Mount Isa Day Nursery & Kindergarten won first prize in The Lead Alliance Get Creative in the Playground competition and C & K Sunset Community Kindergarten won second prize.

Toni Granville from The Lead Alliance said the nine centres created colourful and imaginative vegetable gardens by using recyclable products such as tyres, boots, plastic bottles, formula tins, buckets, wheelbarrows and old furniture.

“The program was aimed at giving day care centres and kindergartens the opportunity to win cash to go towards improving outdoor play areas, which would aid in reducing the risk of exposure to lead in children attending these facilities,” Ms Granville said.

“It helped to teach children the importance of hand washing after playing outside or gardening and healthy eating. 

“Both of these Lead Alliance messages are essential in reducing the risk of elevated blood lead levels in Mount Isa children,” she said.

Member for Traeger Robbie Katter said the focus was on early childhood and making safer environments for our children.

“The program was a success in delivering those aims and we would like to congratulate all of the centres who entered.”

On Thursday February 22 after Mr Katter handed the cheque over to Mount Isa Day Nursery and Kindergarten, Director Nat Raggett said we have embedded the importance of hand washing into our routines after playing or gardening outside and before eating.

“We aim to use the prize money to incorporate an outdoor handwashing station to increase the children's independence and minimise cross contamination from the outdoor to the indoor environment,” Ms Raggett said.

We’d like to say thank you to The Lead Alliance network for the opportunity of being involved in promoting children’s lead safety and reducing risk to lead exposure.”