Celebrating Australia!
Recently, our kindergym team set about passing on knowledge and sharing their pride in what makes our home so special.
Our activity space was divided into three distinct themes for our children to explore:
Australian animals: Did you know that 80% of mammals found in Australia are endemic, meaning they are found nowhere else in the world!
Australian landmarks: From Sydney Harbour to Uluru, Australia is a vast land on which to discover wonderful sights!
Indigenous culture: Australia is home to the world's oldest continuous cultures. We value Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, languages and histories and seek to promote a greater understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 'ways of knowing and being'.
Discover the Set Up
Throughout this theme we got moving on the floor, beams, rings & rope zones!
We imagined trekking through the Aussie bush on the floor and learnt how to move just like our unique Australian animals. We kangaroo jumped across trampolines 🦘, then practised weight bearing as we climbed across a fence like a possum! We flew through the air on a trapeze, just like the sugar glider when it flies through the trees and we dove across barrels like a great white shark 🦈!!
Over on the beams we journeyed the land, keeping a lookout for famous Australian landmarks! Our confidence was tested as we walked up and down the Sydney Harbour Bridge 🌉 before we made our way along the high beam to match up the states of Australia on the map. We strolled through the Botanical Gardens, walked all the way around Uluru, boarded a harbour ferry and even swam the Great Barrier Reef 🐟 !
In the rings and ropes area, we learned about Indigenous culture through dreamtime stories and symbols. After reading about Tiddalik the Frog in group time, we visited a billabong, then practiced jumping like a frog 🐸 and we flew high on the swing like the birds in the story ‘How the birds got their colours’ 🦜! We also worked on our recognition skills, matching our movements to the indigenous symbols (rain, bush berry and snake) on the card.
Acknowledgement of Country
We acknowledge the Wurundjeri People, Traditional Custodians of the land on which we meet, and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. We thank them for looking after the land, sky and waterways that we are privileged to walk upon, learn and play on each day.
“Wominjeka!” means hello/welcome in the Woiwarrung language of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation. We hope that all of our friends experienced a wonderful three weeks at kindergym during this theme. Kindergym naturally provides an opportunity to learn, not just about gymnastics, but about concepts and ideas that shape us and create identity. Knowledge builds strength; strength of mind, strength of character and strength of being. During this theme, our intention was to create awareness and promote an understanding of and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ‘ways of knowing and being’.
Our ancient country is enriched by the diverse cultures of First Nations people who are our knowledge holders, story keepers and teachers.