WELCOME TO THE CHILDHOOD SUMMIT CHILDREN'S VOICE PROJECT!
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We are so excited to invite you to join this project in capturing the children’s voice and ideas on play and why it is so important to them. In October 2021 we will be holding a Childhood Summit in Logan and we want the agenda of topics to be driven from children in Logan.
How to get involved
Attached to the email is a number of documents outlining the project, important dates and how you can get the children of your centre involved. Involvement can be a group’s submission or individual children, whichever it is all children involved require the permission forms to be returned with the submission.
The children can do a video, drawings or collage – let your mind be creative – to represent what they LOVE about playing and how grown ups can help make it better.
The submission form has a special page for any children who want to make a drawing. Please copy this page for the children and remember to write their names on each one. If you are having difficulties in copying please email carrie_rose@icloud.com and I can organize some for you.
What to do next?
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Print off all the attachments on this page and read them very carefully.
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Talk with the children to see if they want to be involved.
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Get the permission from families.
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Get started!
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Need help
If you need help getting started or just want to talk it through a little more please contact carrie_rose@icloud.com with your phone number and I’ll give you a call. This process will be closed Sunday 19 September.
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If you know of any children under 14 years of age who would want to talk individually about their stories, challenges and solutions, they can enter here.
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If you know of children under 5 years of age who may need support or assistance to have their message heard, keep reading!
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Here are some ideas of how to capture the children’s ideas about PLAY: It is always more successful to work in very small groups with children under 5 years old. Set up a space in the area where you can sit with 2 – 4 children (under 3yo), or 6 – 8 children (3-5yo) that is out of the main thoroughfare.
Welcome Letter
Child's Voice Application
Media Consent Form
CONSULTING WITH CHILDREN
Here are some ideas of how to capture the children’s ideas about PLAY: It is always more successful to work in very small groups with children under 5 years old. Set up a space in the area where you can sit with 2 – 4 children (under 3yo), or 6 – 8 children (3-5yo) that is out of the main thoroughfare.
Children 0 - 2 years: Visuals
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ask families to take some photos of the places they go to play with the child/children
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ask the children to take photos of spaces in the service that they like to play
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find photos of playgrounds, swimming pool, bikes, scooters, skateboards, grass areas as some ideas
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After you have visuals, gather small groups of children to look at them together. Describe the photos as you pick them up…….’look at this playground, it has a swing’
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Watch for their responses through body language and facial expressions. This is how they communicate what they are thinking
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Recording Information
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Video the gatherings or take photos of the children’s responses
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Write up the story of which ones they responded to most or least and how you interpreted their ideas of PLAY
Children 2 - 3 years: Recreating Play
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Gather tools like playdough, clay, blocks, small or big loose parts, resources for drawing and painting
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Show the children pictures of them playing and ask them if they would like to make it with one of the tools
For example:
- they might like to draw themselves playing
- they might like to use the playdough to make themselves
- they might like to use the blocks and loose parts to create a mini playground
Recording Information
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Take a photo of their creation and describe what they have made
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Take a photo of the children's drawing and record what they described their drawing was about
Children 3 - 5 years: Brain Storming and Mind Mapping
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Gather a small group of children to discuss what they love about playing. Use the questions in the project as a prompt
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Children need time to give their answers and thoughts so provide time for this experience. Try not to pre-empt what they are trying to say, rather let them explain it
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Capture their word (exact from them) on a large sheet of paper for documentation
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Re-visit this list with the groups over a week asking them if they have any other ideas. (Children will build on their initial ideas if we provide them time to do this)
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Recreating play
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Gather tools such as playdough, clay, blocks, small or big loose parts, drawing and painting
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Share the children's words they have brainstormed and ask them if they would like to make it with one of the tools.
For example:
- they might like to draw themselves playing
- they might like to use the playdough to make themselves
- they might like to use the blocks and loose parts to create a mini playground
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Recording Information
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Take a photo of their creation or drawing and describe what they have made.
