Mayfield Lilydale

Last week, our children and educators came together to acknowledge National Sorry Day and celebrate National Reconciliation Week through meaningful experiences, discussions, and creative activities.

The children explored Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures by creating beautiful artworks using natural materials, painting leaves, and contributing to collaborative displays that symbolise respect, connection, and reconciliation. Together, we reflected on the importance of saying sorry, showing kindness, and building understanding and respect for one another.

Through stories, conversations, art, and our learning environment displays, we explored the themes of respect, acceptance, empathy, and care, helping children develop an appreciation for Australia’s rich First Nations cultures and histories.

At our service, we are committed to fostering a sense of belonging and respect for all people and cultures. Reconciliation is an ongoing journey, and we are proud to support children in developing an understanding of inclusion, diversity, and connection to Country from an early age.

“Now more than ever, we can all play a part in strengthening relationships and working together towards a more reconciled Australia.”

This week in our Mums & Bubs class, we explored bubble wrap painting along with music and movement experiences! 🎨🎶

The children loved investigating the different textures and patterns created through bubble wrap painting while enjoying opportunities to move, dance, and engage with music alongside their families. Exploring different textures through sensory play supports children in developing their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, creativity, and sensory awareness. Sensory experiences also encourage children to explore their environment, build confidence, and support early cognitive development through hands-on learning.

Our music and movement experiences provided opportunities for the children to build their gross motor skills, balance, coordination, and body awareness while having fun singing, dancing, and moving together. Music also supports language development, listening skills, memory, and emotional expression, while helping children build social connections and confidence in group environments.

Families also enjoyed a shared morning tea together, with fresh fruit and freshly baked vegan carrot cake provided for everyone to enjoy 🍓🥕🧁

If you are wanting to join us next week for a free session, please get in contact with our centre — we would love to welcome you and your little one along! 😊

On Monday we held our very first Mums & Bubs Arts and Sensory Session here at the centre! 🌟

Each week we will continue to mix things up with new experiences and activities inspired by different themes happening throughout the centre. This week’s theme was Road Safety Week 🚦🚗

These sessions are a wonderful opportunity for new families to come along, socialise, and get a feel for childcare in a calm, relaxed, and welcoming environment.

We would love to see some new faces in the coming weeks! 💛

Our weekly sessions are completely free of charge, however bookings are essential and morning tea will be provided.

Please note: this session isn’t just for babies — all children aged 0–5 years are welcome to attend!

If you are interested in attending, reach out to our centre manager, Carly on 9735 5366 or [email protected]

This week in the Toddler room, we focused on Road Safety Awareness. We taught the children about crossing the street safely with an adult and the meaning of traffic lights: red means stop, yellow means wait/slow down, and green means go. Since they are young, we mainly emphasized understanding the traffic light colors.

To help them learn, they made a Traffic Light craft using cupcake liners, black paper, and red, yellow, and green paint. They glued the cupcake liners onto black paper and painted each one in the corresponding colour with the help of an educator. We also set up a Traffic Light Sand Sensory tray for them to explore.

They did Ziploc bag painting using red, green, and yellow to represent traffic lights, along with tools like rollers and various stamps. They squished, stamped, rolled, and mixed the paint with their hands and tools.

During circle time, we sang songs like "Twinkle Twinkle Traffic Light," "We're Going on a Bear Hunt," "Wheels on the Bus," "Dino Stomp," and "Baby Shark." Our student Marsa read stories such as "Possum in the House" and "Brown Bear."

✨ Staff Milestone Celebration ✨

Today we are celebrating Amelia and her incredible 2 years with the Mayfield Lilydale family! 💚

Over the past two years, Amelia has shown such dedication, kindness and passion in everything she does. Her caring nature and commitment to supporting the children and families in our centre has made such a positive impact each and every day.

Thank you, Amelia, for all of your hard work, positivity and the wonderful relationships you build with our children, families and team. We are so grateful to have you as part of our centre community and look forward to many more years ahead! 🌟

Congratulations on your 2 Years of Service anniversary, Amelia! 🎉👏

🎨👶 Mums & Bubs Art and Sensory Sessions 👶🎨

We are so excited to introduce our brand new Mums & Bubs Art and Sensory Sessions here at Mayfield Early Education Lilydale! 💜

Starting Monday 18th May 2026, join us every Monday from 10:30am – 12:00pm for a relaxed and welcoming space where families can connect, play, and explore together.

Our sessions are designed for parents, guardians, and young children to enjoy:
✨ Sensory play experiences
✨ Creative art activities
✨ Social interaction and connection
✨ A gentle introduction to childcare
✨ Morning tea provided ☕🍪

Whether you’re looking to meet other local families, support your child’s development through play, or simply enjoy a fun morning out, we would love to welcome you into our Mayfield Lilydale community 💛

📍 Mayfield Early Education Lilydale
🗓 Every Monday commencing 18/05/2026
⏰ 10:30am – 12:00pm
🎟 FREE event – bookings essential

For more information or to secure your place, please contact Carly on (03) 9735 5366.

On Tuesday the 5th of May between 6.30pm-7.30pm, we will have the pleasure of welcoming families to our Kinder Information Night here at Mayfield Early Education Lilydale.

It will be a wonderful opportunity to connect with our community, share insights into our kindergarten program, and provide families with a deeper understanding of how we support children’s learning, development, and school readiness.

Our team will be able to answer your questions and showcase the exciting experiences, play-based learning, and opportunities we offer within our kinder program.

If you would like to attend our information night, please get in contact with our centre manager, Carly on 9735 5366 or by email at [email protected]

We are thrilled to share that Mayfield Early Education has partnered with ParentTV to further support our families and community.

ParentTV is an incredible online platform that provides access to a wide range of videos and resources from leading parenting and educational experts. It covers topics such as child development, behaviour guidance, wellbeing, school readiness, and so much more.

Through this partnership, our families will have access to practical tools, tips, and strategies to support you in navigating the everyday joys and challenges of parenting.

We believe that strong partnerships between educators and families create the best outcomes for children, and this is just one more way we can work together to support your child’s learning and development.

✨ Who Am I? – All About Me in Our Toddler Room ✨

Our toddlers have been busy exploring their identity through our School of Play program, engaging in a wonderful “Who Am I? – All About Me” experience.

Through creative expression, the children used paint, photos, and mark-making to represent themselves, learning about their bodies, features, and what makes them unique. This hands-on activity not only encouraged self-awareness but also supported confidence, language development, and a strong sense of belonging within the room.

We love seeing each child’s personality shine through their artwork—no two creations are the same, just like our amazing little learners 💛

Be sure to check out our creative display next time you’re in the room!

Hi, I’m Carly and I’m the Centre Director at Mayfield Early Education Lilydale. I have been working in the early childhood sector for over 12 years, beginning my journey as an Assistant Educator before progressing into a Room Leader role. Since joining Mayfield Early Education Lilydale, I have had the opportunity to grow into the Assistant Director and now Centre Director. I am passionate about creating a safe, nurturing, and inclusive environment where all children and families feel a strong sense of belonging. Building meaningful relationships with our families and being an active part of the local community is something I truly value. I love spending time within our learning environments, working alongside our dedicated educators and engaging with the children through play-based experiences. Whether it’s messy play or everyday learning moments, I enjoy supporting each child to grow in confidence, curiosity, and independence as they develop and thrive.