Build Your Own Adventure!

GroundWork is a fun class designed for kids in the Kindy age bracket. This class offers an early introduction to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) in a fun play based weekly class. Early group work, planning, problem solving and teamwork are also all part of this class as our junior builders solve their weekly task.

Coming up in 2024 our units will be as follows

• Term 1 Move It!
• Term 2 Awesome Animals
• Term 3 To the Rescue
• Term 4 Marvellous Machines

How Does a GroundWork Class run? In this class students will work together as a class 'team' to solve a set of problems, and complete projects. Children at this age are just starting to learn about sharing and teamwork, and although not quite ready to work in pairs or small groups, students will have an individual project which will be part of a whole class solution.

How many students in a class? In this age group we will have up to 8 children in each class. This means there is lots of one on one time with our teacher, and plenty of help at hand to solve tricky problems.

What materials do you use? In GroundWork we use a wide variety of construction and engineering tools and materials. Our core resources are Lego, Duplo Education, Kid K'Nex, Magformers, Goldiblox, and Fischertechnik. We also have a large variety of mixed resources and class props. Each term brings a new theme, a new focus, and many different resources to learn, explore, and enjoy.

Many children in this age group are quite familiar with using little Lego at home, however in this class when using Lego, will will usually use Duplo education sets, so that we can build bigger things faster. We teach kids that all materials we use in class are simply just tools (whether big or small) and they all have their place in learning.

How Long Does A Class Run For? A GroundWork lesson lasts for 45 minutes. The children attend the class without their grown up for the first 40 minutes, then adults and siblings are invited into the class for the last 5 minutes of the lesson. This enables the teacher to explain what the topic for the day has been, and for the children to show their adults their projects.

What do the kids take home each week? Each week the children will have a photo taken with their creation, which is then printed on a lesson information card. These build into a portfolio of work over the course of the term, with the kids able to look back and see all their creations they have build during their time in class.

What topics do we cover in GroundWork? In this age group we have 6 different units covering topics such as mechanical engineering, structural engineering, environmental engineering, animal science, town planning, logic and sequencing. Children will explore engineering, early math, science, planning, sequencing, and divergent thinking in a fun, engaging and creative way.

Can I attend the class with my child? In this age group we request that adults do attend the lesson with their children. Kids in this age group are a learning new skills of independence, to work as a group, and to relate to other kids in a class environment. Children may join this class after they have reached the minimum age of 3.5 years, and are happy to have their grown up wait just outside the classroom.

What age is GroundWork for?

GroundWork is designed for children who are between 3.5 and 6 years of age and not currently attending school. If your child is 'Prep age' but is attending Kindy in 2024, then GroundWork is the right class for them. They will be able to attend our ConStruct (Prep to Grade 2) class from 2025 onwards.

• Age Range: 3.5 to 5 years (Pre-Prep)
• Class Length: 45 minutes.
• Class size: Up to 8 students
• Term Length: 8 weeks
• Term 4, 2024 Class Times & Bookings
• Cost: $177 (8 week term)

Term 4, 2024 Marvellous Machines

This term we’ll create marvellous machines for air, sea, land and space travel with simple science and technology.

Through hands-on exploration, we'll explore functions of gears, pulleys, levers, and other essential parts.

We’ll learn about tools and investigate the functions of basic machine components.

We’ll learn about simple design work and work together to solve problems. Get ready to gear up for lots of fun!

Where did the Fox Blocks program come from? The Fox Blocks program has been designed and developed by our team of Flying Fox Studios teachers, right here in Brisbane. Written by educaters and engineers, it combines play based learning for the littlies, instructional learning for the older kids, and lots of teamwork! We have been running the program for over 8 years from our Everton Park studio, and have seen thousands of children attend our classes over the years.

We are passionate about creating a curriculum that focus on all branches of the STEM/STEAM tree, and not just one part. So throughout our entire Fox Block curriculum you will see all the elements of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths at play.