Kiddipedia
What do you look for when choosing a childcare centre? Yes, a safe and clean environment is important, and you’ll want to know how the educators engage and interact with the children. But if you’re looking for the X-factor that will help your child thrive, make sure you take a close look at the centre environments and resources.
“The environment – and all things within it – play a huge role in learning outcomes for children,” says Sharon Whiteman, Chief Network Officer at Guardian Childcare and Education. “That’s why we recently invested millions in incredible new resources for our 120+ centres across the country.”
“Carefully curated environments inspire children to engage and encourage them to curiously explore and make the space their own. The way resources are presented is key, as is what is on offer – both indoors and outdoors. Age-appropriate, open-ended resources that are placed to be accessible to the children will make for stimulating discussion and interactive play.”
Here, experts from the Guardian Childcare and Education team share what kind of resources to look for when touring a childcare centre.
Indoor environments
From playrooms to quiet nooks, these are the special zones that will spark your child’s imagination and support their growth.
Inspiring environments:
“Different environments and settings should be set up with different purposes in mind,” says Guardian Croydon Park Centre Manager Claire Bordignon. “Our Croydon Park Centre just opened in early 2021 and we’ve done substantial work to ensure we have incredible and inspiring areas for the children to explore, learn and feel safe.
Quiet areas such as a little nook where a child can feel hidden – but is still visible to a teacher or educator – are great ways to encourage children to engage with books, or to have a bit of downtime if they need. Light installations give children the chance to play with shadows, which sparks curiosity and encourages creativity, persistence and problem-solving, and facilitates learning through connecting them with their environment. Dress-up areas encourage role playing; something that is critical in understanding relationships and how people interact with the world around them. There are so many ways to inspire children, all through the environments we provide them and the resources within.”
Nursery areas:
“This environment should be calming to encourage your baby to sleep. They should be places where your child feels a sense of safety and relaxation. While it may initially be a foreign environment as a sleeping space, they will soon get used to it and be comforted if the space is a nurturing and comforting,” explains Claire.
“While there is a toddler room, nursery, and areas for those in preschool, our Centre also offers facilities that are shared with all age groups,” adds Guardian Childcare and Education
Parramatta Centre Manager Rennae Griffith. “For example, our toddler room has a meal space, which the nursery children share”.
Arts:
Any parent will know that craft, while engaging for children, can be messy to host at home… so what better place to have this on offer than at childcare? All the fun for them with none of the mess for you!
“At our Centre, we have a sun-soaked art room that the children love, and the parents always comment on during tours,” says Rennae. “An art room with different objects or craft types on offer really sparks the creativity in children, as they can let their imaginations run wild. Using resources such as paintbrushes and scissors helps build a child’s motor skills, and having these accessible in a safe and managed way is important in their development and independence.”
Open-ended Resources in Play spaces:
Children love loose parts play – from blocks to cardboard rolls. “These kinds of resources help children to create and imagine. A child may even begin to think outside the box, by using certain objects in a way they were not originally intended, such as stacking stuffed toys or counting blocks made for stacking,” says Claire. “When a child is using open-ended resources, they are free to use their creativity and imagination. There is no right or wrong way, and no set endpoint to the play. A set of wooden blocks is a good example: One moment it’s a pirate ship sailing the high seas; the next moment a maze or puzzle to be solved. Open-ended resources inspire curiosity and support discovery – the building blocks for successful lifelong learning!”
Outdoor environments
The outdoor areas are just as crucial for children’s development as indoors! Here are a few things that make a childcare centre stand out.
Elements that encourage tricky play:
‘Tricky’ play describes the physical and mental challenges involved in experiences that encourage children to try new things that will push their boundaries, test their limits and help them to grow and learn. “Such activities are often found outdoors. Does your centre have an outdoor fort to climb? Or grassy areas they can run around in?” asks Claire.
“Our outdoor area at Parramatta is great for encouraging tricky play. We have an outdoor veranda, a large grass area, and a natural fort made out of logs, which the children love to climb. It’s also great for getting a big dose of fresh air,” says Rennae.
Water play:
While not only fun, water play is a great experience for children as it also has an abundance of learning opportunities! At Guardian, there are waterspouts in the gardens that children can access.
“Water can teach children math concepts as they can measure size, quantities and volume. It can also teach science concepts, as children are often mesmerised by the different forms of water – liquid, ice and even bubbles! It also helps with sensory development through sight, sound and touch. It’s a fantastic real-world play experience,” says Claire.
Gardening:
Getting your child outdoors in the garden is a great learning experience, and so garden areas are a key education resource.
“The garden is a great place for real-world learning. At the Centre we teach your child about how food is grown, the importance of looking after our environment, and even about the lifecycle of plants for older children. Gardening will teach your child to forage for food and will help them understand the food cycle, as their crops will then be picked, sent to the kitchen to be prepared, and then eaten. At Guardian Centres, sustainability is a key focus as we always discuss with our children how to care for the environment and the importance of nature,” says Rennae.
And into the world…
Excursions, or ‘Out and Abouts’ as they’re known at Guardian Centres, are also an exciting way for your child to understand their place in the world.
“Make sure to ask the centre you are visiting what kind of excursions they have on offer. Here at Guardian, we find it incredibly important to ensure the children are a part of the local community, so you can often find the children out exploring their local area,” says Nicole Downey, Centre Manager at Guardian Barangaroo. “Out and Abouts are a large part of our programs offered at all Guardian centres. These excursions provide children with the opportunity to have a fun, social and engaging time with their peers while simultaneously exploring their local community, as they continue to learn,” Nicole adds.
If you would like to experience the Guardian difference, book a tour today!
