At Sustainable Play Preschool, we do things a little differently.
We provide high-quality child care for preschool aged children, 2-6 years, in the Lake Macquarie and Newcastle area. We are a preschool with sustainability at the heart of our mission, teaching children environmentally friendly and regenerative routines through our play-based, child-directed curriculum. We encourage nature play and connection with the natural world through our bush kindy program, nature crafting and garden to table lessons. Children are encouraged to spend as much time outdoors as they would like in our large outdoor environments. Meals and snacks are included in our daily fees and follow a nutritious, colourful plant-based menu. Read more below!
About us
Our Preschool Rooms
We are a small preschool, with 2 rooms – our ‘Sprouts’ room is for children under 3 year old and our ‘Seedlings’ room is for children 3 years and older. Our curriculum is play based and our daily rhythm ebbs and flows with mealtimes, weather events, excursions and the children’s interests.
We are open Monday to Friday, year round (including during school holidays) from 7:30AM to 6:00PM. We only break during the end of the year for a few weeks.
View information on our fees and sessions here.
Play-Based Curriculum
Our play-based educational curriculum has a strong focus on fun, play-based learning experiences, guided by the Early Years Learning Framework. We take a holistic approach to education and child development. The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACEQA) has written more about why this type of curriculum is best suited for young children – read on below:
Respectful Caregiving
The RIE (Resources for Infant Educarers) Educaring approach is a part of our philosophy and embedded into our preschool rhythm and routines. Our staff RIE Leader undergoes training in RIE and then communicates and mentors staff in this methodology for respectful caretaking. When our educators navigate children’s challenging behaviour, they do not call children ‘bad’ and take them to a ‘naughty corner’ – they model respectful behaviour, set and enforce boundaries when appropriate and endeavour to follow all of RIE’s foundational principles.
Connecting with Nature
Our Bush Kindy Program has become an important part of our Preschool curriculum and connection with the community. Based on the concepts of Nature Kindergartens and Forest Schools in the United Kingdom, our regular Bush Kindy program allows for risk-taking, exploration and engagement with the natural world. We are fortunate to be able to take a short walk down our quiet street into the nearby bush – an area with trails and many opportunities for experiences in nature.
Sustainable Practices
Sustainability lives at the heart of our service. We store 90,000 litres of water in our rainwater tanks, power what we can with our rooftop solar panels, maintain vegetable gardens across the grounds, purchase Australian made and recycled products, and support local businesses where possible.
We use water and conserve energy to conserve resources, operate efficiently and save money. With solar panels and rainwater tanks installed, we reduce our dependence on mains water and energy, use the recycled water for our vegetable garden, and teach children about the social and environmental benefits!
Committed to Child Safety
At Sustainable Play Preschool, we create and cultivate an environment where all children are safe, empowered, active participants. We take all reasonable measures to maintain a skilled team that promotes not only the physical, mental and cultural safety of children, but also their empowerment. Preschool visitors and volunteers are monitored with vigilance and are included in our policy and procedures.
Plant-based Meals Provided
We make fresh meals and snacks daily in our in-house kitchen by our in-house cook. Our plant-based meals and snacks are colourful and offer a great balance of familiar dishes with some exposure to new foods and snacks. These meals and snacks are included in our service fees. View more about our food program and menus here.
Montessori Inspired
Although we are not a Montessori service, parts of our philosophy are influenced by Maria Montessori’s early childhood education theories. This includes giving children long periods of uninterrupted play, supporting children’s agency and independence with resources designed for children at their level. For example at mealtimes, children choose what they would like to put on their plate, they use real ceramic plates and cutlery, they wash their dishes at a child sized station, and we have child sized cleaning equipment for them to tidy up after. Outside of mealtimes, educational resources are located on open shelves for children to engage with at their leisure.
Skilled Educators
All of our trained educators are passionate about working in Early Education and hold a strong interest in sustainability, plant-based nutrition and/or eco-friendly practices.
Review our enrolment process and information here.
Our Location
We are located just north of Lake Macquarie and west of Newcastle in Barnsley, NSW (with surrounding suburbs of Edgeworth, Cameron Park, Argenton, Boolaroo and Killingworth). Get in touch to find out how to enrol your child at Sustainable Play.