All the latest updates, news and competitions
from the Fisher-Price® Expert Series
Power of Play giveaway!
WIN a Fisher-Price® Power of Play pack valued at $500! To be in the running to WIN this fantastic prize, all you need to do is tell five of your friends about the Fisher-Price® Expert Series website.
Click here and complete the form to be in the draw to win…
Ask Kathy Walker
Have a specific question for Kathy Walker? Send us your questions and we will choose the top ten most asked questions and have Kathy respond to each. Read more
See you at The Baby Show
Fisher-Price® and Kathy Walker will be appearing at The Baby Show in Melbourne – March 5 – 7. Visit the Fisher-Price® Playlab exhibit where you and your little ones can take a ride on the Fisher-Price® Playtrain – four carriages full of new products for every age and development stage. There will also be exclusive 20% discounts off Fisher-Price® products ordered at the Show! Early Childcare Workers will be running the Playtrain, on hand to provide advice on child development, Fisher-Price® products and the Power of Play.
Find out more information here: www.thebabyshow.com.au
Kathy Walker in the news
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Kathy Walker was interviewed on Channel 7 news in December 2009, in reference to new research highlighting children’s being developmentally vulnerable.
video: © Vision courtesy of Network 7
Kathy Walker on the Today Show
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Kids heading to school is a significant milestone in any household. Watch Kathy Walker on the Channel Nine’s Today Show, providing helpful advice to make this transition easier for the entire family.
video © Vision courtesy of Channel 9
First days of school: Avoiding the stress!!!
Starting school for the first time. What a huge step in a child and family’s life!! I have been told that I cried and screamed on my first day. Perhaps I have blocked it out due to the stress! It is important for families and their children to be prepared and I recommend you check out our parent fact sheets on preparing and transition to school on our early life website. Hopefully there will be some handy hints to support you as a parent to help your child have a smooth start and a great learning journey throughout the school days. Does anyone else remember their first day of school? How was it??
by Kathy Walker
Media attention related to the importance of play and slowing the pace of childhood
I have been delighted to participate and speak at the first national conference of Playgroup Australia just this past weekend up in Queensland. How wonderful it has been to share with so many hundreds of like minded committed people, parents and professionals together recognising and affirming the need for children to play. I am also very pleased with the media attention. I have done six radio, two print and a TV offer in three days which is a pretty good in relation to talking up the importance of play. Congratulations to the conference organisers and Playgroup Australia. they conducted one of the best run, friendly but professional conferences i have spoken at as a keynote in a long time!!
by Kathy Walker
School holidays: It’s not about having to do stuff every minute and spend money!!!
I was listening to a local Melbourne radio station host today bemoaning the fact that he had taken his 6 year old everywhere during the first week of the holidays and now didn’t know what to do for her or with her for the second week! Time and time again society seems to assume that having time on our hands, time at home away from school or work requires constant 24 hour entertainment and scheduling. 6 year olds need to time to play, to create, to enjoy learning how to entertain themselves and to also have opportunities just to be hanging around at home. Holidays should not require lots of expenditure and lots of entertaining. They need to be simple and full of wonder and play. I wonder sometimes if we will ever get that message through to the rest of the world!!!
by Kathy Walker
Acknowledging staff in schools implementing the Walker Learning Approach
We have just sent out the first certificates and listed our very first staff who have become accredited for implementing the Walker Learning Approach. I am quite moved emotionally when I think of these particular staff, who for a number of years have worked so hard to continue to provide the very best teaching and learning for young children. these staff have worked above and beyond what would ever be expected. Some of these staff have worked where other educators have not encouraged or supported them, often almost worked in opposition to what they have been doing. the results speak for themselves now. Wonderfully happy children, engaged and motivated children, increased oral language, reading and writing improvements and happy parents. It is also amazing to witness the Victorian State government actually providing a new framework for the early years that places an emphasis upon active engagement through planned play as part of the teaching and learning that needs to occur for all children in their first 8 years of life. Great times and my personal congratulations to those staff who have just become accredited.
by Kathy Walker
A whole conference dedicated to Play and Childhood!! Hurray!!!!!
As I head off to Queensland today I am so delighted to be speaking at a conference totally devoted to children and play. I am so tired of play being viewed as the unfashionable aspect of childhood these days and that play seems to be ever being replaced with endless organised extra curricula activities. So many educators, academics and others throughout the community misunderstand or are ignorant of the thousands of studies across the world for over a century that highlight the importance of play for children. Long live play!!
by Kathy Walker
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