Goodstart Early Learning Strathfieldsaye

29/09/2026

🐛 Little explorers, big discoveries! 🔍🌿

Our children have been busy becoming bug investigators, carefully searching through our outdoor environment to see what tiny creatures they could discover.

Using bug catchers and observation boxes, the children were able to look closely at insects while educators supported conversations about how we can investigate living things safely and respectfully.

Together, we discussed using gentle hands, observing rather than hurting, and returning our little visitors to their natural environment once we had finished exploring. 💚

These spontaneous discoveries provide wonderful opportunities for early scientific thinking. Children are learning to observe closely, notice similarities and differences, ask questions and share their theories about where insects live, how they move and what they might need to survive.

Just as importantly, the experience supports children to understand that being curious also comes with responsibility — we can explore our natural world while keeping ourselves and the creatures we find safe. 🌱

Learning doesn’t always need to be planned… sometimes it has six legs and is hiding under a log! 🐞🔎

27/09/2026

🌱 “I can do it myself!” — building independence in Nursery 2

Mealtimes in Nursery 2 are about so much more than eating. They provide meaningful opportunities for our children to develop independence, autonomy and confidence in their own abilities.

Our children are being supported to serve their own meals, choosing what they would like on their plate and using serving utensils to transfer their food. Educators remain close by to provide encouragement and assistance when needed, while giving children the time and space to have a go for themselves.

Through these everyday routines, children are developing self-help skills, hand-eye coordination, fine motor control and decision-making, while learning to recognise their own preferences and growing capabilities.

By trusting children with real responsibility, we send an important message: “You are capable. Your choices matter. We believe in you.” 💚

These little moments of “I did it!” are where confidence and independence begin. 🌿

25/09/2026

⚡ Little engineers at work! 🔌💡

Our children have been exploring circuit building, experimenting with how different components can be connected to make something happen!

Through hands-on investigation, the children connected power sources, switches and components, testing their ideas and discovering what happened when they changed the way pieces were joined.

There was plenty of excitement when a successful connection brought their circuit to life! ✨
This playful STEM experience supported children to develop early scientific thinking, problem-solving, prediction and cause-and-effect understanding.

Educators extended the investigation with questions such as “What do you think will happen if we connect this here?”, “Why do you think it stopped?” and “What could we try differently?”

Experiences like this encourage children to wonder, test, investigate and try again — learning that sometimes the most exciting discoveries happen when something doesn’t work the first time.
We love seeing our curious learners becoming confident little scientists and engineers through play. 💚

23/09/2026

Creating a safe sleep environment is one of the many ways we care for children each day. From following safe sleep practices and using approved cots, to completing visual checks every 5 minutes, our educators take every step to help children rest safely and comfortably.

We also work closely with families to understand each child's individual sleep routine, because feeling safe, settled and well-rested helps children learn, grow and thrive.

💜 Safe sleep is everyone's responsibility, and it's always a priority.

23/09/2026

🔢 Big maths learning through play! 💚

Our children have been exploring early numeracy concepts through tens frames and subitising, turning maths into an active, playful and engaging experience.

Using our giant tens frames, coloured counters and dice, the children were encouraged to recognise quantities, count, match numbers to amounts and arrange counters within the frames.

As their confidence grows, we are supporting children to subitise — recognising how many objects are in a small group without needing to count each one individually.

Through this experience, children are developing their understanding of number, quantity, one-to-one correspondence and number patterns, while also strengthening their problem-solving skills and mathematical language.

Educators extended the learning through conversations such as “How many can you see?”, “How did you know?”, “How many more do we need?” and “Can you show me another way to make that number?”

When children can move, touch, see and play with mathematics, abstract number concepts begin to have real meaning. And giant dice make everything more fun! 🎲✨

22/09/2026

20/09/2026

Our Nursery children have been learning through their senses, exploring the wonderful textures, scents, shapes and colours found in nature. 🍃🌸

Using playdough alongside leaves, flowers, rosemary, pinecones, bark and other natural treasures, the children were encouraged to touch, squeeze, pull, poke, press and manipulate the different materials.

They investigated how the soft playdough changed as they pushed natural materials into it, noticing the marks, patterns and textures they created.

These simple, open-ended experiences offer so much learning. Through sensory play, our children are developing fine motor strength and coordination, curiosity, concentration and early scientific thinking, while beginning to explore concepts such as soft and hard, smooth and rough, big and small.

Most importantly, there was no “right” way to play. Each child was able to explore at their own pace, make choices and follow their curiosity, building confidence as capable and active learners. 💚

At Goodstart Strathfieldsaye, we love creating opportunities for our youngest learners to slow down, explore and connect with the natural world through play. 🌱

18/09/2026

Through their eyes, the people, relationships and moments that matter most.

17/09/2026

🌿 Why we prioritise play 🌿

At Goodstart Strathfieldsaye, we know that play IS learning. ❤️

This article from Maggie Dent is a wonderful reminder of just how important rich, meaningful play experiences are for children’s development.
When children are building, climbing, creating, pretending, exploring, talking, negotiating and problem-solving, they are developing so much more than what we can see in the moment.

Through play, children are building:
🧠 thinking, problem-solving and brain development
💬 language and communication
❤️ emotional regulation and wellbeing
🤝 relationships, cooperation and social skills
🏃 gross and fine motor development
🌱 confidence, curiosity, creativity and independence

Maggie highlights growing concerns around children entering school with challenges in areas such as motor development, oral language, self-regulation and playing alongside others — all areas that are naturally strengthened through active, social and meaningful play.

This is why our environments are intentionally designed to give children time and space to move, explore, wonder, take appropriate risks, connect with others and become deeply immersed in their play.
Because childhood doesn’t need to be rushed towards formal learning.

Play is learning. Play is development. Play is connection. And play deserves to be protected. 🌿❤️

A wonderful read for our families 👇

https://www.maggiedent.com/blog/why-we-must-prioritise-play-for-todays-children-now/?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwUYjNxwZG9mBWZkaWQWUOlVZS3IUaJQKtm3CLvXdHuDRQ-R62V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR47DyD5jT7qMu4FGQKf4Yhh9xthuqR2bEHn79fo02QPJKGuSd9Y3omqQoHwkg_aem_5vhr7lAEboAEXGhy6-vIdw

  I have been writing and speaking about the importance of play in childhood for a very long time, and yet it seems that today’s children are definitely showing the ...

16/09/2026

“Little hands, big discoveries, exploring, creating and connecting with nature.”