Getting kids to do jobs around the house is often a challenge unless there is some fun in it. Fortunately, there are some interesting and entertaining ways to make cleanup time, an event to look forward to.

Kylie-Jane Shannon, owner of Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre and proud mum, discusses how to encourage kids to complete their jobs in a fun way.

Grab a small bucket and add some paper towels, a sponge, a cloth, a small dustpan and broom and some vinegar and water in a spray bottle and suddenly kids have their own cleaning caddy. Allow them to personalise their cleaning caddy with their name and some drawings. Then, when it’s time to cleanup, let them use their own cleaning caddy and watch as they take responsibility for the job ahead.

When making the bed, pretend the pillows, cushions or soft toys are balls and let the kids toss them to you as you place them on the bed. “Have the children organise them by size or colour before they pass them,” says Kylie. “Or, better still, let them have ownership over how they arrange them on the bed,” she adds.

Encourage kids to organise their toys and belongings based on size, colour or types of toys. This supports their learning as well as keeping things tidy. Extend this to the kitchen and let them organise their cutlery, cups, plates, and bowls when they put them away after a meal. “Teaching kids that everything has a place and should be put away after use, will become a life-long habit,” says Kylie.

Similar to cleaning up after playtime at their play centre, cleaning up after a play session at home can be a fun activity. For added fun, put on some music for 5 to 10 minutes and have a race to see who is quickest at tidying up in the given time.

Create a job list that provides each member of the house, adults and kids, with their list of jobs. Jobs completed can result in a gold star, or sticker. Whoever has the most gold stars or stickers at the end of the week, can receive a special treat or a prize, and can also be given the title ‘job master of the week’.

These exciting tips are just a few of many exciting ways to incorporate fun into completing jobs about the house. “Getting kids into the rhythm of cleaning up helps them become independent and proactive as they get older,” 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 Group

Children who do not get enough sleep often have trouble paying attention, can become cranky, may fall asleep during the day, can have behavioural issues and can struggle to focus. If this sounds familiar, it could be that their sleeping hours might need a firm adjustment.

Kylie-Jane Shannon, owner of Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centres, informs parents on sufficient sleeping hours for children based on their age, and why this rest should not be taken lightly. “It’s time to take sleep seriously for our children and to make sure they get the best out of every experience when they’re awake,” says Kylie.

As we are sleeping, our brains move between two types of sleep. These are known as REM (rapid eye movement) sleep and non-REM sleep. Together, the stages of REM sleep and non-REM sleep develop a sleep cycle.

Babies spend more time in REM sleep, with their sleep cycles much shorter than adults. Time spent in REM sleep decreases and sleep cycles get longer as children get older. By the time they attend school, one complete sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutes, similar to adult sleep cycles.

“The first two non-REM stages are known as light sleep stages. One can wake up easily, and the heart beats and breathing rate slow down. Stage three non-REM is a deep sleep, which is usually harder to wake up from, and often a person is confused when woken. During this stage, the body releases well needed hormones for growth and development,” says Kylie.

“In the last stage of the REM sleep cycle, breathing becomes faster, eyes move faster underneath the eyelids, and heartbeats become faster.  The limbs do not move during this phase. REM sleep is vital for learning and memory,” Kylie adds.

Adequate rest promotes a more energetic and healthier child and supports the child’s physical, mental and emotional development. The amount of sleep needed for children varies, and experts recommend the following hours of sleep for children: Infants between 0-3 months need 14-17 hours. Infants between 4-12 months need 12-16 hours. Toddlers between 1-2 years need 11-14 hours, and pre-schoolers between 3-5 years need 10-13 hours.

“Creating a regular bed time routine can encourage and develop better sleeping habits,” says Kylie. “Turning off digital devices at least an hour before bedtime is important, and the removal of these devices from the room should also occur. Providing a 30 minute heads up, followed by a 10 minute heads up when getting them to bed, particularly for pre-schoolers, is important. Over a short period, they will soon get used to the routine,” she adds.

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 Group

Donning an awesome fairy outfit or astronaut suit, sparks an absolutely creative and wondrous experience for children. A major plus, is that there are excellent advantages that benefit children’s development.

Kylie-Jane Shannon, owner of Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre, discusses the benefits of dress up fun, and how it can spark imaginative creativity and provide for healthy development in children, at both play centres, and at home.

“Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre offers themed parties for young children that promote dress up play for children, stimulates their imagination and inspires their creative abilities,” says Kylie. “The Safari and Fairy parties are very popular and others are on offer too,” he adds.

The array of costumes enables children to transition into their favourite character, as well as teaching them to dress up without any fuss, supporting parents in their quest for stress-free dress up experiences with their little ones. The possibilities of dress up are endless. Arts and craft items can be supplied to enable children to build props or add other effects to enhance their dress up experience.

“Dress up play is more than just wearing a particular costume, it helps the child imitate the mannerisms of the character they’re playing. This also allows children to infuse their own creative take on the character, and encourages individually unique thinking,” says Kylie. Children can create their own special themes, express a range of emotions, and effectively communicate through language, all in a safe environment.

The fun shouldn’t just stop at play centres; take children out into the community dressed in their costumes and watch how they use their imagination. Imaginative play can extend to designing games while they are in ‘character’. Take your fairy princesses to the park and watch them create a fairy garden.

Play super-hero games such as X-Ray vision or Captain America (Visit Firstcry Parenting’s 10 fascinating superhero games for kids here). Your child might choose to be a pirate stomping around and scaring people, or a doctor giving their teddy a check-up. The ideas are endless. Get involved with your children as they play, and don’t forget to capture these fun and exciting moments on camera.

Have a dress up box at home and watch your child develop their imagination, build their confidence, express their emotions and above all, have fun. Items in the dress up box can include hats, eye-patches, sunglasses, swords, wands, cloaks, gloves, etc as well as ready-made costumes or pieces of material that children can use to transform themselves into a favourite character.

“Dress up fun can be an exciting and collaborative experience between parents and children. It supports healthy and creative development and is as important as academic development at school. So, allow their imagination to flow through their character and costume choice, and watch their creative magic unfold,” 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 Group

2023 has arrived, and along with it, comes a list of resolutions and goals set by many. For parents, it’s ensuring that their children get the very best out of life through educational, entertaining and simply wholesome experiences. This is where play centres play their biggest role.

Kylie-Jane Shannon, owner of Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre, gets her children’s play centre ready for the year ahead, by educating parents on key items to bring when visiting Jungle Kids, or their nearest play centre.

“As the new year commences, it’s important to reaffirm that parents should be prepared for their children’s play experience. Having a simple yet effective checklist of items that their children may need when visiting their play centre is important,” says Kylie. “Below is a list of necessary items for children that parents should pack for ideal play centre preparation,” Kylie adds.

Wash towel/ face cloth: “As the Australian heat does its rounds this summer, keeping a dry and clean face cloth or wash towel for children is necessary,” says Kylie. From wiping sweaty faces, to a temporary dry up before heading home for a nice bath after a day of play, face cloths and wash towels do the trick to reduce germ buildup and keep children comfortable and dry after a sweaty day of play.

Spare clothes: “Keeping a spare set of clothes can come in handy for lots of reasons,” says Kylie.

Socks: “At Jungle Kids, socks are mandatory for a hygienic and optimum play experience,” says Kylie. Parents must pack socks for their children when coming to Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre’s play areas.

Comfortable shoes: Where shoes are allowed, having comfortable footwear for children is a must for play centre fun. It allows them to have as much physical freedom and mobility that is uninterrupted throughout their play experience. For an after-play solution, pack a comfortable pair of slippers or comfortable and soft footwear to soothe their feet, as well as provide ventilation and much-needed air to avoid sweaty, smelly and hygienic issues.

Hand sanitiser: Sanitising children’s hands before play is crucial before and after play. “Most play centres will have onsite wash basins with liquid soap. Parents should use these facilities to ensure that their children are well-prepared hygienically for play,” says Kylie.

Bottled water: Kids will go through a long and hot day of play. Having cold water on hand is crucial. Alternatively, parents can purchase water from the play centre’s cafe.

Snacks: Strenuous playing can make anyone hungry. “At Jungle Kids, our delectable selection of healthy meals, chilled water and alternative beverages provides a great and affordable pit-stop for children and parents from our comfortable cafe,” says Kylie.

Backpack: A large, named backpack where all items can be kept safely is a must. “Teaching kids to keep their own items together in one place is a valuable learning experience for life,” says Kylie.

“Preparation may sound tedious and daunting, but when regularly done, the results will be a relief for both parents and children. Being prepared for a busy day of play ticks many boxes, so let’s get ready for a great year of great play,” 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 Group

It is December, which means it is summertime!That is always a cause for celebration. “If the long summer holidays are causing stress in terms of ideas for activities for the kids, Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre has got you covered, with our wide range of amenities as well as different options for private events and parties,” says Kylie-Jane Shannon, the owner of Jungle Kids Indoor Play Centre.

Jungle Kids is an indoor play centre that offers parents and children a variety of activities to enjoy. Parent supervision is a must and children need to wear socks always to enjoy the amenities, but they are the only rules, other than to enjoy and have fun! Some of the amenities offered at Jungle Kids include; an enclosed area specifically for toddlers, a ball pit area, a moving ride and a triple storey playground. Jungle Kids has a four gun cannon which children can play with and they offer face painting which kids just love. There is also an in-centre cafe that offers delicious options for parents and kids and you don’t even have to leave the facility! The cafe is a great place for parents to meet other parents and make friends.

The enclosed toddlers’ area provides a safe and fun area for toddlers to play in, make friends and develop skills. The ball pit area is always a favourite where children can jump in and play. If kids are looking for a moving ride, the Jeep Rider is for them. It will move and make them feel as if they are really in a moving vehicle. The triple storey playground is something to write home about. It offers three levels of different playground facilities giving children a wide variety of play and ride options. The triple storey slide is a huge three slide ride.

Besides the regular amenities offered at Jungle Kids, there are also some special festivity options available. If a private function or kids birthday is being planned, look no further than Jungle Kids. “We cater for all ages and offer a variety of different themed parties that children can choose from. For example, we offer a Fairy Party, a Pirate Party, and a Safari Party which are all very popular. We also offer a regular party option, or talk to us about your particular theme,” says Kylie.

A standard party package includes the jungle room for an hour and a half as well as many food options to choose from. We cater for all dietary requirements, just let us know when you book. Our themed parties (The Pirate Party, Fairy Party and the Safari Party) include the same basics as the standard option, however they also include themed table decorations, balloons and ideas for the themed costumes.

Jungle Kids is the perfect place to spend a fun day or host a memorable birthday party for your child. The one-stop venue is a great place for all ages. They also have special events such as dance classes. While these are not permanent events they are very popular, so keep an eye out for when they are available and book your child in for a great experience.

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