Guides: Education Support and Childcare: Creativity and Play

eBooks

Bringing STEM to Life : Understanding and Recognising Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths in Play (2017) The authors use real examples to demonstrate how, in an engaging environment with meaningful interactions, quality resources and a commitment to play, children will naturally explore STEM concepts.
Dream, Design, Develop (2019) Through case studies, photographs, research and personal stories in this inspiring book, educators will be supported to dream, design and develop an outdoor environment that is responsive to needs and inspires a sense of wonder.
Mathematics Through Play in the Early Years (2010) Teaching mathematics to young children in creative ways is made easy with this Second Edition of a wonderful book, which offers the reader clear advice and lots of exciting ideas.
The Big Book of Glues, Brews, and Goos (2015) Here's a book to help students create cross-disciplinary projects by using materials they make themselves with more recipes, additional relevant content, and expanded connections between activities and curriculum.

Online Journals / Articles / Websites

Australasian Journal of Early Childhood The Australasian Journal of Early Childhood (AJEC) is a peer-reviewed journal publishing in all aspects of research in the early years (birth to eight years).
Baby & Toddler - Imprints: It's Time to Play Nancy has spent 30 years researching and teaching in the field of early childhood education. The key, she says, is giving them lots of opportunities to play.
Children Australia Children Australia links policy, research and practice issues on matters associated with children, young people and family wellbeing.
Do Your Boys Fight with Sticks, Nerf Guns and Fake Swords all the Time? Here's Why They Do It. Retrieved from The Conversation 12 September 2024
Early Childhood Australia's Statement on Play This Statement considers play and young children aged from birth to eight years.
Including Babies and Toddlers : A New Model of Participation Models relating to the participation of children are often explicitly aimed at facilitating or evaluating participation in decision-making processes on local levels.
International Day of Play The UN has adopted 11 June as the International Day of Play

Online Videos

Babies Outdoors: Play, Development, and Learning The program examines development of vision, hearing, and touch, as well as motor development as the babies learn to reach, grasp, sit, crawl, and in some cases walk.
Learning Through Play, A Documentary -- 3 to 4 Year Old Observation, assessment and planning – are skills which can be honed and perfected with practice.
Play and Learning at School: 5 Year Olds This program illustrates purposeful play in abundance and looks at the individual children and what really motivates them to learn.

Books and DVDs in the Library

AED1240 : drama arts in early childhood education (2017) Custom edition published for Edith Cowan University, compiled from: Children, Meaning-Making and the Arts, 2nd edition, Susan Wright, MMADD About the Arts: An Introduction to Primary Arts Education, 4th edition, Deirdre Russell-Bowie, Pretending to Learn: Helping Children Learn Through Drama, John O'Toole and Julie Dunn, Creating Environments for Learning: Birth to Age Eight, 3rd edition, Julie Bullard and Creating Meaning Through Literature and the Arts, 5th edition, Claudia E Cornett.
Learning Through Play (2018) Learning through Play introduces students to the theory of play in the early years while seamlessly integrating curriculum, current trends and Australian government policy.
Learning Through Play : Infants in Care : Assisting Early Childhood Educators to Incorporation the Early Years Learning Framework (2017) During the first two years of life, children will go through a myriad of physical changes and develop an ability to learn the skills needed for their life ahead.
Loose Parts (2015) Use loose parts to spark children's creativity and innovation. Alluring and captivating, they capture children's curiosity, give free reign to their imagination, and motivate learning.
Messy Play in the Early Years (2019) This book provides an informative and practical exploration of the qualities, characteristics and learning possibilities of messy play.
Play in Early Childhood Education (2016) The second edition clearly demonstrates links to current Australian government education policy and frameworks, including the Early Years Learning Framework and National Quality Standards.
Play in the Early Years (2021) The third edition of Play in the Early Years is a comprehensive introduction to the theory and practice of play for children from birth to 8 years old.
Stepping stones to drama and role-play (2011) Develops children’s sense of drama through simple drama games such as freeze framing and mime, and progressing to more character-based and role playing drama.
Teaching the Arts : early childhood and primary education (2015) This second edition encourages readers to engage with the Arts and provides students with opportunities to develop their understanding and practical skills through reflective questions, examples and activities.