Alfred Street Early Education Centre

For a few magical weeks, our children became scientists, storytellers and nature explorers as they followed the incredible life cycle of a butterfly.

From carefully observing the cocoons to celebrating the moment three beautiful butterflies emerged, children experienced the wonder of transformation firsthand. Each day sparked new questions, conversations and discoveries as they watched the butterflies grow stronger and learned how sugar water helped support them before their release.

This meaningful experience supported early scientific inquiry as children observed change over time, made predictions and developed an understanding of living things and their needs. Literacy learning flourished through rich discussions, new vocabulary and sharing observations, while numeracy concepts emerged through counting, sequencing the life cycle and tracking daily changes.

The highlight was release day. Together, the children gathered to watch the butterflies spread their wings and enter the world. As they stood side by side, excitement and joy echoed throughout the centre—a beautiful reminder that some of the most powerful learning happens when children experience wonder together.

Our children have been diving into a world of ocean exploration through creativity, collaboration, and imagination.

Our preschoolers designed their own ocean scenes using paint, shells, sea grass, and marine life cut-outs, thoughtfully selecting materials to represent their ideas and understanding of the ocean environment. Meanwhile, our toddlers worked together to create an ocean mural, contributing their own unique touches while learning alongside their peers.

Through these experiences, children explored artistic expression, developed their problem-solving skills, and engaged in meaningful conversations about the natural world. Working both independently and collaboratively, they demonstrated how learning can be inspired through creativity, inquiry, and shared discovery.

This week, we celebrated National Reconciliation Week through meaningful cultural experiences across all rooms.

Our babies explored the Aboriginal Flag through handprint painting and dot painting on boomerangs. Toddlers enjoyed the story How the Birds Got Their Colours, using colourful feathers, playdough, and Aboriginal symbols in sand. Preschool children explored Aboriginal symbols by drawing in clay using wooden sticks in a culturally inspired setup.

Through play, creativity, and storytelling, the children developed respect, curiosity, and appreciation for Aboriginal culture and traditions.

From drawing a bee to writing “BEE,” children at Alfred Street Early Education Centre are building early literacy skills through creative play and hands-on learning.

With support in early education, children begin exploring simple words as they develop letter recognition, sound awareness and pencil control. Using tools like pencils, markers and paintbrushes helps strengthen fine motor skills while building the connection between visual art and written language.

Learning through creativity helps children grow in confidence, communication and self-expression each day.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the incredible mums, grandmothers and special loved ones in our Alfred Street Early Education Centre community.

There’s something truly special about celebrating Mother’s Day together in the early years. This week at Alfred Street Early Education Centre, our families joined us for a magical “Land of Oz” themed celebration filled with connection, creativity and meaningful moments shared between children and their loved ones.

Events like these go far beyond celebrations. They create opportunities for children to build a strong sense of belonging, confidence and identity as they share their learning environments with the people who matter most to them. Through experiences inspired by the Land of Oz, the children explored imaginative play, creative arts, storytelling and relationship-building while creating lasting memories with their families.

Partnerships between families and educators play an important role in supporting children’s development during the early years. When families are welcomed into our service, children feel valued, secure and proud to share their learning journey.

Thank you to all the wonderful mothers, grandmothers and special loved ones who joined us and made our celebrations so meaningful. We are so grateful to celebrate these moments together as a community.

For children, learning numerals in everyday life can mean exploring numbers through creativity and play.

This week for Earth Day, the preschool children at Alfred Street Early Education Centre created an imaginary beach using sand, shells, blue paint, leaves, and natural materials. As they counted, sorted, mixed colours, and designed collages, they were developing early numeracy skills while learning to appreciate the beauty of our environment.

Meaningful learning happens when imagination, nature, and discovery come together.