Our small child care and kindergarten allows siblings of different ages to play together, thereby maintaining familial connections, and offering additional learning benefits.
Why mixed-age learning matters
Our mixed-age approach offers many benefits for children. This includes pro-social behaviour (patience, tolerance, respect for diversity etc), peer mentoring and greater depth of play.
As we run a very open and flexible program, the children are free to lead their play and learning throughout the day, choosing where and with whom they want to play. Children have a natural habit of creating their own interesting scenarios for how they want to spend their time.
“In age-mixed play, the more sophisticated behaviour of older children offers role models for younger children, who also typically receive more emotional support from older kids than from those near their own age. Age-mixed play also permits older children to learn by teaching and to practice nurturance and leadership; and they are often inspired by the imagination and creativity of their younger playmates.”
Gray P, 2011, The special value of children’s mixed-age play, Psychology Today.
At Tiny Town, a small 27 place centre, you’ll find we are just one big family where all children and educators get to know each other.
