Goodstart Early Learning North Lakes - Winn Street

Ever had one of those "What should I be doing with my child?" moments? You might already have the answer at home.

Earlier this year, every Goodstart family received a What & When for Families guide for each child. If it's been tucked away in a drawer since then, now might be the perfect time to pull it back out.

The guide is packed with simple, play-based activities that support your child's learning and development at home. Best of all, it's written in your child's voice, with ideas tailored to their age and developmental stage.

From singing songs with babies and playing peek-a-boo, to "I Spy" games, storytelling and treasure hunts with older children, the activities are designed to fit naturally into everyday moments you already share together.

We know learning doesn't only happen in the classroom. Those small moments at home can help build big communication, language and literacy skills.

Take another look through your What & When for Families guide to explore age-appropriate activities and learning ideas you can try together.

💛 Sometimes the best learning resource is the one you already have at home.

Today we welcomed Dean from Yipadee, author of several popular children's books including Nee Naw the Little Fire Engine and Stinkosaurus.

The children and educators had an amazing time singing along to Dean's catchy songs and enthusiastically joining in with the actions. There was lots of laughter, movement, and excitement as everyone became immersed in the stories and music.

Experiences like these help foster a love of books, language, literacy, and creativity, while creating joyful memories for the children. It was wonderful to see so much engagement and enthusiasm from everyone involved.

A big thank you to Dean for visiting our Centre and making Book Week such a fun and memorable experience for all!

Today marked the first day of Book Week, and what a fantastic start it was! The children and educators had so much fun dressing up as their favourite book characters. It was wonderful to see everyone's creativity shine as we celebrated the joy of reading, imagination, and storytelling together.

There was so much science exploration and discovery happening across the Centre during Science Week this week.

Children learn best through play, discussion, and real-life experiences. Today, we welcomed Healthy Harold to our centre for an engaging incursion focused on Body Boundaries.

Through interactive activities, storytelling, and age-appropriate conversations, Healthy Harold helped children explore important concepts such as personal space, body awareness, consent, and safety. The session encouraged children to recognise that their bodies belong to them and that they have the right to feel safe and respected.

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♻️ Our New Recycling Sign ♻️

This week we received our new recycling sign, and we are so excited to share it with our community!

The sign has been thoughtfully created using a variety of repurposed and sustainable materials:

The blackboard paint is water-based.
The green paint is made from watercolours.
The backing board and letters were created from off-cut timber, giving new life to recycled wood.
The wedge supports were repurposed from a 1930s valve radio case.
We would like to extend a huge thank you to our talented resident woodworker for creating this wonderful sign and for the many other items he has generously made for our service, including our much-loved wooden book exchange.

We are grateful for his ongoing support and commitment to sustainability, creativity, and our learning environment. 🌱💚

Thank you for helping us make a difference, one recycled project at a time!

Strong relationships are the foundation for confident, curious learners 💛

Goodstart’s key educator approach ensures every child is known, supported and feels safe - through consistent, nurturing connections with educators and meaningful partnerships with families. These bonds help build wellbeing, resilience and a true sense of belonging from day one.

Discover how this approach supports your child’s learning journey: https://brnw.ch/2

What a busy and exciting week we had at the Centre!

One of the highlights was a wonderful day of discovery in our Kindergarten room. The children became little scientists during an engaging incursion that combined hands-on science education with plenty of fun and entertainment. Their curiosity and enthusiasm were on full display as they explored exciting experiments and discovered new concepts through interactive learning experiences.

We were also proud to participate in a national fundraising event that supports children's medical research and helps fund vital research into finding cures for genetic diseases affecting children. It was a meaningful opportunity for our Centre community to come together and contribute to an important cause.

Adding to the excitement of the week, the children took part in a range of experiences to celebrate Dental Health Week, the Australian Dental Association's annual campaign promoting the importance of good oral hygiene and healthy habits. Through engaging discussions, stories, and hands-on experiences, the children learned valuable lessons about caring for their teeth and maintaining healthy smiles.

It has been a fantastic week filled with learning, discovery, community spirit, and healthy habits!

Today our Kindergarten children participated in a special art experience to celebrate National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day and this year's theme, "Little Voices, Loud Futures." This theme highlights the importance of recognising the voices of children and the bright futures they will help create.

The children were supported to trace around their hand onto a square canvas using coloured felt pens before exploring the Aboriginal art form of dot painting to decorate their artwork. Each handprint represents the children's growth, development, individuality, and the unique contributions they will bring to the world as they grow. Through this experience, the children engaged in creative expression while celebrating the significance of their voices, ideas, and potential to shape the future.

What a wonderful learning and adventure for our Kindy children this week.

They enjoyed a special excursion to the North Lakes State College Library, where the children were warmly welcomed for an engaging story time experience.

The children listened attentively and enthusiastically joined in with two much-loved stories, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Five Little Speckled Frogs. They eagerly participated throughout the session, demonstrating their growing confidence, listening skills, and love of literacy.

Following the stories, the children completed a colouring activity that supported the development of their colour recognition and fine motor skills. They were also invited to choose whether they wanted to be a hungry caterpillar or a beautiful butterfly, encouraging creative thinking, self-expression, and imaginative play.

We were incredibly proud of the children for demonstrating excellent safety awareness during our walk to and from the college. They listened carefully to instructions, stayed together as a group, and showed respect for their surroundings, reflecting our commitment to safe and positive community experiences.