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

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

Not only do play centres have the ideal and necessary resources and physical environment for children to explore, socialise and learn, they also enable parents to develop closer bonds with their children. The child-parent relationship is a bond that can be facilitated effectively within play centres and often helps to improve child-parent relationships.

Kylie-Jane Shannon, owner of Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre and proud mother, advises on the importance of play centres and parenting, and how both aspects work simultaneously.

“Families have significant roles and duties in the personality development of children,” says Kylie. Parents stand as the first socialising experience and agents for their child. This particular experience can affect the way a child perceives their surroundings, basing their initial communicative contact as a method of response. “At Jungle Kids, we inform parents on the importance of supervising their child during play centre fun,” says Kylie. Play centres allow for healthy and effective communication between parent and child. “Parenting in play centres should be fun and educational,” says Kylie.

Play centres can present a wealth of benefits for parents. Parents can be informed and learn about what a play centre is and what benefits it can have for their children’s physical, social and emotional development. In addition, parents are given the opportunity to meet other parents and share their experiences. Play centres can also inform parents and support them to understand emerging techniques in child-rearing and training, giving them the ideal platform to nurture their child’s social and educational development.

“Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre strives to ensure that parents connect intimately and informatively with their child, promoting a rich, nourishing and entertaining experience that flows from their play centre experience, straight into their homes,” says Kylie. “An unbreakable and natural bond in parent-child relationships sets the positive foundation for a child’s character, and also enables the parents to communicate more effectively.”

The involvement of parents within a play centre presents many key ideals. These include; being more positive, and less critical of children; not making comparisons between their child and other children; and the advantage of being a good listener and encouraging good communication skills. “Parents should allow for optimism in their experiences and learn to be the best example they can be for their child in play centre environments,” says Kylie.

When communication is given and received with sincerity and love, the bond between child and parent can be strengthened. A play centre can play a leading role in supporting parents to enrich the child-parent relationship and is an ideal environment to help develop natural and sincere communication.

Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre dedicates their expertise and delight to serving Australian families within the town of Wallan, Victoria. Checkout their full range of services and current featured promotions. 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.