Six Hours, No Screens and a Room Full of Connection

Sep 28

4 min read

This school holidays, we trialled something new. For the first time, we opened our Creative Kids Club to young people as young as five, hoping to reach more families across our community. It felt like a big step. Would our youngest learners stay engaged for a full day? Would children who had never met feel comfortable together?

Last week we welcomed 18 young people to Memorial Hall in Hawthorn, and what we saw answered those questions better than we could have hoped.

Why We Opened Our Doors to Younger Learners

Many families told us their younger children were just as eager to create, share and connect as their older siblings. We also know that the early primary years are when so much of a young person's confidence, friendships and sense of belonging begins to take shape.

So we designed a day for children aged 5 to 10, built around quality literature, intentional creative play and plenty of room to be themselves.

Arriving as Strangers, Leaving as Friends

Many of the young people who walked through the door that morning didn't know anyone else. Some held tightly to a parent's hand. Some watched quietly from the edge of the room.

By the end of the day, they were cheering each other on, sharing their creations and even putting on an impromptu talent show together. Nobody asked them to. It simply grew out of the connection they had built over the day.

Moments like this remind us why we put connection first. When young people feel safe and welcome, confidence follows.

Inclusion Is Where We Start

At Think Bright Education, inclusion isn't an extra. It's the foundation of everything we plan.

We warmly welcome neurodivergent young people, and we plan every session with their social and sensory needs in mind from the very beginning. Before the day, families share what helps their child feel comfortable, and we build that into our planning.

On the day, that looks like:

Choice in how and when each child joins an activity
Calm, quieter spaces for anyone who needs a break
Movement and sensory breaks throughout the day
Gentle support to join in with others, never pressure
Staff who notice, adjust and celebrate every child's way of taking part

Every young person, and every kind of family, belongs here. When a space is designed for different ways of thinking, feeling and connecting, it works better for everyone.

Six Hours of Creating, With No Screens in Sight

The day ran for six hours, and not one screen was needed. The young people were simply too busy creating, making and sharing.

We believe that's what happens when activities are meaningful and hands on, and when learning starts with a great story.

Our Theme: Resilience

This session focused on resilience. We began with The Resilient Rhino from the My Brain animal book series, a story that gave everyone a shared language for talking about bouncing back when things feel hard.

From there, the young people moved through six creative activities:

A group storyboard. Working together, the children retold the story of The Resilient Rhino using air dry clay.
Resilience journals. Each child made their own journal to capture the ways they can be brave and keep going.
Feelings finger painting. We talked about all the feelings we experience, big and small, and brought them to life through colour and texture.
Wellbeing monsters. Using air dry clay, everyone sculpted their own monster to take home as a little reminder for when big feelings come up. There were so many wonderful ideas, including a worry monster to help protect us from our worries, a yet monster to remind us that we just can't do it yet, and a courage monster to help us feel brave.
Personalised keychains. Each child designed a keychain that was all their own, a small reminder of the day to carry with them.
An impromptu talent show. Not on the plan, but absolutely the highlight of the day.

What We Noticed

Our youngest learners were every bit as capable, creative and engaged as the older children. The mixed age group became a real strength. Older children naturally helped and encouraged the younger ones, and younger children brought so much joy and imagination to the room.

Most of all, we noticed that when young people are given time, quality stories and genuine connection, they don't need to be entertained. They create, they share and they grow.

Coming Up Next: Mindfulness

Our next Creative Kids Club is on Thursday 1 October, and this time our wellbeing focus is mindfulness. We've been exploring the story Mindful Mouse, which gently shows young people how to slow down, notice their breath and find calm when their mind feels busy.

Both our Creative Kids Club and Girls Club sessions next week are now full, and we're so grateful to every family who has trusted us with their young people these holidays.

Stay Tuned for 2027

This holiday season was a trial to reach more families, and the response has been so encouraging. We're now planning our 2027 programs and are likely to offer them in the April and June school holidays.

If you'd like to know more, Subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to hear when bookings open, along with our latest news, programs and events HERE and wellbeing tips.

Have a question, or wondering whether our clubs might be a good fit for your child? We'd love to chat.