Covid 19 coronavirus: Auckland daycares keeping kids entertained in lockdown

Live storytelling sessions, action songs, arts, crafts, and recipes, kids stuck in lockdown can do all these and more from home as daycares take to sharing activities online.

Jojo's, an independently-run early childhood centre in Kumeu, is on board with the trend, posting daily activities and challenges on their Facebook page.

Centre director Jo Bagley told the Herald she wants to focus on the positives as teachers were doing a lot to "support our littlest people and their whānau through this experience".

"Our teachers are creating videos each day for our families ... some teachers have shared them to their own personal pages so that anyone with children can view them and participate if they would like to."

Rosies fairy grotto story time
What a treat today! Rosie has let us walk with her to her fairy grotto for a story time! Keep an eye out for any fairies 🧚‍♀️
Posted by Jojo's Childcare Ltd on Sunday, 5 April 2020

Bagley said the centre staff were receiving replies and photos from families that their children were loving watching their teachers online and joining in the activities.

In the comments on Jojo's Facebook page, parents shared what their children had been busy with while in isolation.

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"We collected leaves in our backyard and did leaf art," wrote one parent, while others wrote that they had made vegetable gardens, made home-made paint and baked biscuits.

The teachers also shared "morning movement" yoga routines to keep the kids - and parents - exercising.

"These are awesome! The Jojo's kids are so lucky to have such dedicated teachers!" commented one parent.

Aroha’s Way. By Craig Phillips
Here is our first effort at uploading a story being read. Today I’ve chosen to read Aroha’s Way. I chose this because it’s about a young girl who has learned some ways to help her deal with her emotions when she starts to feel scared, nervous or worried about things. You’ll have to forgive the background noise near the end- Patrick is home from college and tinkering in the garage with the lawn mower 😂
Posted by Jojo's Childcare Ltd on Tuesday, 24 March 2020

Bagley said it was important to keep in contact with their families.

"Our aim is to keep this going as long as we are all in self isolation to keep the relationships and connections with our families and children, but also to support our children learning and give our families some ideas and resources to use."

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On March 25, Jojo's closed like most other early childhood centres in New Zealand and assured parents it would not be charging fees for the weeks it was closed.

The centre shared a message to families on its Facebook page encouraging them to "look after each other, stay safe, and stay at home".

"Enjoy some family time together, extra cuddle time with your little people, read stories, get baking, and have fun together. We would love to see some photos shared here of what you get up to."

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• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website