Community
28 February, 2025
Free kits for kinder children
CHILDREN starting three year-old kindergarten this year will each receive a free kit containing books, toys and stationery.
Members for Western Victoria Jacinta Ermacora this week said that around 70,000 children would receive the kits which would also double as a backpack which could be opened into a felt laying surface for imaginative play.
“Families have enough to worry about, and the cost of early learning materials shouldn’t be one of them,” Ms Ermacora said.
“Kinder kits ensure that all children can enjoy the benefits of kinder, with engaging activities that set them up for a lifetime of learning.”
When children and families open the kits they will be able to get creative with playdough, draw with crayons, play with stacking blocks, plant alfalfa seeds and practice reading with stories from Australian authors.
Other fun, educational items for kids include timber story rollers, a colouring book, a jumping frog game, a card game exploring maths concepts and felt stickers that can be used to create stories on the backpack’s lining.
Since 2022 the state government has given 227,000 families kinder kits, bringing families together by encouraging an interest in their child’s learning.
“Every item in the kit is recommended by education experts to support learning through play.
“More than 50 Victorian businesses have contributed to the kits since 2022, with products made, designed or printed in Victoria, written by a Victorian author or produced by a Victorian business.”
