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Tasmania’s child and family centres: a place-based early childhood services model for families and children from pregnancy to age five

Tasmania’s child and family centres users made more use of early childhood services than did non-users

Playgroup participation and social support outcomes for mothers of young children: A longitudinal cohort study.

This study aimed to examine friendship networks and social support outcomes for mothers according to patterns of playgroup participation.

The association between playgroup participation, learning competence and social-emotional wellbeing for children aged four-five years in Australia

This study provides evidence that continued participation in playgroups is associated with better outcomes for children from disadvantaged families.

Playgroup program transforms early learning in Tonga

In Australia, community playgroups are seen as the ‘soft touch’. But a research project in Tonga is finding the benefits can last a lifetime.

Kids who attend playgroup do better at school

New research by The Kids Research Institute Australia has found children who attend playgroups achieve better early primary school outcomes.

Interventions to Improve Child Physical Activity in the Early Childhood Education and Care Setting: An Umbrella Review

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) services are a key setting to support improvements in the physical activity of young children. This umbrella review gathered and synthesised systematic review evidence of the effectiveness of interventions in the ECEC setting on the physical activity levels of children aged 0–6.

Association between preschooler movement behaviours, family dog ownership, dog play and dog walking: Findings from the PLAYCE study

Physical inactivity in childhood is a major public health issue. Dog ownership has been widely reported to lead to greater physical activity in adults and school-aged children. We examined if dog ownership and dog-facilitated physical activity were associated with higher physical activity in preschoolers. Secondary analysis of the 'Play Spaces & Environments for Children's Physical Activity' (PLAYCE, 2015-2018) study involving 1366, 2-5-year-olds from 122 long day-care centres in Perth, Australia was conducted.

The Power of Playgroups: Key components of supported and therapeutic playgroups from the perspective of parents

Playgroups are community-based programs for children and families aiming to improve child outcomes, enhance family and community networks and increase parenting capacity. Despite the prevalence of playgroups in Australian communities there is a lack of research clearly articulating the key components of playgroups, specifically from the perspective of parents attending these groups.

Randomised Controlled Trial of a Therapeutic Playgroup for Children with Developmental Delays

A single-blind randomised control trial investigated the effectiveness of the Learn, Engage and Play (LEaP) playgroup. Seventy-one children with developmental delay were randomly allocated to an 8-week LEaP playgroup or control group and followed up at 12 and 28 weeks.

Study protocol for Healthy Conversations @ Playgroup: a multi-site cluster randomized controlled trial of an intervention to promote healthy lifestyle behaviours in young children attending community playgroups

Early childhood is a critical window for preventing obesity and chronic disease. Yet, 1 in 4 Australian children aged 5 years and under are affected by overweight or obesity; and significant proportions of children under 5 years fail to meet guidelines for diet quality, physical activity (PA), screen time, and sleep.