CHILDREN have been nurturing a clutch of eggs and hatchlings in Quinns Rocks over the school holidays.
Quinns Beach Care for Kids early childhood teacher Rachel Evans said children had been learning about the life cycle of a chicken during the April holidays.
“We have been taking part in a chicken hatching program called Living Eggs,” she said.
Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE
Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
READ NOW“The children have been involved in observing the eggs and caring for the chickens once born.
“Together we make sure there is enough water and food for them throughout the day.
“They have been learning how to observe the changes of the chickens’ growth over the days.
“We have been keeping charts and displaying them on the wall.
“The children have also been writing down and practicing words such as coop, hen, chicken; this has helped develop their writing skills.
“The program runs for a fortnight then the chickens return to their farm.”
Miss Evans said parents volunteered to take the chicks home to keep in their own coops, and children had been making coops from recycled materials.
“It is amazing to see the amount of care and respect that the children have for the chickens,” she said.
“They are so proud that it is their responsibility to look after them each day.
“The children have show such a strong interest in learning about the chickens that we have decided to extend on their interest and begin our ‘on the farm project’.
“The children will learn all about farms and the animals that they may find there.”
Wanneroo Living Eggs franchise owner Louise Pople said the national company had been operating for 19 years, and she provided the hatching program to daycares, aged care centres, schools, community centres and homes throughout WA.