Treewood Early Learning Centre

⚽ Kick, Play & Learn! | World Cup Week at St Ives

⚽ This week, we explored the World Cup through a range of fun and meaningful learning experiences, allowing children to discover, learn, and grow through play. 🌍

🎨 Colour Exploration
The children used black and white paint to decorate their football artworks. Through open-ended exploration, they discovered that black + white creates grey. This creative experience encouraged children to explore colour changes while developing creativity, curiosity, and early scientific thinking.

⚽ Getting to Know Football
Why does a football look the way it does?
The children observed the shape and features of a football and used black pentagon paper pieces to design their own football creations. Through this collage experience, children developed their understanding of shapes, spatial awareness, fine motor skills, and hand-eye coordination.

🥅 Football Number Challenge
During our outdoor experience, educators arranged numbers in a large circle. The children followed number instructions and kicked the football towards the matching number. Through movement and play, children strengthened their number recognition, focus, reaction skills, and physical coordination — truly learning through play!

At St Ives Preschool, we believe every themed experience is an opportunity for children to explore the world around them. Through play, children build confidence, curiosity, and a love for learning. 💚

🏮 Dragon Boat Festival Fun at St Ives 🐉✨

What happens when little learners explore zongzi, bamboo leaves, and dragon boats? A day full of curiosity, creativity, and cultural discovery!

🎨 Little Zongzi Makers

To celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, the children transformed egg cartons into adorable “zongzi” artworks. Using cotton buds, they carefully painted sections of the cartons with bright yellow paint before adding green paper strips to represent the leaves used to wrap traditional rice dumplings.

As they painted, glued, and created, the children explored different colours, textures, and materials while developing their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, concentration, and creativity. Their excitement and sense of achievement were evident as their unique zongzi creations came to life.

🍃 Exploring Real Bamboo Leaves

The children were also introduced to real bamboo leaves and learned how they are traditionally used to wrap sticky rice and red beans to make zongzi.

With great curiosity, they touched the leaves, examined the patterns and textures, and discovered the fresh natural scent of the bamboo leaves. This hands-on sensory experience encouraged observation, language development, and a deeper appreciation of natural materials while helping children connect with an important cultural tradition.

🚣‍♀️ Mini Dragon Boat Racing Adventure

Our sensory tuff tray was transformed into a vibrant river with blue-coloured water, colourful paper boats, feathers, and straws.

After learning about the Dragon Boat Festival and the exciting tradition of dragon boat racing, the children experimented with using straws to blow air and move the boats across the water.

There were plenty of smiles as they watched their boats glide along the “river” and discovered how different blowing techniques affected the boats’ movement. Through play, the children explored cause and effect, strengthened their oral motor skills, and developed coordination and problem-solving abilities.

🍅🌱 St Ives early learning centre ｜Planting & Gardening Experience

Today at St Ives Kindergarten, we enjoyed a hands-on outdoor planting and gardening activity 🌱

The children became little gardeners as they explored the process of growing tomatoes step by step:

🌿 First, adding soil into containers
🍅 Then placing fresh tomato slices
🌿 Covering them with another layer of soil
💧 Finally, watering them carefully

Throughout the activity, the children were curious and engaged, observing the materials closely and asking thoughtful questions such as: “How do plants grow?” and “What do they need to survive?”

This planting and gardening experience helped children understand the basic needs of plants—sunlight, soil, water, and care 🌼

It also encouraged curiosity, early scientific thinking, and a deeper connection with nature 🌱

Over the coming days and weeks, the children will continue to observe the changes, document the growth process, and eventually help transfer the seedlings into our kindergarten garden area 🌿

At St Ives Kindergarten, every outdoor learning experience is an opportunity to connect with nature and explore the world through hands-on discovery ✨

🌈 Reconciliation Week｜A simple sensory rice exploration in the baby room

🌈 The materials were simple

Coloured rice + kangaroos & koalas + small stones + Aboriginal symbol cards.
We hid everything inside the rice and invited the children to explore and find them.

⸻

👶 Their responses were very real

Some children went straight in—scooping, pouring, and digging non-stop.
Some repeated the same actions over and over again.
When they found an animal, they would pause and look at it for a moment.
Some would also bring the objects to the educator, as if saying, “I found it!”

There wasn’t much adult direction—just open-ended play and exploration.

⸻

🧠 Something we kept thinking about

For babies, Reconciliation Week doesn’t need an explanation.

They don’t understand the word “culture” yet,
but through touching, discovering, and repeating actions,
they slowly begin to experience that the world is full of differences.

⸻

💛 That’s really it

Nothing complicated.
Just a tray of coloured rice, a few hidden objects,
and a group of children deeply focused on exploring.

National Reconciliation Week 🌿❄️

During National Reconciliation Week, children explore nature and engage in sensory experiences, gradually developing a deeper connection with land, nature, and all living things through their everyday learning 💛🖤❤️

🌸 Frozen Flower Sensory Exploration ❄️
The children took part in a delightful “frozen flowers” sensory activity 🌸❄️.
Using droppers, they carefully dripped warm water onto blocks of ice and watched as the ice slowly melted, revealing hidden flowers inside little by little. This process filled them with anticipation and wonder. Some children widened their eyes in focused observation, while others excitedly exclaimed, “The flower is coming out!”

They also gently touched the ice, feeling the contrast of coldness and the gradual softening of the petals. Through this exploration, they acted like little scientists—observing, waiting, and discovering—while developing fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and sensory awareness.

🌱 Chia Seed Pet Planting Experience 💧
On another day, the children participated in a warm and meaningful “Chia Seed Pet” planting activity 🌱💚.
Each child had their own small paper cup with their name written on it, creating a sense of ownership, anticipation, and responsibility. They carefully scooped soil, sprinkled seeds, covered them, and gently watered their little pots, showing deep focus and engagement throughout each step.

During the process, the children shared their thoughts and questions: “When will it grow?” “Does it need water every day?” The classroom was filled with curiosity and gentle conversations.

Just like little companions, the tiny seeds were lovingly cared for and eagerly awaited as they begin their journey of growth 🌱✨

🌧️🍂❄️ Exploring the Secrets of Seasons & Weather ☁️

This week, the children participated in a range of hands-on sensory experiences based on the theme “Seasons & Weather” 🌦️✨

During group time, the children observed the daily weather and confidently shared that it was “rainy and cloudy” 🌧️☁️
These discussions supported their observational skills, language development, and ability to connect real-life experiences with conversation.

The children then explored a fun rain and cloud sensory activity using blue-coloured water, cotton pad “clouds,” droppers, and sensory trays 💧
They practised squeezing and releasing the droppers, strengthening fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination while exploring how rain forms.

❄️ Winter Sensory Tray
Children explored a snow-like mixture made from baking soda and dishwashing liquid, along with ice pieces to investigate cold temperatures and melting.
When a child asked, “Why is the ice melting?”, the educator introduced simple scientific concepts about temperature and change 🌡️

🍂 Autumn Sensory Tray
Using soil, dry leaves, plants, and digging tools, the children engaged in imaginative gardening and planting play 🌱
This naturally led to conversations about harvest season, nature, and where food comes from.

Through sensory exploration and inquiry-based play, the children developed curiosity, scientific thinking, creativity, and sensory awareness 💛

🌿 Little Weather Explorers 🌦️

Let your children discover the magic of weather through nature play!
Using sticks, mud, leaves, and natural materials, kids will explore sunshine, wind, rain, and clouds in a fun hands-on learning experience.

✨ Nature-based learning
✨ Creative sensory play
✨ Weather discovery activities
✨ Fun outdoor exploration

Perfect for curious little minds who love to play, create, and learn outdoors 🌱

📍 Limited spots available
📅 Enrolling Now!

Message us today to book your child’s place.

🌿🦎 Nature Exploration Incursion Day | Little Scientists in Action! ✨🌏

Today we had an amazing special incursion all about gardening and nature exploration, and the children absolutely loved every moment! 💚🌱

We started by exploring a variety of plants 👀🌿 Some had very interesting and strong scents, and the highlight was definitely the lemon mint plant 🍋🌿. When the children gently crushed the leaves, a fresh citrus smell filled the air! They were so excited to smell it on their hands and kept exploring again and again 👃🤲✨

Next came our special animal visitors 🦎🐢🐛
We met a lizard, a long-neck turtle, and a leaf insect!
The presenter shared fun and simple information about their features, habitats, and diets 🍃🐜🐟
The children were fascinated and showed so much curiosity and excitement throughout the session 😍🌈

After the visit, the children worked together to build a reptile habitat 🏡🦎
Using cardboard tubes 📦, leaves 🍃, sticks 🌿, and natural materials, they created a wonderful shared space for the animals. It was beautiful to see teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving in action 🤝💡✨

Throughout the experience, the children engaged their five senses 👀👃✋👂🧠 — touching textures, observing movement, noticing colours, and discovering different scents.

It was a truly meaningful and hands-on learning experience that encouraged curiosity, care for nature, and collaborative learning 🌏💚

🌸 Mother’s Day Afternoon at Treewood ELC 🌸

Looking for a sweet way to spend the afternoon with your little one?

Join us for a relaxed and joyful Mother’s Day Afternoon Event at Treewood Early Learning Centre!

📅 Wednesday 6 May 2026
⏰ 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
📍 Treewood Early Learning Centre, St Ives

✨ Special activities for all ages:
👶 Story time & baby rhyming time for our little ones
🎨 Art & craft experiences
🎨 Face painting
🌿 Outdoor games and play for older children

No matter how old your little one is, this is a lovely chance to have some fun, enjoy a chilled afternoon, meet our educators, and feel the warm Treewood community vibe.

Local families are warmly welcome to join us, take a tour, and connect with our team. 💛

📩 Scan the QR code to RSVP — we can’t wait to see you there!

🌸 You’re Invited | Mother’s Day Afternoon at Treewood ELC 🌸

Looking for a sweet way to spend the afternoon with your little one?

Join us for a relaxed and joyful Mother’s Day Afternoon Event at Treewood Early Learning Centre!

📅 Wednesday 6 May 2026
⏰ 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
📍 Treewood Early Learning Centre, St Ives

✨ Special activities for all ages:
👶 Story time & baby rhyming time for our little ones
🎨 Art & craft experiences
🎨 Face painting
🌿 Outdoor games and play for older children

No matter how old your little one is, this is a lovely chance to have some fun, enjoy a chilled afternoon, meet our educators, and feel the warm Treewood community vibe.

Local families are warmly welcome to join us, take a tour, and connect with our team. 💛

📩 Scan the QR code to RSVP — we can’t wait to see you there!
❤️