Baldivis Early Learning Centre celebrates Book Week

From hungry caterpillars and three little pigs to space pizzas, Book Week was a feast of stories, learning and fun at the Y WA’s Baldivis Early Learning Centre.

Young bookworms at the centre celebrated Book Week on Monday, August 24, with a day of activities inspired by some of their favourite stories.

Rather than simply reading the books, educators used the stories as inspiration for some fun and creative activities designed to build a range of important skills.

Children explored letter recognition through a Chicka Chicka Boom Boom sensory activity, made predictions and practised counting with a Very Hungry Caterpillar counting game, and created their own Three Little Pigs playdough creations to develop fine motor skills.

The stories even made their way on to the menu, with children enjoying wombat stew — a dessert of chocolate pudding, gummy worms and other exciting creatures — stellarphant space pizzas and very hungry caterpillar sandwiches.

There was also dressing up in costumes, with children and their families invited to vote for their favourite educator costume.

Y WA Baldivis Early Learning Centre Ddrector Amanda Broad said the day showed how much learning could happen when children were given an opportunity to explore stories in different ways.

“Book Week was a great day full of stories, imagination and fun, but it was also a wonderful opportunity for children to learn through play and hands-on experiences,” she said.

“Group reading experiences help build children’s early literacy by exposing them to stories, songs, rhymes and language. They are developing skills such as listening, comprehension, vocabulary, memory and communication, while also building the confidence to participate and share their ideas.

“Most importantly, when children are encouraged to enjoy books and explore stories in creative ways, they are building a strong foundation for learning and giving themselves the opportunity to flourish.”

The Y WA’s Baldivis Early Learning Centre is part of the Y WA’s School ReadY program, which focuses on literacy and language, social and emotional wellbeing, and numeracy.