Learning Connections

Using chalk on pathways encourages movement, helping children to develop their balance and visual skills. By walking forward, backwards, sideways and heel to toe, they learn to coordinate their movements, which strengthens visual tracking skills necessary for reading and writing.

For more information on our Early Years Programs https://learningconnections.com.au/early_years/

Come and join Clare Apelt for Giggles & Grooves on Thursday morning 9:30 - 10:30am at Duhig Village, Holland Park. Bookings essential via eventbrite page:

Giggles & Grooves - Play, Move, Music & Fun! Come along for a joyful morning of music, movement, and connection with your toddler and Duhig Village residents.

Term 2 has begun!

Want some ideas to help meet children’s sensory needs in the playground so they won’t need to seek them indoors?

Our new blog, '20 Ways to Use a Plank: Building Brains Through Movement' gives you lots of playful, active ideas to encourage movement and development.

https://learningconnections.com.au/20-ways-to-use-a-plank-building-brains-through-movement/

20 Ways to Use a Plank: Building Brains Through Movement - Learning Connections Meet children’s sensory needs outside so they won’t need to seek them indoors. The Body Teaches the Brain The brain does not learn by itself — the body learns too. Movement is a child’s first language. The correct sequence of physical development is essential to cognitive development while h...

🌟 Upcoming Learning Connections Public Workshops
– Now Open for Bookings 🌟

We’re excited to share our upcoming public workshops for 2026!
These practical, hands-on sessions support Early Childhood teachers and educators to understand how movement positively impacts attention, behaviour, coordination, and readiness to learn — and how to confidently deliver the Learning Connections Program in their own setting.

Below are the current workshop opportunities available:

📍 Gladstone Public Workshop
🗓 18 & 19 May 2026
📌 Gladstone West State School

📍 Toowoomba Public Workshop
🗓 11 & 12 June 2026
📌 Kingsthorpe State School

📍 Brisbane Public Workshop
🗓 16 & 17 June 2026
📌 Salisbury Community Sports Club

📍 Townsville Public Workshop
🗓 24 & 25 July 2026
📌 The Cathedral School, Townsville

These two-day workshops include:
• Comprehensive hands-on training in the Learning Connections Program
• Practical strategies to support concentration, behaviour, and self-regulation
• A full program manual, flashcards, and music resources
• Morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea
• Certificate of Completion

Our public workshops provide an opportunity for educators to complete Stage 1 training and begin implementing the program with confidence in their service. Participants are encouraged to follow up with Stage 2 support to consolidate the program in practice.

📅 Places are limited and often fill quickly.
👉 View full details and register here:
https://learningconnections.com.au/workshops/

We look forward to supporting you and the children in your care. 💙

What is proprioception and why is it important for my child?

Proprioception is the body’s ability to know where it is in space—without needing to look. It supports balance, coordination, posture, and plays a key role in emotional regulation and calm.

How do you stimulate the proprioceptive system?

The proprioceptive system develops through movement and responds strongly to “heavy work” and resistance-based activities such as pushing, pulling, lifting, climbing, jumping, carrying, and squeezing.

These inputs can support children to:
• Feel calmer and more regulated
• Improve attention and focus
• Develop better coordination and control

Importantly, proprioceptive input can:
• Help sensory seekers slow down and concentrate
• Help sensory avoiders better tolerate intense sensory input

Everyday play—running, climbing, swimming, obstacle courses, or active resistance-based play—can make a meaningful difference.

Movement is not just physical development—it’s also nervous system regulation.

Learning Connections Programs can help. Contact us today for more information.

Call us: 0403 582 669
Email: [email protected]
https://learningconnections.com.au/

What is low muscle tone?

Low muscle tone (hypotonia) means a child’s muscles feel more “floppy” or loose than usual.

While some children experience delays in strength, coordination, or motor skills, mild low muscle tone often improves over time—and sometimes no clear cause is found.

The most important support? Keep them active. Learning Connections recommend movements like superman, spinning and creeping to assist in the development of muscle tone. Also, swimming, climbing, jumping, rolling and active play - any movement helps build strength and confidence.

Focus on fun, not performance. A positive, non-competitive environment helps children stay engaged and develop at their own pace 💛

Every child’s path is different—and with the right support, they can thrive in their own way.

Call us: 0403 582 669 Email: [email protected]
https://learningconnections.com.au/

It was so good to work with everyone at Play and Grow Hub last week!

We are offering a second 6 week series of Giggles & Grooves - Play, Move, Music & Fun - Thursdays, 9:30 - 10:30am, 26 March - 30 April!

Join us for a playful, interactive experience where toddlers, their carers, and residents of Duhig Village Southern Cross Care Qld Ltd explore music and movement together.

Led by experienced facilitator Clare Apelt, toddlers and their carers will enjoy moving and playing on a soft mat, exploring hand percussion instruments, action songs, nursery rhymes, and imaginative movement stories.

Duhig Village residents join the circle too — singing, playing instruments, and delighting in the energy and laughter of the children.
This gentle, welcoming session supports toddlers’ natural love of movement and music while creating a beautiful sense of community across generations.

When: Thursdays, 9:30 – 10:30am
Dates: 26 March, 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 April 2026
Where: Duhig Village Function Room, 85 Seville Rd, Holland Park
Cost: $10 per session (casual)

Places are limited to 10 toddlers to keep the experience calm, personal, and full of connection.

Giggles & Grooves is an initiative by Learning Connections in collaboration with Southern Cross Care Duhig Village.

Bookings:

Giggles & Grooves - Play, Move, Music & Fun! Come along for a joyful morning of music, movement, and connection with your toddler and Duhig Village residents.

Join us for the last two sessions of Giggles & Grooves - Play, Move, Music & Fun! - Thursdays, 9:30 - 10:30am, 5 & 12 March

Join us for a playful, interactive experience where toddlers, their carers, and residents of Duhig Village Southern Cross Care Qld Ltd explore music and movement together.

Led by experienced facilitator Clare Apelt, toddlers and their carers will enjoy moving and playing on a soft mat, exploring hand percussion instruments, action songs, nursery rhymes, and imaginative movement stories.

Duhig Village residents join the circle too — singing, playing instruments, and delighting in the energy and laughter of the children.

This gentle, welcoming session supports toddlers’ natural love of movement and music while creating a beautiful sense of community across generations.

When: Thursdays, 9:30 – 10:30am
Dates: 5, 12 March 2026
Where: Duhig Village Function Room, 85 Seville Rd, Holland Park
Cost: $5 per session (casual)

Places are limited to 8 toddlers to keep the experience calm, personal, and full of connection.

Giggles & Grooves is an initiative by Learning Connections in collaboration with Southern Cross Care Duhig Village.

Bookings:

Giggles & Grooves - Play, Move, Music & Fun! Come along for a joyful morning of music, movement, and connection with your toddler and Duhig Village residents.