Ciao a tutti, What a fantastic start! Riding the sleigh to the North Pole and landing on the Winter Forest… This week to support my program to approach the 4 Season I have chosen an amazing book by Blexbolex. An unique experience inside watercolour illustration telling a story of nature by single words. Imagination is the key to explore this book to build the story of what surrounds us during a year of life. Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter are the commemoration of a whole life from the beginning to the end. I am always inspired from my own life and from the joy and the love I have learnt from my family to give to life. That’s maybe the reason why I believe so much in children. Outside my own room window I have a tree and I have been amazed to look the changes he has gone through the seasons, such as, fighting during the cold winter for a renaissance of a new life. To celebrate life as part of the Christmas workshops and to let my Mini-Explorers discovering the seasons, we will celebrate Spring this week with an unique art and craft inspired from the composition of Antonio Vivaldi. Which exclaim the harmony of the life through the Four Season. I even wanted to express my happiness about the beginning of our program in childcare. Giving a welcoming to Eltham College Kids on Collins St. Where we are going to explore an explosive work of Rebecca J. Coles and let fly one of her beautiful butterfly on the Seasons-Tree of Minitalia Lab. A big smile to all of you and enjoy the life!  

Ciao a tutti, I am so excited about the new Term! I have created a very exclusive program for our Christmas workshops to keep the magic of this time of the year alive. Life bring along a lot of surprise, sometimes even challenging. Loving life is the secret I think to start the day and explore the world, discover the unknown and beginning a new adventure. Term 4 will be the conclusion of this year and the Lab of Minitalia is full of beautiful surprise as every Christmas deserves! As a native Italian I delight my taste and eyes to discover different tradition and food. My culture keep alive the spirit of Christmas with a very holy feeling. It is a very family celebration and the children are the one that enjoy it better. We love food and is not a secret the time we spend around the table! I think Christmas is one of that festivity that unify the all world , more or less we use similar tradition. Minitalia Lab this term is aiming to translate the Italian spirit of Christmas and share the pleasure and the joy of our traditional Christmas carol and some of the story behind this magic day. An unforgettable trip to the North Pole will lid our Mini-Explorers to meet Santa Claus and of course to enjoy even the treats. A bit of extra sugar will go with our workshops, an encouragement of a very sweet life! So, my dear Explorers this term, open your eyes, your mind, your heart and even your mouth… Santa Claus is coming to town!!! Looking forward to meet you all this week!  

Ciao a tutti, I have promised to myself different time to write something about our story time. Today after all your request I have finally decided to tell you about our books. I have express already I think in this pages my preferences for the books but, in the last two workshops I have chosen a longer story, because I like to expose my Mini-Explorers as much as possible to the Italian. Story time is the activity that requires apparently more attention. However the sense that is more stimulated is the hearing and even if we are distracted our ORECCHIE keep working. I have been surprised to see how most of the children have responded very well to the longer story and I have to give a credit to some of the Authors and books I have chosen. We have been reading one of the beautiful story of Lionni. His books are always so deep and very helpful to look inside ourself and understand feeling. There are a few website where you can buy Lionni’s book the one I often use is Dea Store and if you look for some of his story don’t forget to look at Pezzettino a pretty story in pursuit a own identity. The second choice was Jon Klassen and his rewarded story about a red hat!! An hilarious encouragement to observe things around us properly… I would never stop to talk about children narrative I think we are so lucky to have such a big choice for our Mini-Explorers and help them to love reading as part of the life! I can always find a piece of me in all this fantastic story and adventures… To promote reading my last week of this Term I have decided to start simulation story to help the children to get into the story and to experience the reading. You will find out more about simulation story next Term, I have enjoyed myself several time in creating short story for my Mini-Explorers and I will dedicate more time on this to offer them a unique journey through story time. Enjoy your story now!  

Ciao a tutti, One grey elephant balancing, step by step on a piece of string. He thought was such a wonderful stunt that he called for another elephant… Two grey elephants… Still singing this song, can’t stop to count!! Did you know that there was an Italian version of this song? We sung it all week last week and so many elephants came to Minitalia Lab to dance and make their piece of art inspired by an elephant. We have improved our skills in counting and I can’t believe my Mini-Explorers have already achieved. With the older Mini-Explorers we could count to 20!! Well done everyone!! We have started to count from the first elephant showed on the work of Fabio Pellicano, “Elephant” of course. Fabio has dedicated his job to the conservation of the Nature and his series of artwork named “Paradiso Perduto” frame exactly the beauty of wild life. The painting are a real interpretation of the landscape he has been visiting in Kenya. I love the way he can actually stop the image framing in a paint as in a photo… His art is real and genuine as the Nature world. If you want to support Fabio Pellicano’s project and join to “Artists for conservation” enquiry to info@minitalia.com.au. And now, keep count… more surprise are waiting for us by the end of this term and for the next one. Don’t forget to book your Term 4 Minitalia Lab workshops. http://minitalia.com.au/mini-form/  

Ciao a tutti, It has been a while since we started to row the ark, the Sun has begun to shine and we have met so many animals. The Mini-Jungle is starting to be popular and my Mini-Explorers have discovered so many new Italian words. One of my favourite art and craft at the moment is the crocodile inspired by Guido Daniele. The simplicity to animate hand and give to them life has brought a very special toy to MIL to play with. We know the sound of the crocodile and if someone will ask us ‘how the crocodile goes?’ we will know the answer, because what we learn is new! Minitalia Lab give chance to each child to express themselves and the material we are using this term is very inspiring, it has been studied to develop imagination and cognitive skills. Many of the games we made have been created to activate sensory and motor skills. Recycling material from our ordinary day and bring inside the magic world of MIL it has been the way to stimulate all the Mini-Explorers to look for new adventures and to recognise name and object outside the Lab. The ability of children to connect experience is surprising and when experiencing something is fun and natural will be easy for them to recognise the emotion and recreate action. We have made a long journey already and I recognise that this week. My beautiful Mini-Explorers are so engaged in Minitalia Lab activity and I am so proud of you! I am pretty sure my new Explorers will soon get into the world of Minitalia Lab and I am already so exited for our last term together before the New Year. We have saved some of the best surprise for our end of the year, we will travel in a very special and magic land to make your trip with MIL memorable… as usual! Make your booking now and preempt your stay with MIL for Term 4, 7th October to 14th December, Christmas is around the corner… http://minitalia.com.au/mini-form/