Childcare & Kindergarten
Dandenong South
Long Day Care • Qualified Educators • Play-based LearningDiscover the warmth of Child's Play Dandenong South, a family-owned childcare centre and kindergarten where Every Child Matters.
Family-owned childcare in Dandenong South
We’ve taken over management at 11 Assembly Drive, Dandenong South and are meeting the National Quality Standard for early childhood education across all seven areas!
Child’s Play is proudly family-owned, led by parents and educators Sam and Ian Johnson.
Our philosophy is Every Child Matters, creating a safe, nurturing environment for children aged 6 weeks to 6 years old to feel supported and celebrate what makes them unique. Our play-based curriculum lets children explore their individual interests and creativity, fostering a curiosity and love for learning.
Book a tourIn our childcare and kindergarten centre you’ll find:
- 9 rooms separated by age group, carefully designed to support routines and learning milestones from 6 weeks to 6 years old
- 3 beautiful outdoor spaces with veggie gardens, bike tracks, sandpits, water play areas + more
- An art room for painting and crafting
- Culturally diverse, multilingual staff
- A yummy, nutritious menu with no budget limits
- Our community library, where children can read with educators or borrow books for home reading
- Daily affirmation stickers to build children’s confidence and emotional wellbeing
- Special celebrations like NAIDOC Week, Diwali, Gurpurab, Book Week, and even Pyjama Day!
Our kindergarten program readies your child for school
Our kindergarten program follows the Early Years Learning Framework, where we nurture all aspects of child development, from cognitive skills to creative expression.
Our educators facilitate a blend of structured learning and open-ended play, encouraging children to become confident individuals ready for big school!
Learn more about our kindergarten in Dandenong South
Our play-based learning approach
We follow the Reggio Emilia approach, which means each child’s learning is guided by their individual interests and curiosity. Our play spaces are filled with fun, open-ended materials that encourage problem-solving, creativity, language and confidence.
Learning at Child’s Play happens across our seven curriculum areas:
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Creative Arts
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Science & Technology
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Child-Led Routine
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Foundations of Learning (early literacy and numeracy)
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Planning & Design
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Children Within Nature
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We Are The World (diversity and First Nations perspectives)
Healthy menu, no budget limits!
At Child’s Play Dandenong South, our chefs don’t have any budget restrictions for food, which means we can prioritise fresh, nutritious ingredients that your child will love.
Our rotating, seasonal menu includes healthy favourites like Thai beef noodle salad, crumbed fish with vegetables, veggie korma curry, and plenty of fruit and homemade snacks.
Experienced in-house chefs craft the menu according to feedback from children, parents, and caretakers, so every child gets to enjoy food they love and thrive on!
How we promote cultural diversity and inclusion
We celebrate every child’s culture at Child’s Play Dandenong South. Many of our educators are multilingual and come from diverse backgrounds themselves.
In instances where our educators can’t speak your child’s home language, we’ll learn key phrases and create visual supports, like flashcards, to help your child feel at ease.
We also celebrate cultural events throughout the year, including NAIDOC Week, Diwali, Holi, Ramadan, and Eid. With a multicultural menu and activities that celebrate the different parts of the world, Child’s Play fosters a deep respect for diversity and a genuine sense of belonging for each child.
See how Child's Play supports cultural diversity What families say about Child’s Play Dandenong South…
Sarah
Dandenong South
Our family is loving our experience with Childs Play. The staff are super engaged and attentive to the children. The menu is amazing and so much effort has gone into upgrading each of the rooms. Our girls have made great connections with the educators and we love hearing about the fun things they got to do throughout the day while driving home.
Isabel V.
Dandenong South
The team at Child’s Play have been very kind and helpful to our family, genuinely caring about our kids and taking a real interest in how they are going. I have been really appreciative of how they support kids with additional needs, and the steps they take to cater to each individual child.
Mahnaz H
Dandenong South
My son Mojib goes to kindergarten and I am so happy about them. Since when my son start, he looks more happy and learned to use the toilet by himself. And importantly he finds friends and plays with them.
Grace L
Dandenong South
The team at Childs Play Dandenong are so incredible. We have had nothing but joy come from here. They have made us feel welcome and took the time with us right from the beginning, even when we weren’t officially enrolled yet. I went to a few other places and felt rushed and like I was another number trying to fill a slot, but here they made me feel like they genuinely care for us and our child and it’s so true. Every day our little one is in for the day they are so happy and seems to enjoy the place so much they cannot sleep haha. I could go on and on but I truly highly recommend this place for so many reasons!
Reema A
Dandenong South
I love this centre. They actually listen and act on feedback. Everyone is lovely to deal with. They have a great variety of food on menu and from what I can tell, they are an all female crew! My daughter absolutely loves her teachers and I can see the care they place on her too.
Nathan K
Dandenong South
Child's Play has been sensational for our two girls. They're both flourishing in the system that the educators deliver. There have been many upgrades to the rooms and the interactive and educational equipment that the kids engage with on a daily basis. We can be confident that our girls are getting the enrichment they need as we often get updates through the app with the educational benchmarks they achieve. Thank you to everyone at Child's Play Dandenong South for looking after our two girls!
Meet your Centre Managers Team
FAQs
Child’s Play Dandenong South is open from 6:30am to 6:30pm from Monday to Friday. We’re open throughout the year, apart from public holidays.
Yes! New families are invited to attend orientation sessions where you can tour our Dandenong South Centre, meet our friendly staff, and learn about our daily routines and curriculum. We recommend at least two sessions, but you’re welcome to attend as many as you need to help your child settle in.
We follow the Australian Early Years Learning Framework with a play-based (Reggio Emilia) education approach. Our curriculum is designed to foster creativity, social skills, and a lifelong love of learning through fun, engaging and hands-on experiences.
Our educators are highly qualified in early childhood education and care. They hold accredited certifications and bring a wealth of experience to the centre, ensuring a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment for every child.
Location
Child's Play Dandenong South
11 Assembly DrDandenong South VIC 3175, Australia
