Animal Fun

Program details

Program description

Animal Fun is a play-based program designed to improve the health and wellbeing of young children. The program aims to promote social skill development by providing positive imaginary play experiences where children have the opportunity to engage socially with peers and other trusted adults.

The program consists of physical resources and a series of training options for educators.

The training program provide an overview of current research, content knowledge, and skills for ways to embed social-emotional learning within an imaginary play space.

Animal Fun’s resources enhance educators’ capacity to engage children in playful, imaginary, and purposeful activities by providing them with a clear, easy-to-implement framework. The program aims to promote self-regulation, self-esteem, language and vocabulary, listening skills, ability to follow instructions, problem solving skills, planning and sequencing skills and general health and wellbeing.

Detailed cost

• Self-paced online e-learning course: $55 per person (including GST)
• Online professional development workshop (2 hours): $50 per person with a minimum of 10 participants (including GST)
• Face-to-face workshop delivered at the service (1.5 hours): $72 per person or $720 (including GST) if less than 10 participants.

Half day master classes are scheduled each term depending on demand at various locations around Victoria. Tickets are $275 per person and include lunch.

Pack of Animal Fun resources: $400 per class (including GST). Includes:

• one manual
• a set of 97 activity cards
• the Animal Fun @ Home book
• a pack of How Are You Feeling Today? Cards, and
• the Scope and Sequence book.

A minimum one pack of resources plus one of the training options is required for implementation of this program. Additional Items can also be purchased separately.

Implementation considerations

• Target population: teachers and support educators.
• Program/practice descriptions and details: to implement the program, educators need to invest in the physical resources and attend at least one of the training options to ensure understanding of the program and to promote confidence for implementation.
• Program adaptability: one public online workshop is scheduled each term, advertised on the Animal Fun website. Alternatively, workshops can be delivered on demand on a date and time suitable for individual services.
• Staffing: backfill for staffing may need to be considered but face-to-face and online workshops can be organised for after hours or on weekends at no additional cost. The minimum time commitment for the support training is 1.5-2 hours for the e-learning and online workshops and 2.5 hours to half-day for the face-to-face workshops.
• Tools and systems: a computer and access to internet is needed if participating in online workshops.

VEYLDF alignment

Item uses these practice principles

• Reflective practice
• Partnerships with families
• High expectations for every child
• Respectful relationships and responsive engagement

Item responds to these sub-outcomes

• Children become strong in their social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing
• Children interact verbally and non-verbally with others for a range of purposes.