Our Programs
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Our programs are reliant on the emerging interests of the children and community. We create a space for children to explore through play-based programs.
Fundamental to our program planning is the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework. It identifies the following five key learning outcomes for all children:
We support children’s learning through the following experiences: |
Outdoor learning environment
Children play and interact within our wonderful natural outdoor space. They engage with various play experiences that enhance their cognitive, gross motor, fine motor, social and emotional development. The outdoor learning environment provides a foundation for children to learn and understand about our natural world. They engage in gardening projects, gain deeper understanding around eco-systems and how these affect us, learn about issues of sustainability and acquire new skills to become strong and empowered global citizens.
art exploration
Children are given opportunities to interact, unpack and understand various art techniques, mediums and learn through engaging in collaborative art experiences. They will use glue, paint, clay, wood, textiles, natural resources and writing tools to develop and create from their own ideas and concepts. The provision of art exploration allows children to develop fine motor skills, develop deep cognition as they interact with the materials and provides a time for children to use imagination and creativity.
sensory play
Children are given opportunities to see, feel and use a variety of sensory mediums such as clay, finger-paint, play dough, mud, water and sand. Children use their whole bodies as they delight in exploring the texture and consistency of these mediums. Such activities also allow children to explore and be messy. Children are provided with the opportunity to discover the properties of water, share materials and ideas, solve problems and develop physical skills such as pouring and measuring.
building blocks
This experience provides a rich avenue for the development of cognition, reflection, engineering, problem solving, spatial concepts, trial and error, persistence and imagination. Block play is vital in the kindergarten environment and many provisions are made for sustaining and allowing this open-ended play experience.
Sand and mud play
This type of play provides opportunity to experiment, share ideas and equipment and to engage in role play. Play with sand and mud provides experiences which lead to the beginning of mathematical and scientific discovery. The children have opportunities to recognise similarities and differences in shape, colour and texture as well as improve their muscular coordination whilst they dig.
dramatic play
This type of play allows a child to explore the world from a different perspective, and to make sense of concepts and ideas that directly influence them. We provide children with resources, such as dress up clothes, props and real objects to facilitate and enhance their ideas. The children learn a lot about the people in the world around them and their own place in the world through role play.
Books and stories
Early literacy development comes straight from reading books and allowing a child to become deeply immersed in the love of literature and storytelling. Stories provide avenues for children to make deep and long lasting connections between themselves and the world around them. Kindergarten is a wonderful time to nurture a love of literature with young children.
excursions, incursions and local outings
Over the course of the year our educator’s facilitate a variety of excursions, incursions and local outings to enhance the learning programs. These experiences allow children to explore the world around them, develop understanding of their community and engage in hands on learning. For excursion events our educators prepare a risk assessment and permission forms outlining all the event details for families.
group time/meetings
Over the course of the day at kindergarten children are engaged in various whole group meetings, stories, games, songs, musical experiences, puppet shows and dances. These meetings provide a wonderful social experience where children learn to take turns, listen to each other, follow simple instructions and share in the joy of being together as part of a group.
