Kaniva Uniting Early Learning

Our large, upgraded long day care centre is filled with natural light and features well-equipped indoor areas for educational and play-based adventures. The outdoor environment is spacious and boasts a wealth of natural features that allow children to connect with their rural upbringing, as well as safe, shaded infrastructure to entertain them for hours on end.

Our early learning centre features:

• Planned and intentional indoor spaces
• Large outdoor space
• Sandpit
• Mud pit
• Trees and natural shade
• Gardening beds vegetables and herbs
• Shade sail
• Play area with climbing equipment
• Cubby house
• Gross motor play equipment for activities such as climbing, skipping, throwing and catching
• Guinea pigs

Children enjoy a variety of play-based activities that develop vital skills like reading, arts and crafts, and socialising. We also use fun activities to encourage sustainable practices, often through entertaining visits from local service people and excursions out into the community.

Some of these activities include:

• Recycling
• Promoting sustainable living and encourage children to develop everyday sustainable practises
• Developing and tending to the vegetable garden
• Feeding and looking after the pet guinea pigs
• Imaginative cooking classes in our outdoor mud kitchen
• Discussion of local farms and how they work
• Excursions to musical presenters
• Excursions to the Wild Action animal show

Children are encouraged to take responsibility for what they put into their bodies through activities that promote the importance of healthy eating and the nutritional benefits of fresh produce. Fun and practical education on food safety, cooking, and gardening give your child the knowledge and desire to make healthy life choices.

At Kaniva Early Learning Centre, we:

• Grow our own produce in our garden (e.g. herbs, vegetables, fruit)
• Practise and emphasise food safety
• Work sensitively with parents and families from a range of cultural backgrounds to ensure cultural foods meet food standard requirements
• Offer progressive snack and lunchtime to empower children to ask for what they want and when
• Educate children and their families about healthy eating and nutrition
• Encourage children to eat fruit and healthy options before other snacks
• Give children input on what to grow and cook from our vegetable garden

We actively invite families to engage in their child’s early learning by participating in cultural celebrations, assisting with fundraising and volunteering, talking to the children about exciting topics, and attending our regular BBQ’s and picnics where they can build relationships with each other. We welcome diversity in our small, close-knit community, and regularly reach out to community groups and programs to broaden the children’s understanding of the world.

People, groups or services from our community we engage with regularly include:

• Local primary school
• Local library
• Local service people (e.g. police, paramedic, nurse, fire and emergency services, etc.)
• Wellbeing practitioners
• Farmers
• Local Indigenous community members

We can have all forms of communication translated for families who speak languages other than English.

Our educators are experienced in working with children who live with a range of physical and intellectual disability or have experienced challenges and trauma.

Childcare

$110.00 per day

Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 8.30am - 5.30pm