Having friends is essential for children’s development as well as their overall health and well-being. It’s important for children’s social and emotional development to be around others who have different personalities and different ideas. “Having friends helps children develop many life skills that are necessary in day-to-day activities. Without these skills children could struggle to build normal social skills or relationships,” says Kylie-Jane Shannon, the owner of Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre.

Young children (pre-school age) need to learn friendship skills. As they play with other children, they build skills that will help them in the present and into the future. These skills include; sharing, taking turns, cooperating, listening to others, managing disagreements as well as seeing other people’s points of view.

Other social skills that can be learnt when interacting with friends, are talking and listening respectfully as well as learning to win and lose graciously. It’s important for children to learn how to interact with others and to develop the correct skills to participate in group activities. Having good friends can also encourage good behaviour in children as they begin to be influenced by their friends.

When kids get older and they enter school, relationships with other people become even more important. Friendships at this age can influence children’s self-esteem. When they have a good friend or a good group of friends they feel that they belong. Their friends care for them and that makes them feel good about themselves.

This creates a general positive outlook on life. “Studies have found that children who build positive social and friendship skills are less likely to have social and emotional difficulties later in life,” says Kylie. Developing good friendships as young children also helps to increase their capacity for empathy as well as altruism.

Sometimes it can be tough for kids to make friends. Parents should encourage children to get involved socially and to make new friends. If children see that their parents encourage that behaviour, it can make them feel more comfortable to put themselves out there and make friends. There are ways for parents to help their children make friends. For example, taking children to an indoor play centre such as Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre, or a play area, like a park, are great spaces to expose children to others and to make friends and build good friendship skills. Opportunities such as this give children a large variety of friends to choose from. It’s helpful to teach children certain social cues such as how to respond to other children’s greetings. It’s also good to encourage a child to introduce themselves when they meet new children. Help them to learn the rules of games that they would like to play with others. This can help them to get involved in group activities in a seamless manner.

Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre continues to dedicate its expertise and delight to serving families within the town of Wallan, Victoria.

Check out their full range of services and current featured promotions at junglekids.com.au.Visit their Facebook page to view all their activities and special offerings. Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre is open seven (7) days a week and is open until 5:00pm on weekdays during the school holidays.

As part of their Play-all-day Single Admission, adults and babies attend free of charge. 12 months to 3 years old attend at $8.50 and 4 years old to 12 years old attend at $10.00.

Written and syndicated by: YDMA News

In general, it can be difficult to get young children to concentrate for any length of time. Put them in a setting such as a play centre and it can be even more difficult because they become over excited and overly stimulated as there is so much happening around them. Kylie-Jane Shannon, the owner of Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre, gives some tips on how to improve children’s concentration in a play centre setting.

Some kids are just naturally excited, which is not a bad thing as it means they are curious, energetic and optimistic. Sometimes when kids are over excited they struggle to focus and concentrate. Play centres are often buzzing with excited and enthusiastic children running around and playing and many children can become over stimulated. “There are ways that parents can help to improve their children’s concentration in a play centre setting, and this involves picking up on certain behaviours as their children are playing,” says Kylie.

If the child is not concentrating or is over excited at the play centre, avoid reacting in a way that is going to escalate the situation. Always react calmly, and simply take the child aside and have a quiet conversation with them. Trying to shout over the top of children or yelling at them does not help.  If they are not listening or responding to instructions, attempt to do some breathing exercises with them. In a gentle voice, tell them to stop, take three deep breaths and then proceed calmly back to play.

“It could also be beneficial to discuss things with your child ahead of time about behaviour in a play centre or the steps to take to avoid getting over excited,” suggests Kylie. “This is particularly important for children who have been diagnosed with or suffer from ADHD,” adds Kylie. Tactics that can be used include, creating a fun song or rhyme that can be recited when its time to take a break or making eye contact with them to increase their focus, maintain concentration and listen to what is being said.

It’s important to pay attention to what steps help the child to calm down and make sure to exercise them when the time comes. Ensure that the child takes a break from play every now and then. This will prevent them from being overly stimulated and can help them to re-focus. If all else fails, it is perhaps time to leave the immediate environment. This will perhaps upset the child initially, but eventually they will calm down as often it is nearly impossible for them to take a breather amongst the ever present stimulation.

Play centres are great places for kids to exercise, develop their physical and mental strength, learn social and emotional skills and enjoy the company of other children. However, remember that every child is different and something that works for one child might not necessarily work for another child. Always keep this in mind, be patient and have fun!

Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre continues to dedicate its expertise and delight to serving families within the town of Wallan, Victoria.

Check out their full range of services and current featured promotions at junglekids.com.au.Visit their Facebook page to view all their activities and special offerings. Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre is open seven (7) days a week and is open until 5:00pm on weekdays during the school holidays.

As part of their Play-all-day Single Admission, adults and babies attend free of charge. 12 months to 3 years old attend at $8.50 and 4 years old to 12 years old attend at $10.00.

Written and syndicated by: YDMA News

Eating healthily for a child is always important no matter the situation; after play is no exception. When children play they constantly use their muscles and burn a lot of energy. A well-balanced healthy meal is always needed afterwards to restore their energy and feed their growing muscles. “The availability of unhealthy foods like some fast foods or processed foods has made it tough for parents to ensure that their children are eating a healthy diet. If we factor in our hectic schedules, it becomes even harder.” says Kylie-Jane Shannon, owner of Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre.

There are many different and creative ways for parents to ensure that their children are getting the correct nutrition. Adhering to a healthy diet supports children’s development. It helps them to maintain a healthy weight, stabilise their moods, sharpen their minds and could help them to avoid a variety of health issues. “There are specific types of foods that children should eat after being active so their energy and fluids are restored,” says Kylie.

After being active, children should eat some carbohydrates as they contain glycogen. Muscles need glycogen which can become depleted when children are active and therefore it needs to be replaced. Carbohydrates are also absorbed a lot quicker than fats and proteins, making them easier to digest. Some good food ideas that contain carbohydrates include; fruit salads, toasted sandwiches or a fruit smoothie. These foods are a quick and healthy snack after play. Studies have shown that milk is better for muscle recovery than sports drinks and children can pick their favourite flavour. Fruit is a good snack, especially pineapples, any type of berry, and bananas. “This is why it is important at indoor play centres to have proper food choices on the menu for active children.” says Kylie.

After a period of being active, children also need to have some protein. This is because protein contains amino acids, which help build muscles. Muscle proteins are broken down when children are active and need to be restored. Some good food ideas for protein include; eggs, yoghurt, chicken, and cheese. Eggs are one of the healthiest sources of protein and can be prepared in many different ways. Yogurt, especially plain Greek yogurt, is high in protein and when eaten with berries or granola, makes a perfect snack. Chicken is high in lean protein and when paired with carbohydrates, makes a great after play meal. Cheese is a good source of protein and also contains healthy fats. Finally, do not forget to keep children hydrated with water, fruit smoothies or milk after active play. Try some of these snack ideas next time your children need a boost after a hectic day of playing.

Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre continues to dedicate its expertise and delight to serving families within the town of Wallan, Victoria.

Check out their full range of services and current featured promotions at junglekids.com.au.Visit their Facebook page to view all their activities and special offerings. Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre is open seven (7) days a week and is open until 5:00pm on weekdays during the school holidays.

As part of their Play-all-day Single Admission, adults and babies attend free of charge. 12 months to 3 years old attend at $8.50 and 4 years old to 12 years old attend at $10.00.

Written and syndicated by: YDMA News

Recent studies have indicated that too much time spent on smartphones or other digital and screen devices can be detrimental to aspects of children’s development. This can include, slower development of social skills, a decrease in physical health, and interrupted sleep patterns.

Kylie-Jane Shannon, owner of Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre, discusses ways that indoor play centres can provide alternative activities that can combat the negative influences of too much time on digital and screen devices.

“Studies have shown that the average child can spend up to six hours a day on a digital or screen device, which can cause concerns that parents should take seriously. Concerns can include social isolation, poor physical health, and problems with vision to name a few,” says Kylie. “While there is a lot of educational and entertaining online activity, parents of young children should try to limit online viewing to an hour or two a day. It is also advisable for parents to monitor children’s online activity to ensure they are using devices appropriately and responsibly and to reduce digital device addiction,” adds Kylie.

Offering children alternative options to online activities is healthy and an indoor play centre is an ideal alternative. “Indoor play centres are excellent as they offer activities that can rejuvenate all of a child’s senses,” says Kylie. Importantly, children develop good social skills, and are better able to interact and communicate with others,” adds Kylie.

Spending too much time in front of a digital or screen device can be particularly detrimental to a child’s physical health. Activities at indoor play centres can support the development of children’s agility, speed, and overall athletic ability. “At Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre, the enclosed ball pit, triple story slide and jeep rider are three activities that support children’s physical and mental development and help to develop independence in children,” says Kylie.

Expending energy in an indoor play centre environment can be both rewarding and fulfilling for many children. Many of the activities are designed to challenge children’s physical, mental and emotional stamina, thus enhancing their sense of wellbeing. “Activities that enable children to expend their energy and tire them out, can also contribute to better sleeping patterns and happier, more well-adjusted children,” says Kylie.

Whether children are participating in activities in an indoor play centre or spending time on digital and screen devices, parents should ensure that children have access to healthy food and water. Sometimes, children who spend too much time in front of digital or screen devices, can tend to eat unhealthy snack foods high in sugar and sodium as they are readily available and easier to eat in front of the screen.

Understanding the dynamics between children and digital technology is crucial for parents. “While digital technology is educative and entertaining, parents should consider age-appropriate platforms and balance online viewing with other activities that promote and support a child’s physical, mental, emotional and social development. As with everything in today’s world, moderation is the key,” says Kylie.

Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre continues to dedicate its expertise and delight to serving families within the town of Wallan, Victoria.

Check out their full range of services and current featured promotions at junglekids.com.au.Visit their Facebook page to view all their activities and special offerings. Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre is open seven (7) days a week and is open until 5:00pm on weekdays during the school holidays.

As part of their Play-all-day Single Admission, adults and babies attend free of charge. 12 months to 3 years old attend at $8.50 and 4 years old to 12 years old attend at $10.00.

Written and syndicated by: YDMA News

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often occurs during childhood, with symptoms including hyperactivity, and a limited attention span. This condition can affect children in many ways, including difficulty with learning and making friendships and low self-esteem. It is important to note that if a parent suspects their child has ADHD symptoms they should seek medical advice.

There are many strategies and techniques that parents and carers can provide to support a child with ADHD. Kylie-Jane Shannon, owner of Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre, elaborates on some of these. “Both indoor and outdoor play allows children with ADHD to express their spiritedness in a more conducive environment,” says Kylie. “In the context of outdoor activities, rustling leaves and gentle wind breezes across the skin, provide a level of calmness that helps children with ADHD to relax,” she adds.

“Indoor play centres provide the perfect environment for interpersonal skill development, teaching children to take turns, respect each other and learn to manage personal space,” says Kylie. “The variety of play activities such as slides, ball pits, swings and balancing beams help with the improvement of children’s flexibility and coordination as well as providing an effective outlet for children to expend their energy,” adds Kylie.

Effective strategies and techniques that support all children but can be particularly effective for children with ADHD include understanding rules, using positive language and praise, preparing children to switch activities or finish an activity, and helping children to manage their behaviour.

“It is imperative to remind children of appropriate play, and should be done in a specific manner, as children with ADHD usually understand best through demonstration,” says Kylie. “For example, telling a child that fun balls must be placed in the ball pit after one is done playing with them followed by enacting the rule, is the most helpful way of explaining rules effectively,” adds Kylie.

Using positive language and praise is a more effective way of supporting a child to manage their behaviour. For example, saying ‘Please wait for your turn’ as opposed to Don’t push’ demonstrates how we learn to interact respectfully with each other. Commending positive behaviour is vital for all children, however, those with ADHD react very positively to praise. Commend a child who has demonstrated positive behaviour. For example, say, ‘Well done Micah, for playing so well with your friends today’ or ‘Thank you Micah for being kind to Rosie today’.

It is important to support children to manage their own behaviour. Strategies that can help include, giving children an indication of when an activity will end or when they will need to switch or transition to a new activity. All children, but more often those with ADHD, need time to realise that the situation they are currently in or experiencing is about to change. “Reminding children of the duration of play, as well as mentioning the time left before finishing an activity, eases the packing up process and helps prepare children for home time,” says Kylie.

For children who find it hard to manage their behaviour or display forms of tantrums, it is important to be kind but firm. Children like boundaries, so being clear about behavioural expectations and what will and won’t be tolerated is necessary from the outset. It is also important to be consistent about behavioural expectations. “for example, should a child display impatience in a crowded line that potentially may trigger a tantrum, suggest a detour to another play area until the traffic of the previous area slows down,” says Kylie.

Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre continues to dedicate its expertise and delight to serving families within the town of Wallan, Victoria.

Check out their full range of services and current featured promotions at junglekids.com.au.Visit their Facebook page to view all their activities and special offerings. Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre is open seven (7) days a week and is open until 5:00pm on weekdays during the school holidays.

As part of their Play-all-day Single Admission, adults and babies attend free of charge. 12 months to 3 years old attend at $8.50 and 4 years old to 12 years old attend at $10.00.

Written and syndicated by: YDMA News

The years between the ages of three and five, often referred to as the preschool years, are a particularly formative period in children’s lives when their ability to learn and observe their surroundings is at its most active. Activities and experiences undertaken during these years can influence and mould children’s emotional, intellectual, physical and social development.

Kylie-Jane Shannon, owner of Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre, identifies some of the play activities provided to support the development of children’s fine and gross motor skills, sensory integration, emotional intelligence, visual perception and problem-solving skills in an indoor play centre environment.

Using play dough is an inexpensive yet entertaining activity for young children as it helps children to develop their fine motor skills and foster their creativity. “Play dough is great in that it allows one to integrate any topic into the activity, providing a learning opportunity as well as enabling creativity,” says Kylie.

Scavenger hunts are another activity that can be adapted to any theme, and can be either an indoor or outdoor activity. “Pre-schoolers can learn a lot through scavenger hunts,” says Kylie. “Providing pre-schoolers with a checklist of objects to be searched for, promotes memory recall, reinforces the development of colour, shape and letter recognition and strengthens their attention span and spatial awareness,” Kylie adds.

Body bridges stimulate gross motor skills, build wrist, hand and shoulder stability, and help develop a child’s core strength. “Body Bridges allow pre-schoolers to create bridges with their bodies for toys such as small cars to travel across,” says Kylie.

Letter craft activities support children’s literacy development and can be incorporated into fun and exciting activities. “Creating letters with any objects, for example, creating the letter “H” with tree leaves, or the letter “S” with toy trains, helps children identify letters in a fun yet constructive manner,” says Kylie.

Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre provides a well-grounded approach to building an educated, active and healthy group of children. The wide range of pre-school activities, and the friendly and competent staff support parents and guardians to help their pre-school aged children to develop critical growth milestones.

Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre continues to dedicate its expertise and delight to serving families within the town of Wallan, Victoria.

Check out their full range of services and current featured promotions at junglekids.com.au.Visit their Facebook page to view all their activities and special offerings. Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre is open seven (7) days a week and is open until 5:00pm on weekdays during the school holidays.

As part of their Play-all-day Single Admission, adults and babies attend free of charge. 12 months to 3 years old attend at $8.50 and 4 years old to 12 years old attend at $10.00.

Written and syndicated by: YDMA News

For many years, themed play centres have taken the concept and benefits of play, and expanded on them. Both traditional and themed play centres provide for and build healthy physical and cognitive strength. However, themed play centres assist in building children’s imagination, igniting creativity, and inspiring ingenious problem-solving skills.

Kylie-Jane Shannon, Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre owner, discusses the benefits of themed play centres, and how they can inspire children’s creative development.

“Children are constantly using their imagination, however, often they require the added push to turn their dreams into motion,” says Kylie. “This is where themed indoor play centres come into their own. Colourful and characterised settings and decor create an immersive experience, transporting children to another world,” Kylie adds.

There are many benefits of visiting a themed indoor play centre. Both parents and children can see the opportunities for fun and excitement, improving children’s’ health via interactive play experiences, inviting children into colourful themed spaces and providing businesses with a competitive edge. “The addition of a themed area or event within an indoor play centre creates undeniable excitement, and attendance,” says Kylie.

“As an example, Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre has a Safari themed party option among others. A themed safari event can arouse excitement for children and encourage their imaginative play,” Kylie adds. Theming the space with wildlife elements through colourful, life-sized and sound-enhancing pieces can become an intuitive method to teach children about wildlife. “For parents in particular, they can engage and interact in themed events, contributing to the fun levels, while instilling the faith and trust of an indoor play centre as an ideal and suitable environment for both entertainment and education,” says Kylie.

Imaginative play is important for children’s physical and mental health. Children learn to understand how their bodies operate, build friendships, and explore through creative imagining. Indoor play centres provide a holistic experience through physical challenges like climbing, swinging and jumping. “They also enable children to socialise with peers through teamwork and allow shared moments in game creation and imagination building through story telling,” says Kylie.

“The concept of colourful themed spaces has always posed a great level of artistry in attracting children to spaces with themed set pieces,” says Kylie. “Children develop an understanding of certain colours, what they evoke, and how they contribute to the overall composition of a particular theme,” adds Kylie.

Themed indoor play centres provide key business growth through an advantageous competitive edge. “While generic play centres serve to enable children to have fun, themed play centres enable children to learn through play, accommodating every child’s taste and preference,” says Kylie. This helps to promote the business brand and centre it as the premium choice of play centre to visit.

Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre continues to dedicate its expertise and delight to serving families within the town of Wallan, Victoria.

Check out their full range of services and current featured promotions at junglekids.com.au.Visit their Facebook page to view all their activities and special offerings. Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre is open seven (7) days a week and is open until 5:00pm on weekdays during the school holidays.

As part of their Play-all-day Single Admission, adults and babies attend free of charge. 12 months to 3 years old attend at $8.50 and 4 years old to 12 years old attend at $10.00.

Written and syndicated by: YDMA News

The concept of structured and unstructured play has always intrigued the play centre industry, and in addition, has riddled the industry with the question of which one is better than the other. The truth is, both structured and unstructured play equally present their own vitality for a child’s wellbeing.

Kylie-Jane Shannon, owner of Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre and proud mother, discusses the importance of structured and unstructured play, and their key benefits for children’s development.

Before analysing the key benefits of both, it is important to contextualise and define structured and unstructured play. Structured play is synonymous with goal-oriented play and primarily utilises logic to systematically solve problems, whereas unstructured play, also known as free play, is both open-ended and highly creative. “For children to develop logical and creative thinking capacities, cultivate life long learning skills and enrich their development, both structured and unstructured play activities should be presented to children regularly,” says Kylie.

There are many examples of structured play. They include: following a particular set of rules to reach a particular goal; toy assembly instructions and directions when building a particular toy, playing board games and organised sports like soccer, netball and football among many others. In terms of unstructured play, examples include: drawing, colouring, painting (essentially art); inventing games and stories; and block-building among others.

The importance of structured and unstructured play is pivotal for introducing both purpose and curiosity-driven learning in a child’s developmental phases. “With structured play activities, children are learning how to best recognise patterns to meet pre-conceptualised and established goals as efficiently as possible. Unstructured play, on the other hand, teaches children how to become inventive, as well as explore the possibilities of what could be,” says Kylie.

Structured play has proven to be highly beneficial for children in active listening, problem-solving and reaching results-driven goals. Children can develop resilience, confidence, effective communication and team-building skills.

Unstructured play promotes important qualities such as empathy, imagination and creativity. Children are given a sense of freedom, control and creative abilities in a pressure-free environment. This can allow children to develop an ‘out-of-the box’ perspective in situations, as well as showcase their expressive self.

In terms of balance, it is of utmost importance to have both structured and unstructured play co-exist in a manner in which both elements are equally presented and effective. This can highly affect a child’s wellbeing and development within an educational/play centre environment. “Activities conceptualised thoroughly by play centre owners should equally channel and challenge both the logical and creative thinking skills in children, ” says Kylie.

There are ways in which unstructured play, for example, can lend its qualities to structured play and vice versa “Should children lose focus on a particular structured task, an unstructured activity can be utilised to help children refocus,” adds Kylie.

Many interchangeable and helpful ideas can include the following: themed play structures that foster creative and imaginative play to achieve a pre-established learning goal, decision-making tasks, and the task of delegating as a means of structured play to complete a creative task in unstructured play. These are just a few ways in which the elements of both structured and unstructured play are both ideal and important in children’s play and learning development.

Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre has dedicated its expertise and delight to serving families within the town of Wallan, Victoria.

Check out their full range of services and current featured promotions at junglekids.com.au. Visit their Facebook page to view all their activities and special offerings. Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre is open seven (7) days a week and is open until 5:00pm on weekdays during the school holidays.

As part of their Play-all-day Single Admission, adults and babies attend free of charge. 12 months to 3 years old attend at $8.50 and 4 years old to 12 years old attend at $10.00.

Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre is situated at 2B Commercial Drive Wallan, Victoria and can be contacted on: (03) 5783 4104.

Written and syndicated by YDMA News.

Play centres promote fun and fair play for children that in turn stimulates healthy growth and physical and mental development. Play centres also support children to explore their physical surrounds and inspire their creativity.

Kylie-Jane Shannon, proud mother, and owner of Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre, advises parents on how to support their children’s exploration at play centres. “The best, and healthiest way to support children’s exploration is to encourage, facilitate and interact in ways that stimulate children’s thought processes as opposed to just reciting facts,” says Kylie. Including children in conversation and asking probing questions such as, ‘Why do you think…?’ or, ‘I wonder what would happen if…?’ inspires and motivates children to draw thoughtful predictions and conclusions based on the evidence from their own explorations. “Co-exploring with children also promotes additional excitement and stimulates mental and physical development,” adds Kylie.

Using well-facilitated exploration strategies as opposed to directing children’s play, promotes deep conversations that are pivotal to developing children’s understanding, observations, and experiences as well as promoting creative ideas related to their experiences. The concept of questioning and commenting can also be an ideal motivator for children to make sense of each experience, as they learn to constructively respond to questions about how they feel and what they enjoy at a play centre.

“As children embark on their phase of exploration in play centres, they can be guided by parents as initiators and then be encouraged to explore on their own and with their peers, enabling them to communicate their experiences and understandings of play with other children and adults,” says Kylie.

This process can be achieved by encouraging children, asking open-ended questions about their experiences, observing attentively and listening, inspiring them through language, and lastly, encouraging children to participate in peer discussions. These strategies aim to develop language, decision-making, creativity and communication for children through a manner that is not tedious, but exciting and cultivating.

Importantly, once children’s play exploration has been initiated by parents, going forward, parents can lead from the side, giving children the opportunity to start learning and experiencing things on their own. “Parents can lead on the side by supporting their child’s problem-solving and decision-making skills by asking probing questions such as ‘How do you think we can/could…?’ or, ‘What do you think would happen if…?’ to best develop the analytical and logical aspects of children’s thought processes,” says Kylie. “Parents can also encourage their child to use all five senses as a means of describing their experiences. As an example, parents can ask how it felt climbing the monkey bars, or jumping into the ball pit,” adds Kylie.

Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre has dedicated its expertise and delight to serving families within the town of Wallan, Victoria.

Check out their full range of services and current featured promotions at junglekids.com.au. Visit their Facebook page to view all their activities and special offerings. Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre is open seven (7) days a week and is open until 5:00pm on weekdays during the school holidays.

As part of their Play-all-day Single Admission, adults and babies attend free of charge. 12 months to 3 years old attend at $8.50 and 4 years old to 12 years old attend at $10.00.

Written and syndicated by: YDMA News

Play centres encapsulate the image of fun and adventure for children. Another benefit is that they are the perfect environment for children to develop different aspects of their well-being, brain development, gross and fine motor skills and social skills.

Idea development is about implementing different ways of exploring ideas and finding solutions that best solve problems in the most effective manner. Kylie-Jane Shannon, owner of Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre, and proud mother, elaborates on how play centres are the perfect environment for children to build optimum idea development, and frameworks for a structural thought-process.

Play encourages and stimulates emotional, motor, social and cognitive growth that children require during their initial and most fundamental stages of development. “When children have fun, their experience of play is productive for their brain development as they begin to ascribe meaning to their surroundings”, says Kylie.

Play centre activities stimulate brain development as well as functions. Each activity aligns with a certain part of the brain to promote growth and facilitate the child’s cognitive development.

“At Jungle Kids, every activity aims to challenge and grow children”, says Kylie. Each play centre activity is created to task children in an entertaining manner; the advantage is that children then begin to formulate their thought-patterns and abilities to construct both ideas and resolutions to overcome each challenge presented before them.

Play Centres ultimately build children’s imagination, language patterns and intelligence. “Children interact, engage, communicate and socialise with each other, allowing them to express themselves, build friendships and, more intuitively, share ideas”, says Kylie. Children begin to build and exchange ideas to complete challenges, and navigate between both good and bad ideas, understanding what works and what doesn’t.

Play centres allow children to also establish an independent mind set. While socialising provides its benefits, developing independence is equally as important. When a child plays alone, they are given the opportunity to observe other children playing and learning what the norms are within that group. Thereafter, when they want to shift toward group play, they’re more aware of the rules expected of the participants. In addition, playing alone helps stimulate children’s creativity and imagination, and ultimately helps them develop independence. “Children generally thrive socially with other children, however the true testament is when a child can single-handedly accomplish each challenge”, says Kylie.

Holistically, play centres present a balance of fun and education to best equip children in every developmental phase, ensuring that their ability to construct and execute solid ideas is well challenged and commended. Play Centres are the definitive launchpad for children to make sense of the world and its diverse setting, and be introduced to a multitude of obstacles, but more importantly to learn how to best combat them.

Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre has dedicated its expertise and delight to serving Australian families within the town of Wallan, Victoria. Visit the Facebook page to view all the activities and special offerings. Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre is open seven (7) days a week and is open until 5:00pm on weekdays during the school holidays.

As part of their Play-all-day Single Admission, adults and babies attend free of charge. 12 months to 3 years old attend at $8.50 and 4 years old to 12 years old attend at $10.00.

Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre is situated at 2B Commercial Drive Wallan, Victoria and can be contacted on: (03) 5783 4104.

Written and syndicated by YDMA News.