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Child Care News for Parents & Carers
July 17, 2019 |
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Kia ora, this week the far-reaching benefits of sensory play and why it's so important in early childhood settings. Also, new research demonstrates a clear link between more TV time and poorer sleep quality among children.
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Sensory Play
in Child Care
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Sensory play might involve making mud pies and smelling the daisies, but there's more to this immersive activity than meets the eye.
As children are playing, important things are happening inside their brains, so let's look at what sensory play is, why it's vital for under-fives and how carers and parents can encourage sensory play in every child's day.
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Sleep Time and TV Time
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New findings
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Sleep is vital for the correct function and support of all body systems, as well as physical, mental, and emotional health of children. Although there might be different reasons a preschooler isn't sleeping well, like if they're unwell or thinking too much, screen time is an environmental factor that can disrupt sleep.
To ensure that young New Zealanders get plenty of rest and minimal screen time, the Ministry of Health's Active Play Guidelines for Under Fives recommend preschoolers receive 10 to 13 hours of good-quality sleep, and less than one hour of screen time, each day.
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