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Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Play Matters Australia

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Brisbane, QLD
Play Matters Australia

Founded in 1973, Play Matters Australia supports children and families to build relationships, skills, and confidence through play.

12/06/2026

Connect Through Music: Tools for Early Communication & Care

Join in this music month for our free, monthly webinar series - Lunch&Learn. In June we shift focus to using music as a communication tool and as a protective factor in perinatal care.

Join Anne Flood, Director Musicability as she introduces MusicTalk, a creative communication tool using music, even pre-speaking or for non-speaking children.

Lou from our Sing&Grow team then turns the focus to matrescence, sharing how music in the prenatal and perinatal period can support emotional regulation, bonding, and wellbeing for parents and infants alike.

When: Thursday 25 June
Time: 12 noon to 1pm (there will be a live Q&A after each presenter)
Where: Online, free, registrations are essential (recording will be sent post-webinar).

Register here: https://ap1.hubs.ly/y0YDF10

12/06/2026

Meet the Team | Sing&Grow NSW & ACT

It's music month at Play Matters and as part of the focus on music for the month of June, we want to introduce you to our Sing&Grow team in NSW and ACT.

Our national Sing&Grow team delivers evidence-based music therapy programs across community and organisational partnerships, supporting social, emotional and developmental foundations through music and connection. Communities for Children partnerships, working alongside local neighbourhood and health centres all form part of the important work our NSW and ACT team does.

Using songs, movement, and musical instruments, each session is thoughtfully planned to support skills like self-regulation, communication, school readiness and emotional wellbeing, while strengthening relationships between children and their families.

Be, Elisha, Ivy, Kim, Sam L.S., Louise are all Registered Music Therapists providing services across the state and territory.

Sam http://S.J. is a Senior Registered Music Therapist and Greer is Acting State Manger and Tina is State Manager for the areas.

You can read more about Sing&Grow here: https://ap1.hubs.ly/y0YBJm0

10/06/2026

International Day of Play | 11 June

2026 theme - “Protect Play, Protect Childhood”
Play has so many developmental and wellbeing benefits, but it is a vital part of childhood.

Through play, children learn, explore, and grow, which is why we believe play matters every day.

International Day of Play is celebrated every year on 11 June. It's a day for children and their families to embrace the joy of play and a time to recognise and advocate for every child’s right to play.

Under Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, every child has the right to rest, leisure, and to engage in play and recreational activities.

Play is freely chosen by the child, enjoyable and motivated from within and often will involve non-literal elements like imagination or make believe.

Play Matters Australia is passionate about supporting children’s right to play and listening to children and what they want to play through our work, and we are excited that days like International Day of Play exist to highlight the incredible benefits and importance of play.

You can find more information about International Day of Play and access four, fun, sensory play activities to do at home here: https://ap1.hubs.ly/y0YP740
Play Australia

10/06/2026

For more than five decades playgroups have been at the heart of Australian communities, creating connection, confidence, and belonging for families across the country.

In 1976, playdough was (and still is today) a play staple, with the Playgroup Journal (published on 8 February 1976) including this tried and tested recipe for make-at-home-playdough. This journal edition also included an amazing inclusion of plants to explore and grow at playgroup (we will share that one at a later date) and natural ways to play outside! With many of the articles hand illustrated or typed, putting together these journals would have been a labour intensive task!

Fifty years on, play is still as important as ever and if you ever want to take a trip down memory lane, you can read about the history of playgroup here: https://ap1.hubs.ly/y0YvgB0

09/06/2026

From play time to pack away 🎶
Songs give children the cues they need to feel safe, settled and ready for what’s next.

Our therapeutic team from Sing&Grow use music in meaningful ways to create consistency, calm and routine around transitions - this can be used from energetic to quiet, play to relax time and to assist with shifting focus.

You can listen to this song and many others on Spotify here: https://ap1.hubs.ly/y0Yt350

Share your favourite transition songs below 👇

08/06/2026

Free Group Music Therapy Opportunity | Cairns, Leichhardt & Stafford Heights

Sing&Grow in partnership with PlayConnect+ provides free, group, music therapy services in Cairns, Leichhardt and Stafford Heights in Queensland.

There are three locations offering the PlayConnect+ Sing&Grow program for the remainder of Term 2 and registrations are open for families wishing to join in for the start of Term 3 (week commencing Monday 20 July).

It is a free music therapy program for young children who have developmental delay or disability (aged 0 to 8 years) and their families, no diagnosis necessary to join. It is a safe and friendly place where families can explore movement and music together, supported by a Registered Music Therapist and Play Helper.

You can find out more about these sessions and register here: https://ap1.hubs.ly/y0YsrW0

06/06/2026

Ocean Drums | Let’s Make Music

This activity supports Musical Play by introducing children to:
- Rhythm and sound exploration
- Cause-and-effect (how movement changes sound)
- Creative expression through music and art

It also supports emotional regulation, as children can:
- Use gentle shaking for calm, soothing sounds
- Release energy with faster movements in a controlled way
- Learn to match their movements to different moods in the music (calm vs. energetic)

What you need:
- Two sturdy paper plates (per child)
- Stapler or strong tape
- A small handful of rice, dried beans, or lentils
- Blue/green textas, crayons, or paint
- (Optional) Ocean-themed decorations (stickers, shells, cellophane, glitter)

What you need to do:
1. Invite children to decorate the back sides of their plates with ocean colours and designs (waves, fish, sea creatures).
2. Place a small handful of rice or beans onto one plate.
3. Carefully place the second plate on top (decorated sides facing outward).
4. Secure the edges tightly using a stapler or tape (adult assistance required).
5. Once sealed, show children how to gently tilt and shake their drum to create ocean sounds.
6. Explore different movements—slow tilting for calm waves, fast shaking for stormy seas.
7. Play along with ocean-themed music and encourage children to move their bodies with the rhythms.

05/06/2026

QPAC Ticket Giveaway - 4 Tickets Up for Grabs!

We are giving you the chance to win 4 free tickets to a family-friendly, school holiday adventure at QPAC, in Southbank, Brisbane.

Choose from 360 All Stars or A Bee Story.

✔️Free to enter
✔️4 tickets to the show of your choice
✔️Drawn 24 June

It's free to enter, all you have to do is tell us what show you want to go to and who you would bring with you!

Enter here: https://ap1.hubs.ly/y0XQ4c0

Thank you to the Community Support Program at QPAC

05/06/2026

🌈 Celebrating Pride Month with Rainbow Families Playgroups

June is Pride Month, and we are celebrating our affiliated network of Rainbow Families playgroups which have been growing throughout Southeast Queensland over the past year.

These playgroups are safe, welcoming spaces where LGBTQIA+ families can connect, children can play and families can find community and support.

As the network continues to grow, Rainbow Families Queensalnd are looking for volunteers in Rockhampton, Townsville, Logan, Moreton Bay, and the Sunshine Coast to continue to grow the playgroups across the state with Play Matters support and guidance.

If you’re interested in starting a Rainbow Families playgroup in your area, your first step is to connect with Petria, Rainbow Families Queensland coordinator or fill out our Volunteer EOI online https://ap1.hubs.ly/y0XNdQ0

04/06/2026

🎶 Songs to transition to calm and quiet with Sing&Grow

Quiet songs aren’t just for bedtime, they are tools we can use anytime to help little ones (and ourselves) slow down, reset, and feel calm. Here is the Sea is a wonderful song to play and use simple hand movements to transition to a calmer state.

Transitions between big emotions can be tricky, especially for children who need to move their bodies to regulate. Singing with gentle movement, like swaying, rocking, or bouncing, can support children to transition from one emotion to another and find calm.

Try adding simple soothing movements as Emily has demonstrated as you sing along. Thank you for sharing your beautiful voice with us Emily!

You can find Here is the Sea by the PlaySchool team as a backing track here: https://ap1.hubs.ly/y0XJ8z0

Address

86 Orchid Street
Brisbane, QLD
4051

Opening Hours

Monday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday	8:30am - 4:30pm

Website

http://playmatters.org.au/

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