By Evelyn Leckie
THE outdoor Bush Bus playgroup had to slow to a stop amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but that hasn’t stopped founder Georgina Dymock from entertaining families from home.
The free outdoor playgroup moved around the Mitchell Shire last year, visiting Broadford, Seymour, Wallan, Kilmore and Beveridge.
“The Bush Bus was as much for the parents as it was for the kids, it would enable new families to meet or stay at home parents to socialise with other families,” Ms Dymock said.
Ms Dymock said it was like a worst nightmare came true, having to put a pause on the community service.
“Last year, we weren’t sure if we would get enough funding to carry this over in 2020,” she said.
“We were so lucky to obtain sponsorships from local businesses like Frasers Property Australia, Quantum Comms, Wellington Square Shopping Centre and Kilmore and Seymour Toyota.
“We thought we could keep going, but now with the pandemic we’ve had to stop.”
Ms Dymock said she had brought online activities to keep families busy at home.
“We still have story time via Facebook, publishers have been so helpful in opening up their rights and licenses during this time,” she said.
The childcare leader said the service would be back when things return to normal.
“A huge gap in the community was filled by the Bush Bus. It’s our responsibility to step into that slot when things go back to normal,” Ms Dymock said.
“We’ve been working on even bigger and better ideas during this quiet phase, so there’s much to look forward to.”
We’ve really enjoyed a number of The Bush Bus activities that have been shared online, especially the nature bracelets, and the Easter activities too. Not only great for the boys, I love doing them too!