Making a Difference Childcare at Frenchs Forest

12 months - 2 years

The toddler space is all about growing independence and autonomy. The educators have created a space where ‘doing things myself’ is encouraged, no matter how much mess that means. This program is built around each child’s own interests, family culture and input about each child’s growth needs. Educators build on many skills, including emotional regulation, verbal and non-verbal communication, exploration, curiosity and self confidence. The children are developing their own natural sense of inquiry and self-directed learning. The team encourages collaborative learning through play, introducing more group projects and classroom wide programs for this age group as appropriate.

2 years - 3 years

Here, the children are developing their own natural sense of inquiry and self-directed learning. Educators encourage collaborative learning through play, introducing more group projects and classroom wide programs in this age group. Educators continue to promote independence, self-regulation, routine and encourage children to engage with the world around them. This space supports children to step into the preschool program and an introduction to more formal schooling later on.

4 years - 5 years

In the preschool program, educators strive to find the perfect balance between supporting children to live in the moment whilst also preparing them for the world of formal schooling to come.  They achieve this by fostering the children’s inquisitive nature, building dispositions for learning and promoting play in all forms. Providing a combination of developmentally appropriate routines, learning environments and open-ended resources ensures children make the most of their preschool year whilst also transitioning successfully to school.

Emmet is 2.5 years old, and really loves playing outside with the big trucks in the sand pit. When he arrives at 8:30am, his class is already outside in the playground and he goes straight over to find his best friend Jack. Jack and Emmet spend almost an hour together racing around the playground, until they have a big appetite for the morning fruit platter. 

The class goes inside for morning tea, and after a story and a game on the carpet, Emmet goes to the building corner and makes a huge block tower. He is really proud and shows his teacher, who takes a photo of it and posts it on Storypark for his Mum and Dad to see. 

After building, Emmet goes to the craft area and makes a painting of some native animals, which has been the class learning focus for the week. Soon it’s time for lunch, and Emmet sits with his friends for a story at the table while they wait for their teacher to serve their pasta and garlic bread. 

After lunch, Emmet clears away his own plate and cutlery into the washing up bowl and goes to make his bed for a rest. 

After listening to some calming music and having a rest, it’s time to get up. The class works together to pack away their beds and head back outside for some physical activity and their afternoon tea, today it's fruit muffins and cheese and biscuits.

Madeline is 4 years old, and lately she has been really interested in cooking. Her teacher has made some plans to incorporate cooking into the daily program for her today. In the playground there is a mud kitchen, equipped with pots and pans, water, some herbs picked from the garden and lots of muffin tins and spoons. Maddy spots it right away and takes her mum over to see it. She starts to whip up a batch of muffins and Mum gives her a kiss goodbye. 

After morning tea, Maddy's teacher reads a book about baking, and has set up an activity inside for the children to make a shopping list. They are going to walk to the shopping centre to buy the ingredients to make muffins for afternoon tea. 

Maddy’s teacher helps them write the words for flour, butter, sugar and eggs. Some of the children draw pictures instead, and some of the children write the numbers of each ingredient.

As soon as they are done with their lists, they get their hats on and their shopping bags, and walk around the block to the shops. They gather their ingredients, and talk to the lady at the checkout and head back to Preschool. By the time they get back, its time for lunch and a rest. 

Maddy and some of her friends don’t feel like a sleep today, so they help to re-set the tables and get the cooking equipment ready for making muffins. They do some puzzles at the table and help their classmates pack up their sheets and beds ready for the afternoon. 

They make their muffins and then sit on the carpet to have their French lesson while they wait for them to bake. They decide to have a picnic afternoon tea and take their muffins out onto the grass in the shade. Maddy and her friends make muffins in the sandpit again in the afternoon, reciting the ingredients and going shopping at the play shop for everything they need. 

Dad collects Maddy at 5pm, and is greeted with a saved muffin made by Maddy for afternoon tea.