If you’ve ever seen your child come home absolutely buzzing after a visit from a dance teacher, a yoga instructor, or even a petting zoo, you’ve seen the magic of an incursion.
These experiences bring the outside world into your child’s learning space, bringing colour, movement, and new perspectives to their day. They’re exciting, hands-on learning experiences, and children love them.
So, what are they? Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of incursions, and what they look like at Child’s Play.
👋 Want to see an incursion in action? Chat with the team at your nearest Child’s Play centre. We’d love to organise a tour for you on a day when one of our programs is running.
How incursions help children learn and grow
There’s a reason children light up when they hear someone new is visiting. Young brains learn more when they’re engaged, active, and having fun. It’s why we at Child’s Play are such big fans of play-based learning.
Here are just some of the benefits of incursions for early childhood development:
- They build confidence with new experiences in a familiar setting
Trying something new, like learning a dance routine or a new sport, is a lot less scary when you’re surrounded by your favourite educators and friends. It’s the perfect place to step outside your comfort zone. - They spark curiosity and creativity
Incursions introduce new sights, sounds, and ideas, encouraging children to ask questions, explore new materials, and use their imaginations in fresh ways. - They support real skill development
Whether it’s learning to follow instructions in a sports class or feeling rhythm through music, these activities help strengthen focus, coordination, and communication, all while having fun. - They create moments your child will remember
When you pick them up that afternoon, don’t be surprised if the first thing they say is: ‘Guess what we did today!’
Incursions at Child’s Play: Our favourite days
At Child’s Play, incursions are a regular part of our curriculum. Every week, we bring in programs that support early development and spark joy.
Whether they’re wiggling their toes in a dance class or clapping along to a new rhythm, these moments help children grow in ways the classroom can’t always provide on its own.
Here are a few of the incursions we’re loving right now.
Happy Feet Fitness: Dancing, mindfulness and giggles
When the Happy Feet team walks through the door, the whole centre knows what’s coming. Colourful costumes, fun music, and an instructor who seems to have an endless supply of energy.
But underneath all the fun, this is an evidence-based program teaching children about movement, health, and mindfulness. One moment they’re galloping like horses, the next they’re stopping to take a big belly breath and say, ‘I am strong’.
‘Every week it’s a different theme, and she’ll bring in dress-ups,’ says Lorraine, Assistant Director of Child’s Play Torquay. ‘She starts a whole story throughout the sessions and provides dress-ups for the children. If it’s about the zoo, there’ll be different animal costumes for them to wear.’
It’s a mix of dance, drama, and exercise, all taught with so much energy that even the shy ones end up on their feet.
Hey dee ho: Building brains with music and rhythm
Music is one of the best ways to boost early literacy, and hey dee ho does it brilliantly.
Their sessions combine music, storytelling, instruments and even puppetry. Children aren’t just listening; they’re joining in.
Maryam, Assistant Director at Child’s Play Tarneit, says: ‘The musical incursion is different. It focuses on language development. There’s singing, dancing, rhymes. It’s theme-based and so much fun.’
They learn to keep a beat with rhythm sticks, to call and respond with their voices, and to move their bodies in time to music. It’s a multi-sensory experience that helps build language, listening, and social skills all at once.
Sports incursions: Kicking, catching, and confidence
If you’ve ever tried to show a toddler how to kick a ball or hold a racquet, you’ll know: gross motor skills take time.
This is where our Sportzbuzz and Little Sports Heroes incursions thrive. They teach the foundations of movement: how to run, throw, balance, jump, and follow instructions.
And while the children are having the time of their lives, they’re also developing physical literacy: all the movement skills they’ll need for school, sport, and life.
‘The focus is to work on gross motor and cognitive skills,’ says Indy from Child’s Play Tarneit. ‘They learn how to balance their bodies, focus, take turns, and follow structured directions in a fun environment.’
Bravehearts: Learning to stay safe
Some lessons are too important to leave for later. We recently had a Bravehearts incursion, which introduced children to personal safety in a way that’s gentle, age-appropriate, and empowering.
Sadia, Director of Child’s Play Wyndham Vale, says: ‘It teaches children about safe bodies and knowing that “My body is my body”. It’s a really important message.’
Through songs and stories, children learn key concepts like recognising their feelings, understanding body boundaries, and knowing who they can talk to if they feel unsafe.
It’s designed specifically for early childhood, so the messages stick without causing fear. The goal is to give children tools to keep themselves safe while building trust in the adults around them.
Want your child to be part of the fun?
Come and see what a day at Child’s Play looks like, where Every Child Matters, and every week is filled with new adventures.
🏡Find out more about your nearest Child’s Play Early Learning Centre or book a tour with us. You and your child will be talking about our incursions the whole way home.
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