Educator inspired OSHC at Home program big hit with OSHClub families during COVID

OSHClub team members have banded together to create a vibrant resource of programmed activities to support children and families to navigate the extended period of school closures due to COVID-19.

Known as OSHC at Home, the freely available program has been well received by OSHClub families, with over 27,000 families who have actively interacted with the weekly planner updates, which have so far received rave reviews. 

Melanie Nahm, a parent of two girls aged six and eight years said that her children had particularly enjoyed creating the art and craft activities. “There are some great activities for rainy days indoors too – like the links to kids workouts and virtual zoo tours. It has been a great resource for at home activities all in one place” she said.

Sinead Ryan,OSHClub Executive Director said OSHClub was really proud of the educators behind the program, who used this time of adversity to let their innovative ideas shine. 

The educators, she continued, were insistent about the need to stay connected to the children and families in their care, wanting to support them, and their communities, through this difficult time. “The passion and enthusiasm was infectious and in a matter of weeks the team rallied together to produce this great weekly resource for all families” Ms Ryan said. 

Built around the simple message of “When you can’t come to OSHC, we will come to you,” the OSHClub educators came together to create the range of educational, videos, activity sheets and live streams that helped them achieve their mission and add an additional educational dimension for all of the children learning from home. 

Tiarnah Hamlin, one of the OSHClub educators involved in the project said “Just as children have been able to access their formal schooling at home, I believe it’s equally important that children be given the opportunity to continue their play-based learning provided by OSHC services via virtual activities. Educators can continue to share their passions and interests with children – and continue to support them.”

The OSHC at Home planners are distributed weekly and contain three different activities per day for each of the five days of the week including activities like:

• Naughts & Crosses Moovosity – a larger than life game of naughts and crosses
• Loose parts play – A play based learning exercise that gathers up household objects
• Kids kitchen: Nice cream – A kitchen based experience making ice cream
• Leaf animals – An outdoor incursion that combines natural materials with creating toys

The planner itself also includes a key that helps families navigate each activity in a quick and effective way. 

Maxwell Carroll, a creative content producer and the editor behind the project said he enjoyed being involved in a project that helps so many children learn from home in these tough times and keep them engaged with creative content.

OSHClub are looking to share their innovative passion with the broader OSHC community by making the OSHC at Home planners available for all to use. 

Ms Ryan said “Having seen what a tremendous difference the OSHC at Home program has made to our families it feels only right that we make it available to the broader Australian community, especially at a time like now when we are still working through this challenging COVID-19 outbreak.”