I have been wanting to visit a kindy in Fiji for ages, and this trip I finally arranged to spend the morning at one, in the nearby village.
I bought some tubs of play doh and cutters with me, which they were pretty happy with, though I wish I'd bought books as well. They love them and need new ones but it's so expensive to send them from here!
The kids did songs for me - I loved their version of 'Row, Row'.
Whereas we face each other and 'paddle' with two 'oars' the Fijian kids sit in a row, with their single 'oars' dipping in one side, then the other.
And then I taught them my favourite kindy song, 'Dr Knickerbocker' (with a bit of help from Belle, India, and Evan).
I loved seeing the similarities and differences between my kindy, and this one, particulary with regards to health and safety.
In many areas, here in Australia, we have gone way over the top with protecting our children. I believe that we all need germs to ensure a fit and able immune system, and yet we are required now to wash our hands (for two minutes with soap and water, in all the cracks and crevices, while using a paper towel to turn off the tap) when we enter the centre to prevent bringing germs into the centre, and then when we leave, to prevent taking germs out of the centre. Of course, we also do it 1000 times at the centre as well. A child sneezes next to you and a foot-long train of snot hangs out of their nose, but we have to make our hands raw to prevent bringing germs in to the environment.
In Fiji, the kids and teachers wash their hands before lunch, here..
At my kindy, we have to put all of the childrens' lunch boxes in the fridge, even when they are outside, in winter.
In Fiji, they have a fan-cooled room (it's pretty hot), and the luch boxes are filled with things like sausages, chicken, eggs, and fish.
I've been instucted that the children's sheets have to be folded in on their stretcher beds before the beds are put away, so the sheets don't touch each other, apparently preventing cross-contamination. In Fiji, rest time is on two big double beds. The kids just lay down together, and read books.
That's not to say they are not careful about the health of the children.
When my kindy kids saw these monkey bars, they all said "Can we get them!"
So much fun, and a lovely way to spend the morning.
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