbourhood Centre Family Support Program provides two Playgroups each week to assist families to build connections in the local community, support parents to enjoy their parenting roles and provide a safe play environment for children under five.

We encourage not only mums to come along but dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles and carers. 

The Playgroups are held on Tuesday morning from 10am to 12pm for 0-5 year olds and on Wednesday from 9.30am to 11.30am for children eight months to two years.

Carly Budgen and I facilitate the groups and are on hand to welcome new members and assist parents with any issues they may like to discuss with regard to parenting.  The sessions are friendly and fun for both children and parents.

At Playgroup your child will learn to share through play, discover how to get along with others, learn and develop new skills, listen to stories, participate in music and rhyme time, explore playing with sand and water, paint and enjoy art and craft activities and have fun playing outdoors and at times going on outings and excursions.

Children under five years of age have rapid brain development and they need a stimulating environment to play and learn.  Playgroup can assist in this learning by offering a wide variety of play experiences.

Playgroup is a great way for your child to learn about their world, make new friends and develop social skills.  It is also a wonderful environment for parents to make new friends, get out of the house, share experiences and have some fun too.

We also encourage our parents to become involved in running the Playgroup. As they say, many hands make light work! 

If you decide to come along to Playgroup we ask you to bring along some morning tea for your child and a hat and sunscreen for outside play.  In the warmer weather we often have water play available so a swimsuit and rashie can come in handy along with a change of clothes. 

A donation of $4 each week goes towards covering costs of the Neighbourhood Centre in providing the service.

We look forward to welcoming any new families to our groups and sharing the joy of parenting. 

"Life, love, and laughter, what priceless gifts to give our children." - Phyllis Dryden