learning environments

Our Learning Environments

The learning environment is a key feature in a successful start to life, this environment needs to be homely whilst also a place for children to feel safe and secure but facilitate education and care. At Child’s Play, we provide our families with state-of-the-art learning environments that are nurturing, inviting for all ages and multi-faceted.

It is important to us that every child feels like they belong in one of our centre’s. This is why we aim to create an environment that feels like an extension of the home and provides all-round comfort for children.

Our facilities have been designed to promote creativity and fun while also providing a safe environment for children aged 0 to 6 years. Some of the ways we do this are through having an indoor/outdoor program that allows children to choose whether they want to be inside or outside.

Indoor-Outdoor Facilities

Our indoor-outdoor program allows children to make their own decisions about their learning and how they want to play. These spaces support play-based learning and are designed to feel homey and nurturing while also stimulating a child’s imagination and development.

At Child’s Play, our children are able to move fluidly between indoor and outdoor spaces at all times of the day and evaluate the risks associated with different types of play in a safe and secure environment. Our facilities are flexible and change to accommodate the different stages of development and to support our children’s interests.

In an indoor-outdoor environment, your child’s activities can range from playing with dolls, hula hooping, experimenting with food dye, making play dough, jumping in puddles and climbing to the tallest slide.

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Common Questions About Our Environments

Designed with our children in mind: Children are always curious. With indoor-outdoor environments, we can facilitate your child’s curiosity and develop long-term projects for your child to get involved in. Our learning environment also supports our curriculums that emphasize play-based learning through exploration and the environment. Fresh Air and Vitamin D: In an outdoor environment, your child has the opportunity to get as much fresh air as they need which is fantastic for their development including gross and fine motor skills. An outdoor environment also encourages our children to explore and even nap outside. Communication and Social Skills: Through an open environment and play-based learning your child will develop lots of social and communication skills. Often we see children participating and working in groups to complete an activity or play a game.

It gets messy. At Child’s Play, we don’t recommend coming to childcare in your best clothes as playful days can get messy. From paint to mud, sand, soil and play dough, we have all sorts of fun textural activities for your child to get involved in. It's ok and actually beneficial for children to get messy and dirty so they can understand the consequences of their actions and also be exposed to the elements, this can be a great teaching point with the children.

Sensory play includes any activity where our children actively use their five senses. This particular type of play facilitates exploration that is natural and only limited by our child’s imagination. We encourage sensory play because children are natural explorers wanting to see, taste, touch, smell and hear different things every day. Sensory play is vital to their emotional, cognitive and physical development. In particular, we see improved focus, better regulation of emotions and a better understanding of their place in the world when children engage in sensory play at Child's Play ELC.

Yes, we do! At all of our facilities, we try to accommodate a sensory space to help children settle into childcare. This room will have a variety of sensory activities including sensory balls and play dough. It will also have different lighting available, including a projector light, to assist the children and re-engage them with visual stimulation. We find this initiative to be very helpful for all children as they are able to comfortably focus on a specific task and educators are able to build that bond with them.

Best Environment to Thrive In

At Child’s Play, we strive for best practice in childcare each and every day. Our environment is a part of achieving best practice as we are flexible in learning practices and continue to adapt to new changes. If you are considering childcare for your child, register your interest using the form below.

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