Butterfly Childcare Gumdale

15/09/2026

🧪✨ Professor Jelly Bean came to visit! ✨🧪

Our little scientists had an amazing time exploring, experimenting and discovering with Professor Jelly Bean! 🔬🧑‍🔬

There were plenty of exciting experiments, big surprises and lots of WOW moments! 🤩

What a fun way to spark curiosity and encourage a love of science! 💛🧪

12/09/2026

08/09/2026

Is it time to update your precious family photos?

We have booked Laura Jean’s $20 professional portrait fundraiser on

Sunday 20th September

Sittings will take place at our Manly West Centre and bookings are essential.

You’ll receive an 8x12” family photo & keyring for just $20.00.

Appointments will fill quickly, availability is limited.

Book your ideal time and pay: www.trybooking.com/1630265

More info: www.laurajean.com.au/for-families

Portraits returned to our centre within 3 weeks, layby option available.

Book a $20 professional family photo, don't need to attend the school to participate, school fundraiser open to the local community. Extra poses available.

07/09/2026

👨‍🚒🔥 FIRE FIGHTER VISIT AT BUTTERFLY GUMDALE! 🔥 👨‍🚒

Last week, our senior side had a very special visit from one of our very own Butterfly parents, who is a firefighter! As part of his training, he generously offered to come along and deliver an educational presentation for the children, helping them learn all about fire safety and what firefighters do to help keep our community safe.

After the presentation, it was straight into practicing our fire evacuation drill alongside our visiting firefighters, putting their knowledge into practice and learning what to do in an emergency.

And the highlight of the visit? The children were even able to have a turn using the fire hose in our centre car park! There were certainly some very excited faces as they experienced what it is like to use the equipment firefighters rely on.

It was such a wonderful hands on learning experience for our children, and we are incredibly grateful to our parent for sharing his time, knowledge, and expertise with us.

A huge thank you for helping make fire safety education fun, meaningful and memorable for our children! 👨‍🚒🔥

31/08/2026

📚✨ BOOK WEEK 2026! ✨📚

What an incredible Book Week we had at Butterfly Childcare Gumdale! 🦋💛

Our centre was filled with books, imagination, creativity and plenty of magical characters as our children celebrated their favourite stories and brought them to life!

From dressing up as beloved book characters to sharing stories with their friends, exploring new books, creating artwork and getting lost in imaginary worlds, it has been wonderful to see the excitement that books can inspire.

Books open the door to endless possibilities. They encourage children to imagine, wonder, ask questions, discover new ideas and see the world through different perspectives.

✨ Keep reading. Keep imagining. Keep exploring. ✨

27/08/2026

WHERE’S WALLY?
BOOK WEEK EDITION 📚 🔍

Today our educators traded their uniforms for stripes, glasses and took to the playground to find some very creative hiding spots!

Now it’s YOUR turn!

Can you spot all of our educators hiding throughout these photos?

Scroll through the photos, count how many Wallys you can find and comment your number below!

Happy Book Week from our fabulous team at Butterfly Childcare Gumdale!

24/08/2026

Last week, we celebrated Science Week with plenty of curiosity, discovery and hands-on learning!

Throughout the week, the children explored, experimented, questioned and discovered through a range of exciting science experiences. There were plenty of opportunities to test ideas, make predictions and, of course, enjoy some “wow” moments along the way!

We loved watching the children’s curiosity come to life as they explored the world around them and discovered that science can be found everywhere.

14/07/2026

🌿💛❤️🖤 Celebrating NAIDOC Week 2026 🖤❤️💛🌿

What an incredible week we've shared together celebrating NAIDOC Week at Butterfly Childcare Gumdale.

Throughout the week, our children explored and celebrated the rich histories, cultures and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through a range of meaningful experiences. From storytelling, music, art, dance and sensory play to learning about Country and connecting with Indigenous perspectives, our children embraced every opportunity with curiosity, respect and enthusiasm.

Together, we continue to nurture a sense of belonging, respect and appreciation for the world's oldest continuing cultures, helping our children grow into kind, inclusive and culturally aware individuals.

27/05/2026

Today at 12.00 pm AEST, millions of children, parents, teachers, and library lovers across Australia and beyond will come together to read Luna Roo at the same time – celebrating the joy of reading, storytelling and connection. Published by Little Book Press, the story follows the spirited kangaroo Luna and her friends as they chase their football dreams across the outback, blending action, teamwork and fun to inspire young readers. Luna Roo was selected from 84 submissions from publishers around the country.

First-time authors Adam Jackson and Adrian Lloyd wanted to share their love of football and storytelling with young readers – combining decades of experience on and off the field. Between them, they bring more than 20 years in Australian football as coaches, players and industry professionals, and a further 20 years working across publishing, marketing and digital media.

Join us at 12:00 pm AEST today, from wherever you are, to read Luna Roo together for this year's National Simultaneous Storytime!

Follow the link for a lovely reading by Miss Kat, Miss Mel, and Miss Bella:
https://canva.link/wlpd4g5yzp2h8hn

12/03/2026

We need to stop asking if a four year old can write their name and start asking if they can climb a tree or hang from the monkey bars. I know it sounds counterintuitive, especially when we are bombarded with the idea that academic success starts with a workbook, but the science of child development tells a very different story.

I see it so often. A child is struggling with handwriting, not because they do not know the letters, but because they do not have the core strength to sit upright at a desk or the shoulder stability to move a pencil across a page. A worksheet is a 2D solution to a 3D problem. If the foundations of the body are not strong, the fine motor skills will always struggle to follow.

When we push children into academic tasks before their bodies are physically ready, we are not giving them a head start. We are actually setting them up for a lifetime of physical fatigue and frustration. If a child has to use all their energy just to keep their body from slumping over, they have no mental energy left for learning.

Our educators know this. When they choose a morning of climbing, digging in the mud, or navigating an obstacle course, they are doing the deep, essential work of school readiness. They are building the core, the grip strength, and the visual tracking skills that will eventually make reading and writing feel easy.

Educators, what is the one thing you wish parents understood about the importance of play over paperwork?

Parents, what is your biggest worry when it becomes to your child being ready for school?