Eskay Kids - Springfield Child Care and Early Education Centre

Food at Eskay Kids Springfield isn’t a timetable slot - it’s part of the rhythm of the day. Children finish their block tower or mud-pie experiment first, then wander over to eat when their bellies - not a bell - tell them it’s time.

How it works in real life

• Open food stations, not fixed sittings
  A self-serve snack and lunch area is available for children. Children decide when and how much to eat, learning to read their own hunger cues and regulate portions naturally.
• Real ingredients, real skills
  When cooking, children wash carrots, slice strawberries with child-safe knives, spread hummus, pour water, wipe benches etc. These everyday tasks build fine-motor strength, maths (half, whole, how many scoops?), and the quiet pride that comes from doing something useful.
• Culture and conversation
  Lunch isn’t a silent refuelling stop. It’s stories about life, family and play. Food becomes a doorway to empathy and curiosity about each other’s worlds.
• Body awareness over “clean plates”
  Educators model listening to the body - eat until satisfied, not until the plate is empty. Children learn that feeling full, thirsty, or still-hungry is information they can trust.
• Allergy-smart, family-friendly
  We manage allergies and dietary needs calmly - clear labels, separate prep boards, and a no-pressure culture around “trying a bite.”

The result - children who see food as fuel, joy, and community - never a chore. They leave us knowing how to choose, prepare, and enjoy healthy food on their own terms, a life skill every bit as important as writing their name.

Welcome to Eskay Kids Springfield, a place where childhood is lived, not rushed - a place where grubby knees, slow wonder, and fierce curiosity are celebrated daily.

We believe the first five years should feel like childhood, not a training camp for school. Every child is born capable and wired for discovery - our job is to protect that spark. Here, children set the rhythm - finishing their block tower or bush–potion before drifting over to morning tea on their own timetable. Agency now builds resilience for life.

Parents, grandparents, siblings, neighbours - everyone who loves your child has a place here. We swap stories, garden tips, and birthday-cake recipes under the gum trees, co-creating a circle of trust that wraps around every learner.

Play isn’t a break from “real” learning; it is real learning. Guided by the EYLF, the QKLG, and a hefty dash of common sense, we turn questions like “Why is mud squishy?” into science experiments, stories, and math. The result? Strong brains, strong bodies, strong hearts.

Our indoor studios spill into outdoor adventure zones - no velvet ropes, no gatekeepers. Children climb tree limbs, study ladybeetles, and paint with rainwater. Nature offers endless invitations to test ideas, take safe risks, and feel connected to something bigger than themselves.

We honour the Jagera, Yuggera, and Ugurapul people, weaving First Nations perspectives into songs, stories, and everyday practice. Children learn that caring for land and people is not a lesson - it’s a lifelong responsibility.

Every corner is designed for warmth - soft lighting, real plants, recycled timber, and nooks for quiet plotting. Indoors and out, the environment is a silent co-educator, encouraging open-ended play, collaboration, and calm.

Our team is a crew of lifelong learners - reading the latest research at night, building log bridges with children by day. We coach, question, and cheer from the sidelines, knowing when to step in and when to let children own the moment.

Why it matters: Children leave Eskay Kids Springfield with muddy boots, confident voices, curious minds, and hearts tuned to kindness - ready for any classroom, playground, or wild adventure the future holds.

If that sounds like the childhood you dream of for your little human, we can’t wait to welcome you into our community.

At Eskay Kids Springfield, we see families as partners - not just in theory, but in the quiet, daily decisions that shape a child’s world. You’ll never be treated like a drop-off and pick-up routine here.

We believe that real communication means more than photos and apps (though yes, we use those too). It’s the honest chats at the gate, the shared laughter over muddy socks, the team huddles when something doesn’t feel right, and the little updates that remind you - we see your child, and we value your voice.

What it looks like in practice:

• Daily conversations and check-ins that build trust
• Transparent, respectful communication about your child’s day, growth, and needs
• Shared decision-making - we’ll always ask, not assume
• Open invitations to join us for walks, campfires, picnics, projects etc
• Celebrations that reflect your family’s culture, story, and identity

We honour that you are your child’s first and most important teacher. Our role is to walk alongside you - not in front, not behind - every step of the way.

Because when families and educators work together, magic happens.

The cheerfulness and the exuberance that the staff show on a daily basis is a testimonial to their passion for child care. Our kids come home filthy with dirt in places unimaginable but they are the happiest we have ever seen them. I could not recommend Eskay kids at Springfield more highly to any parent that may be dubious about sending their child to child care – they will LOVE it!

Matt and Alicia

Fantastic daycare, love it so much the carers have so much passion for what they do. I am so pleased with my decision to change daycare and put my daughtyer into care here!!! Thanks for a fantastic job ladies!!

Bridget V

My family loves Eskay Kids Springfield. The teachers are so friendly and genuine, not to mention highly-skilled educators. The atmosphere of the school is really warm and inviting and the natural play area is very popular. Whenever we’re at the school, children always seem happy and busy with play or other fun learning activities, and the teachers are right there with them – not watching from distance. My son is always full of enthusiastic stories about what he did at Eskay. Highly recommended daycare!

Remco

I love the natural environment with so much for my son to explore, especially outdoors. I am really impressed by the caring staff who have reassured me as well as him. This is the first child care Centre I have used and wouldn’t want him to go anywhere else.

Terri

At Eskay Kids Springfield, relationships are at the heart of everything we do - and our Director, Bree, leads with exactly that in mind.

Bree has been part of our Springfield family since the beginning of 2023 and embodies our philosophy in every interaction. Warm, grounded, and deeply connected to both children and families, Bree brings a calm confidence to the centre. You’ll find her just as often sitting cross-legged with a group of curious three-year-olds as you will mentoring educators or chatting with families over morning drop-off. She knows every child by name, every family by heart - and is fiercely committed to creating a space where children feel safe to explore, and where educators feel empowered to grow.

And Bree is far from alone.

Our team is a strong, stable, and values-driven group of educators - many of whom have been with us for multiple years. We don’t just supervise children - we walk beside them, listen deeply, and honour who they are.

You won’t find cookie-cutter classrooms or one-size-fits-all routines here - because you won’t find cookie-cutter educators either. Each team member brings their own magic - whether it’s a knack for storytelling, a green thumb in the garden, or a way of calming even the stormiest toddler day.

What we share is a belief that childhood is sacred, that play is powerful, and that trusting relationships are everything.

This is not just a team. It’s a community. And we can’t wait to welcome you in.

Play is not the gap between learning - Play is learning! Neuroscientist Nathan Wallis reminds us that a child’s brain builds fastest when they’re moving, tinkering, imagining - not filling in worksheets. Sir Ken Robinson calls it “the fertile soil of creativity.” We call it Tuesday.

What we do - 

• Child-Led Projects - Inspired by Peter Gray’s research on self-directed play and Claire Warden’s Nature Pedagogy, we follow children’s questions down rabbit holes (sometimes literally). 
• Nature as Classroom - Our indoor studios spill straight into our natural playground and we have bush-kindy space at our front door. Our Kindy children also travel out to Mayfield farm each week to experience learning in "The Beyond". Maggie Dent’s mantra rings loud - green time beats screen time!
• Rhythm, Not Rigid Timetables - We flow between deep play, fireside stories, loose-parts engineering and community gardening. Structure exists - but it flexes around concentration, not a bell.

Why we do it? - 

Early academic push-down can light up short-term test scores, but it can also dim curiosity. Long-term studies show children who own their learning become stronger problem-solvers, collaborators, and innovators. We’re growing humans for 2050, not 1950.

What your child gains - 

• Big-picture thinking: linking mud-pie physics to real-world science.
• Emotional literacy: naming feelings, negotiating turn-taking, trusting themselves.
• A lifelong love of learning: because nobody had to make them learn - they couldn’t wait to.

If that sounds like the childhood you wish you’d had, welcome to Eskay Kids Springfield. Let’s raise wonder-filled humans together.

At Eskay Kids Springfield, childhood doesn’t sit inside four walls. Our programs stretch out into the bush, down dirt tracks, across paddocks, and into the beating heart of nature.

We believe that real learning happens in the wild - where children climb, balance, crawl, forage, build, negotiate, imagine, and reflect. It’s how they come to understand who they are and what they’re capable of.

Our local walks connect children to their immediate environment. They learn about the local surrounding area, count kookaburras, visit neighbours, and feel a sense of belonging to something bigger than themselves. These aren’t excursions - they’re rituals of connection.

Our older children travel regularly to Mayfield, a 155-acre nature wonderland owned by our Eskay family, and houses our Mayfield Nature Kindergarten as well. Here, they learn about cows, goats, and horses - they explore dams and the river - they build bush cubbies with branches and imagination - they use termite mounds as talking points and inquiry - they pick veggies, climb trees, and swing on the hay shed rope.

It’s not a petting zoo. It’s not a field trip. It’s a way of being - one where nature isn’t a backdrop but a co-teacher.

This program draws from international research and deep personal experience. We’ve seen what happens when children are given freedom, trust, time, and space - 

• They become more confident, curious, and calm.
• They take safer risks and grow stronger bodies.
• They learn persistence, cooperation, and the kind of creativity that can’t be taught in a workbook.

This is not an add-on. It’s not a “nature day.” It’s who we are. It’s what we do. And for the children who experience it, it’s unforgettable.... Natural Childhood ..... Precious Memories .....