Allowah’s Recreation team is led by an experienced primary teacher. We have dedicated and vibrant members whose backgrounds range from early childhood teaching, occupational therapy, and leisure health. With such diversity and experience, it allows recreation to focus on providing services to all the children.
Allowah’s recreation is designed to provide maximum entertainment and fun times for the children. In the past year we introduced our own version of “The Voice Kids,” we celebrated Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, cultural diversity and the Summer Olympics. We also celebrated Easter and Christmas twice… once in July and once in December!
Each of these themed activities are a specific programme designed to further develop the sensory stimulation, fine motor and gross motor skills of the children, and also enhance their creativity. These activities are comprised of a myriad of arts and crafts, story time, relaxation, tactile exploration, music, outdoor play and real life activities such as camping, cooking (where our children are the little Masterchefs of Allowah!) and movie time.
We’re very privileged to be able to use our new Home Theatre System, donated by the friends of Allowah, for our movie sessions. The children enjoy them immensely. We also cook popcorn to further indulge in our movie experience.
We love Community Access and getting out and about. This allows the children the experience of travel outside of Allowah. Trips to the Sydney Royal Easter Show are an enjoyable if tiring day, very worthwhile and the children always have a great time.
This last year we celebrated cultural diversity with International Food Day and World Teacher’s Day.
And for Christmas, we had a nativity play where both the children and the staff participated in the narrative.
The biggest programme we’ve achieved here at Allowah is being part of the Premier’s Reading Challenge. The challenge aims to encourage children to develop a love of reading for leisure. Thank you to our volunteers for reading the required number of books. Aside from recreational staff, volunteers play a major role in the execution and success of the designed programme of recreation.
“It seems like just yesterday but four years has passed since I started work at Allowah. I was originally a Primary School Teacher and taught for ten years and trained for Special Education. Being a teacher and a mother of two allows me to transpose my experiences for care in a family orientated environment , setting goals and developments for the children at Allowah.”
Rowena Arabit
Therapy Through Play
Allowah also conducts a specific program that runs on weekends. “Therapy Through Play which is specifically designed and structured for children with functional therapy goals.
Pet therapy
We also have a visiting pet therapy dog Benny. He and his owner, Margaret Piper, have both completed a Pet Therapy training course and have been visiting Allowah weekly for a number of years. He brings much joy to the children and staff as he bounds in with his tail wagging and saying hello in his doggie voice. He visits each child and is very gentle and obedient when they pat him and play with him.
His predecessor, Toby the wonder dog, was a lovely 13 year old Labradoodle. Toby is quite famous as he is the subject of a book written about him, and all money from the sale of the book goes to Allowah. All at Allowah love him.
Music
Music has a strong ability to reach people of all ages and abilities – whether they are participants or observers. Allowah has a Music Recreationist who uses music to explore and encourage abilities that children may otherwise not display. Instruments are used to teach cause and effect, to encourage reaching and grasping movements and to promote any innate curiosity. Using simple, repetitive songs, children learn anticipation and vocalization is encouraged.
A qualified primary school teacher Rachael is committed to all children engaging in experiences that are not only high quality but also fun. Rachael grew up playing violin, taking lessons for 11 years before moving her focus to singing. Having played in orchestras, sung in choirs and in her church band for nearly 20 years. Rachael is a confident musician who loves to share her passion with others.
