“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” - Albert Einstein
It’s pirate day at Leopold playgroup and there are play ideas galore. Children enjoy arts and crafts, making parrots out of paper cups, feathers, string and coloured card. In one corner there is water play, a rockpool filled with toys and trinkets, in the other a sensory sandpit is eye catching with blue died sand, mermaids and sea creatures. There are dress ups, a cubby corner, Lego ships, an alphabet mat. A tarp in the middle of the room is sticky taped down and turned into imaginary water with a bridge to cross. Paper sharks swim atop. Binoculars have been found as kids make their way outdoors to rummage in sand containers filled with big gold coins. Imaginations are busy.
There is a creative buzz as parents and carers transform the space, opening possibilities for the children.
Along the way, those same parents and carers connect with the creative, inventive part of themselves, too. Sometimes, this is left dormant, neglected, for a multitude of reasons as time goes by. Somehow, by way of doing, they recapture a part of themselves that makes them smile, that dulls worries and places them in a gentle current of something akin to ‘flow’.
“I guess it helped me find myself again, if that makes sense,” said Jess Conway, playgroup president and activities coordinator.
“We have had a hard pregnancy journey and I lost myself a little bit, which I think is very common for new mums, especially first-time mums.”
This local playgroup nearly fell away after Covid, but somewhere inside Jess, she had a feeling that she couldn’t let that happen. For her daughter, and for all the many other children alongside her, and to come, she said this playgroup needed to continue.
“I think that we were very aware of what they were missing out on [during Covid]. All those social interactions, being part of a community- we were inspired to build that for our kids.”
The play at Leopold creates its own atmosphere. When families are playful, they can relax, let their guards down, share something of themselves or listen to a story or remark that makes them feel in some way connected to each other and the greater world at large. The play in this space can shift their frame of mind, their thoughts. It can create a lift, an endorphin rush, empathy, understanding. It can bring on a great tumble of laugher that has the ability to release tension. Jess feels it.
“To be able to get out of the house and have that time where the kids are occupied and vent to someone, it makes such a difference. Even to be able to make a coffee for yourself, knowing all the parents around here have your back with the kids- and they can’t do anything too drastic here- someone is always watching them.”
Fellow parent Brooke met Jess through mothers group. They banded together to get the group up and running, creating something fun.
It is clear that they enjoy working together and make a great team: “She’s got the vision. I always say, she’s the brains and I’m the workhorse,” Brooke laughs.
“The biggest thing I think for me is the friendships we have created and sense of a place to come, with other mums. It’s a community. It’s like our own little family here, especially going through Covid babies, you didn’t really have many connections and we were lucky that our mothers group was the first ones back.”
“Being able to come and know that there is going to be people here that you know, that are going through the same things- young kids, pregnancies, transitional stages- everyone is in the same boat. It’s nice to have somewhere to feel comfortable.”
Some parents here didn’t get to mothers groups due to the pandemic. Claire said she had two meetings on Zoom after having her child, then that was it. At times it felt a bit like being out in the wilderness of child rearing alone in those early days.
“I didn’t have anyone to bounce off, like my child is doing this and I don’t know what to do- but coming here, all the mums are always open to listening about what’s going on: ‘This is what I do, here’s an idea’. Not feeling judged, but feeling open to ask, it’s brilliant and really caring.”
Claire attended playgroup in Leopold herself as a young girl and is glad to see the community thriving again, coming full circle now to be enjoyed by her family.
For Claire, she loves that her wife can come along sometimes. She notes the partners, grandparents and dads are welcomed in the same way as the mums. This too is a space for them.
“That’s what is good about playgroup. I do feel partners can sometimes feel amiss, like they’re left out sort of in life, without places for them to come. I’ve got a wife here and she’s getting that time to play,” said Claire as she watches her son and her wife sharing moments in the playground.
Claire talks about the different ways that Jess thinks through the activities and narratives around them, how they engage all ages. She talks about how Jess will check in and send a message if someone doesn’t show up after several sessions.
“That’s what I really appreciated.”
Recently, Claire ran into a mother at a park with a newborn. The lady said a few things that reminded Claire of herself. It took her back to how she was feeling in the early days of motherhood.
“I said to her, ‘'Come up here, there’s a space, you’re welcome, it doesn’t matter your age and things like that’. It was something that really helped.”
“I was in a similar position, being home by myself and having difficulty, maybe Covid-related, but getting a bit sad after struggling with mental health- having this environment has improved it heaps.”
Leanne, another playgroup regular, loves the easy nature of playgroup. There is the feeling of comfort that others mention also. She said that you don’t have to overcommit. She doesn’t feel too locked into anything. Playgroup doesn’t ask her to come prepared or be too social. It simply invites her to come as she is.
“This way I can come along and help clean up or set up, but without having to do that over commitment thing because life post Covid is hectic and just getting back into it has been full on, so if you can share that amongst other people, playgroup gives you that option.”
“I think too for later aged mums, or second mums, second time around, especially if there is a gap, I see parents come along and they are welcome to bring both of them and be with people who are also going through that second time parenting.”
Leanne’s child doesn’t go to childcare so this is an incredibly valuable community connection for her family.
“It’s only by talking to people can you really get what’s happening, otherwise it’s like Facebook and just because you’re reading it, it doesn’t necessarily make it real because you can write anything. It is through storytelling that you actually connect.”
Leanne talks about the fantastic sensory experiences embedded in each week’s session. This opens opportunities for children of all abilities.
Jess puts a great deal of time and consideration into this aspect of the sessions, doing her research and creating spaces for everyone, both inside and in the outdoor space. Children and families can be fully part of the action or have a quieter time. The range of sensory play encourages people to find their own state of flow.
Jess likes doing all the messy stuff at playgroup so that parents who feel like they don’t want to do it at home, don’t have to. They can enjoy it together at playgroup.
One of Jess’ main motivations at Leopold is to create engaging activities and build up the resources so that the playgroup can continue to offer a great level of play opportunities into the future. Jess researches play ideas to suit different skills and abilities, to ensure all children can reap the benefits and enjoyment.
“In terms of brain development, the first few years are so important, developing those connections,” she said.
The playgroup has the advantage of being in the community centre, where there is a library, a day-care, kinder and maternal child health. It is familiar for the kids. Connections lead to more connections for the families.
Jess said that playgroup always helps her to start the day well, alongside her daughter Zaydie.
“I find, especially with Zaydie, when we could get out in the morning and just do something, no matter what it was, just completely changed the tune of our day. Instead of being stuck at home, in your own head, bumming around in your pjs,” Jess laughs. “Sometimes, your entire house ends up feeling like that.”
“I’m a bit of a reserved person and that has kind of fed into Zaydie but being here consistently has completely changed her confidence. She comes around and talks to other adults, she talks about the mums here and the people that have helped her. Building that community for our kids and our community spirit. They might go to kinder with these kids, then they’ll go to school with these kids. It helps so much with their confidence, I think. And for the mums as well. I would be nervous walking into a school where I didn’t know anyone.”
“Some parents come and chill out and do their own thing but even just to be around other people, even if you’re not interacting, it just resets everything. Especially when you are going through hard things.”
Through those early years, through periods of isolation, through the joys and many ‘firsts’, these moments can be shared at playgroup and given the attention they deserve by those involved.
“It’s about the community we’re creating and bringing everyone together,” said Jess. “That nurturing, community spirit that’s given and for the parents to feel like you’ve got back-up and someone to go to if you need anything. That’s going to change the child’s life as well. Happy parent, happy child.”
The morning of play is almost over at Leopold and still the space is full, teaming with families.
Jess can’t help but get emotional. Especially as members of her group nominated her as a Playgroup Champion.
“Everyone backs me up. I have never been nominated for anything before.”
“It means a lot of all of us.”
And indeed it means a lot to the children, who each week are imagining possibilities, their loved ones by their sides.
This type of early inspiration can be lifelong. These types of early experiences, of imagination and of play, often leave indelible marks on who it is these children become.
Article by Sinead Halliday