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Building your playgroup can take time.
Don’t worry if you don’t have a lot of families to start with. Starting with a small playgroup gives the opportunity to build strong relationships with families and support children’s learning.
Over time you will want to have enough families involved to provide a social connection and encourage a sense of belonging.
Before you start
For new playgroups: do your research
- Find out what time best suits the families in your community – an early morning playgroup may allow for younger children who need an afternoon nap and is more convenient for parents and carers who are dropping off older children, saving them from having to go home or wait around for playgroup to start.
- Check what other playgroups are offered in your local community and consider operating your playgroup on a different day or time.
- Visit other playgroups to get some ideas.
- Talk to the parents and carers who are interested in attending playgroup about what works for them.
Know your message
Some families may want to know more about your playgroup than the basics. Make sure you've thought about and are communicating your playgroup purpose. If you've already developed a playgroup term program you may also want to share this.
Ideas to promote and grow your playgroup
Build connections with your community
You may want to:
- involve preschool and school staff in promoting your playgroup
- invite preschool and school leadership staff to attend playgroup and spend time talking with families
- ask preschool and schools to include playgroup families in some preschool and school events, such as a Book Week parade
- promote your playgroup in local early childhood services and school newsletters or on their websites
- hold a playgroup open day for families to visit – include activities that are inviting for children and their families, such as face-painting or a sausage sizzle
- present a parent and carer workshop and consider some guest speakers to attract new families
- make connections with other children’s services in your area. They may be able to promote your playgroup to their families.
You could also build connections with:
- your local library
- local health and nutrition professionals, such as Child and Family Health or School Dental Clinics
- local councils.
Advertise
- Put a sign out the front of your site notifying families that you offer playgroups.
- Place posters advertising the playgroup around your local community.
- Advertise on the local radio station or newspaper.
- Letter-drop families in the community.
Word-of-mouth promotion
- Ask parents and carers to recruit new families. Word-of-mouth can be a very effective way to encourage new families to attend.
- Provide parents and carers with playgroup promotional materials to give to their schools.
Use social media
Start a social media presence for your playgroup (for example a private Facebook group or Instagram page). Having a social media connection for families allows for sharing of ideas and resources that families can use at home. You can also share local events with families.
Look at what other playgroups do
Have you found a great way to promote your playgroup and attract new members? Share it with us at Education.LearningTogetherCommunities@sa.gov.au
Follow up with families
Contact families who have not been to your playgroup for a while and invite them to attend.
Join your local playgroup association
You could consider becoming a member of your local Playgroup Association for extra support, program ideas and insurance information. Visit Playgroup Australia for more information.
Promote the benefits of playgroup
What the research says
The first 3 years of a child’s life are possibly the most important years in a child’s development. Research shows that sensitive, responsive parenting is critical in these crucial years for children to develop physically, psychologically, and neuro-psychologically.
Brains are built over time and more complex skills are built on the foundations of basic skills as children engage in relationships and experiences in their earliest years.
The close environments in which children spend their time play an important role in shaping their future development and wellbeing. These include the home, early childhood and community environments such as playgroup.
How playgroup supports early development
Playgroup activities allow for dialogue and interaction between the child and the adult, which is important in acquiring the fundamentals of learning.
Playgroup also helps families identify opportunities for learning at home by encouraging reading, talking, and singing with children, access to supportive parenting strategies, and helping children develop dispositions for learning such as curiosity, resourcefulness and confidence.
Benefits for families, children, preschools and schools
For families – parents and carers
Attending playgroup can help parents and carers:
- gain an understanding of what and how children learn through play and other experiences
- receive ideas for activities they can do at home to support their child’s learning
- develop an increased sense of belonging to the school, preschool, children’s centre or community
- interact with educators and professionals, breaking down perceived barriers
- interact with other parents and carers and share knowledge and experiences.
For children
Playgroup can help children develop:
- literacy and numeracy skills
- social and emotional skills
- fine and gross motor skills
- sensory pathways, which are important to all learning
- cognitive and executive functioning skills
- dispositions for learning (‘habits of mind’), such as cooperation, purposefulness and persistence.
Fine and gross motor skills can be acquired through activities such as:
- cutting and rolling dough
- painting
- drawing
- writing and mark making
- threading
- building and construction
- climbing and balancing
- digging
- dancing.
Cognitive and executive functioning skills include:
- working memory – being able to hold and use information in their heads over a short period of time, for example remember where they left their shoes
- inhibitory control – the ability to self-regulate, not give into impulses, filter out distractions and stay on task
- mental flexibility – the ability to adjust to different scenarios, applying what we already know to new situations or juggling demands and priorities.
For preschools and schools
Playgroups can benefit preschools and schools through opportunities:
- to convey early learning messages to families
- for early intervention.
Connections with a local playgroup may lead to:
- increased parent involvement in school boards, governing councillor classrooms
- increased enrolments for associated preschools or schools
- improved transitions into the next stage of a child's early learning journey.
References
- Australian Early Developmental Census (AEDC) (2015) Brain development in children, Commonwealth of Australia.
- Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEECDYA) (2010) Engaging Families in the Early Childhood Development Story, Early Childhood Services, Department for Education and Children’s Services, South Australia.
- Moore, T (2014) Understanding the nature and significance of early childhood: New evidence and its implications (PDF 194KB), The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne.