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Playgroup
 Playgroup
is for babies, toddlers and preschoolers and their parents or
caregivers. Around 50,000 children from 40,000 families go to playgroup
in all corners of Victoria at community venues such as maternal and
child health centres, kindergartens, halls, community centres, primary
schools and aged care facilities.
Playgroups are informal, low cost and run by the parents and caregivers in them.
Adults stay with their children at playgroup. This gives them the
chance to meet other people going through similar experiences and ease
the isolation that can come with caring for young children. Families
can be gently introduced to community, health and support services
while they are at playgroup.
Most families go to community playgroups but in recent years more
and more kinds of playgroup models have emerged. Find out about the
different playgroup models here.
What children get from playgroup
Playgroup aged children are going through a stage of rapid brain and skill development.
Babies are offered play experiences to stimulate their senses.
Toddlers practise using their hands, problem solve and use their
emerging language skills. Preschool children practise social skills –
an important preparation for kindergarten and school.
At playgroup children can:
- make new friends
- have new experiences
- gain self confidence
- develop physically, socially, emotionally and intellectually
- develop their skills of cooperation through music, group singing, free play and snack time
- develop verbal and non verbal communication skills through their contact with other children and adults
- develop fine and gross motor skills
- gain
better body control, hand to eye coordination, spatial awareness and
balance when they play with balls, sand, blocks, puzzles, playdough,
paint and paste
- discover shape, size, texture, quantity and consistency when they play with dough and clay
- learn
to recognise colours, develop fine motor skills and express emotions by
experimenting with paint, collage, chalk, crayons and stamps
- extend their experience of literacy in a social environment.
What adults get from playgroup
Playgroup can be a lifeline to parents with babies, todders and
preschoolers who might not have any other opportunity to get to know
local parents going through similar experiences.
What parents tell us they get from playgroup
- "Friendship."
- "The playgroup has been going for years and there's a good supply of toys, play equipment, books and a great outdoor area."
- "It's giving my child some stimulating experiences in a relaxed, informal setting."
- "It
opens up the community to you. Before I went to playgroup I had no idea
where the best places were to go locally for a good children's doctor
or that you could go to the hall down the road for immunisations."
- "I want to meet people who’ve got children the same age as mine."
- "I'm not ready to hand over my child to someone else yet. I'd rather be there and be involved."
- "It's affordable."
- "I'm an army wife and we move around a bit. Playgroup is more like an extended family or support group to army families."
- "I
feel comfortable with the other women at playgroup; it used to be a
mother's group. I can say anything to them and still feel I'm okay."
- "I like getting out of the house each week away from the mess."
- "It's
good to see how other parents solve problems with their children. We've
only got one child but we'd like to have more. There's one woman at
playgroup who's got four children. She's a good person to talk to
sometimes."
- "This is my fourth child and playgroup is a special time each week I can spend just with her."
- "I'd like my child to get to know some kids he's likely to go to kinder with."
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Members now have access to the Members login. Username: playgroup. Password: book.
PLEASE NOTE: WE ARE NOT YET ABLE TO ACCEPT MEMBERSHIP PAYMENTS ONLINE. Find all forms required to renew or join here.
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