BY HEJIRA CONVERY, KINDICARE

June 6, 2022

Us parents need all the help we can get to raise happy, healthy children, and Play Learn Grow is a tech-tastic initiative from the Victorian government. 

This free (yep, totally free) text message program delivers expert information, practical advice and easy activities straight to your phone.  

You need to be living in Victoria and looking after a two or three-year-old child to take part, but if you tick these boxes, the program offers big benefits for your family.  

Here’s how it works.  

Once you sign up for Play Learn Grow, you’ll get three texts each week for six months (or 24 weeks, to be precise).  

You can opt out at any time, but there’s a lot to be gained by keeping these texts coming.   

Leading early childhood experts from the Parenting Research Centre and Centre for Community Child Health have worked with Victoria’s Department of Education to develop this program, and it lives up to its name.  

Play Learn Grow has been specially designed to support the learning, development, health and wellbeing needs of your young child, both now and going forward. 

The government says, “This program recognises that the first few years of life are critical for brain development and that quality experiences during this time pave the way for good health and wellbeing throughout life.”    

Play Learn Grow has also been designed with you in mind.  

Many of the texts help to strengthen your wellbeing as you balance work, parenting, life and everything! 

Play Learn Grow also complements the amazing work that your early childhood education and care service does to support your family. And if you’re using Maternal Child Health, it ties in with that too. 

Different texts you’ll get.  

Over the 24 weeks, you’ll receive a great variety of information, advice and activities to try at home.  

SMS themes include everything from playing with your child and supporting their social skills, to reading interactively and helping them learn new words. 

There are also messages to help you re-engage with your childcare service or kinder after those long months of lockdown, which felt even looooonger for your toddler. 

If English isn’t your easiest language, you can get the texts in Arabic, Dari, Farsi, Karen or Simplified Chinese. 

All in all, Play Learn Grow is worth a go, and we hope the expert texts click with your family.