A multitude of parenting resources are just a click away as we all do our best to keep our families safe and healthy while we observe social distancing and self-isolation during the coronavirus pandemic.
Why not take your playgroup community online?
Online playgroups are being organised by the City of Port Phillip. For information on joining an online playgroup, please contact Hayley on fyccommunitysupport@portphillip.vic.gov.au.
Online supported playgroup is running on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. If you are interested, please speak with your Maternal and Child Health nurse, other family support worker or contact Supported Playgroup Facilitator Jacqui for more information via supportedplaygroups@portphillip.vic.gov.au.
Or why not do it yourself? All St Kilda Playgroup sessions have a group contact, and most sessions stay connected via WhatsApp groups.
In addition to sending messages, WhatsApp has a video function, so why not organise a time for your group to catch up online via a video call? You can have up to four participants per call.
You can create a Facebook Messenger group and use video calling for up to 50 participants, with no time limit.
Or create a free Zoom video conference for 100 participants for up to 40 minutes.
Just remember to set some ground rules first, such as no recording of the sessions or photos of kids without parental permission.
If you’re unsure who your group contact is, or you’re not a member of a group, please email us and we’ll make sure you’re reconnected.
Get connected to your local community
The City of Port Phillip sends a free weekly newsletter to families on their Family Youth and Children – General Updates mailing list.
The newsletter’s purpose is to help families find reliable sources of information regarding the coronavirus. It includes information around self-care for parents, supporting community connectedness, and tips on keeping children entertained while at home in isolation. Sign up to join the mailing list and receive the weekly newsletter.
In addition to the St Kilda Playgroup Facebook page, where we will continue to share an array of interesting content, there are many pages to help you keep your sanity while you entertain your kids at home. These include:
City of Port Phillip – local government announcements, including maternal and child health-related information and local COVID-19 updates
City of Port Phillip Family Youth and Children – local family-related information about council and community initiatives
City of Port Phillip Library Service – Online story time and other initiatives, as well as links to their extensive digital collection
Playgroup Victoria – A public Facebook page for all Victorian playgroup-related information, including a fantastic ’20 days of at-home play’ initiative
Playgroup at Home by Playgroup Victoria – A private Facebook group run by Playgroup Victoria designed to inspire at-home play
Mama You’ve Got This – Sponsors of our 2019 Christmas party, the organisers of this local business put parents in touch with experts, and now they’re offering a range of free webinars and online mothers’ groups
Zoos Victoria – Live streaming of ‘animals at home’ from the snow leopards, penguins, giraffes and lions, as well as interesting posts about animals
YouTube
Endless entertainment, just start searching for topics such as ‘videos for kids’, ‘kids tv’, ‘kids songs’, ‘kids gym workout’, etc.
Websites
City of Port Phillip – Official local government website for residents in the City of Port Phillip, including current council-based information about coronavirus
Vic.gov.au – Official Government website for Victoria, with current state-based information about coronavirus including help for all Victorians
Australia.gov.au - Official Government website for Australia, with current national-based information about coronavirus including help for all Australians
ABC Kids – More than just tv and radio, you’ll find a collection of games, activities, education and apps
NGV – The National Gallery of Victoria has a special Kids at Home section which features a range of activities for kids under 8 years old
Raising Children – Parenting website from pregnancy through to teens and grown-ups, including wide selection of coronavirus-specific information for families, and cool stuff like baby karaoke
Smalltalk – Supported Playgroup is based on this parenting program; includes some great links to other resources, too
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