Explore & Develop Newcastle East

There’s nothing quite like a café visit on a Friday morning. The children all enjoyed their baby chinos with marshmallows. Thank you for having us

Splatter, squish, and smile! There is nothing quite like watching our artists collaborate and explore through sensory play.

Last week, we welcomed the City of Newcastle Waste Education team for an interactive learning experience about reducing waste and recycling correctly. Through a hands-on sorting game using the red, green and yellow kerbside bins, children explored how everyday items are sorted and discovered the important role they can play in caring for the environment. Experiences like these help children build an understanding of sustainability, community responsibility and the positive impact of their everyday choices.

"A book is a dream that you hold in your hands." — Neil Gaiman

Group times create opportunities for children to connect, share ideas and build a sense of belonging. Through stories, songs and conversations, children develop confidence, communication skills and meaningful relationships with others.

Children were engaged in a dinosaur rescue experience, using tweezers to carefully retrieve dinosaurs from a string maze. This experience supported fine motor development, concentration and problem-solving skills as children explored and persisted through the challenge.

Meet Fergus! 🐾

Fergus is currently in training with Vision Australia and is being cared for by Miss Jen while he learns the important skills needed to become a future Seeing Eye Dog.

We are fortunate to have Fergus visit our service regularly, giving the children the opportunity to learn about the valuable role Seeing Eye Dogs play in supporting people who are blind or have low vision. Through Fergus' visits, the children are developing an understanding of inclusion, responsibility, and the ways assistance animals help members of our community.

Through climbing, jumping, balancing, and running, children are developing strength, coordination, and confidence in their abilities.

Last Wednesday we joined millions of children and educators across Australia to celebrate National Simultaneous Storytime 2026 📚✨

This year’s story, Luna Roo the Kangaroo Baller, brought excitement, laughter and important messages about courage, teamwork and determination. The children loved coming together to share in the joy of reading, storytelling and connecting through a shared Australian story.

Experiences like National Simultaneous Storytime help foster a love of literacy, imagination and belonging while showing children the magic that books can bring when shared together. 🦘⚽💛

Our sensory tray sparked lots of conversations, discoveries and imaginative thinking as the children explored at their own pace.