Childcare is everything to us at Little Scholars. We are very excited to share the opportunity we had with Mamamia’s own podcast This Glorious Mess’ where our Little Scholars Founder, Jae Fraser, chatted all things childcare. This podcast is hosted by Leigh Campbell and Tegan Natoli and is a twice-weekly look at parenting as it really is – confusing, exhausting, inspiring, funny, and full of surprises. This Glorious Mess shares a totally real and relatable insight into the life of a parenting and gives comfort to all the parents who are navigating their way through parenthood.
Jae spoke to hosts, Leigh and Tegan, about the different types of centres out there and the benefits of sending your little ones to childcare, as well as offering his own ‘personal childcare tips and tricks’ to all the parents out there who are currently looking at day-cares for the little ones. We understand how BIG of a decision it is when you are leaving your pride and joy to the hands of a stranger for the first time, so we hope this podcast sheds some light to all those who are contemplating childcare or are still looking for the right place for their little ones.
A massive thank you to the hosts, Leigh and Tegan and the whole Mamamia team for giving us this exciting opportunity to share with you our little world that we call Little Scholars.
If you want to listen to the full episode, you can listen here: Little Kids: Everything You Need To Know About Daycare (mamamia.com.au)
“Every child deserves the best start to life.”
– Carly Fradgley
We are thrilled to announce we have partnered up with a Queensland non-profit organisation, Baby Give Back, which seriously tugs on the heart strings for us as this charity is doing exceptional things with helping support families with newborn babies who are undergoing any form of hardship. We can only imagine the emotional stress these families go through when faced in these circumstances, however, to know such an astounding charity is out there doing everything they can to ensure these vulnerable families are supported and have access to the essentials needed for their families really shows that there are guardian angels out there.
Baby Give Back are passionate about helping vulnerable babies, children and families in our community and they work tirelessly to ensure that these families receive the best possible support and care when it comes to making sure these babies all have an equal chance of life.
From collecting clothing and nappies to cots, car seats and prams in a warehouse, Baby Give Back goes through a thorough process ensuring every item they collect is safe and is in a good condition, as well as providing customised orders to meet the needs of each family’s needs and circumstances. The lengths Baby Give Back go to make sure these families feel the love and compassion of their community is so overwhelmingly heartfelt, and it is a privilege to be partnered up with such an amazing charity.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit, we could not think of a more urgent time to assist with Baby Give Back, as they have been busier than ever before and with the $15,000 donation we have pledged to the non-profit organisation, this will allow 120 additional children directly with the essential items needed to start a safe life. Although it is not just a monetary donation we have promised, it goes far beyond that with our partnership allowing us to provide; 100 boxes of nappies per year, promotional opportunities across our ten Little Scholar campuses and so much more!
At Little Scholars, we believe that babies and children deserve to be nurtured and provided with utmost care, love and shelter and support and the early years is so predominant in a child’s life, we feel privileged to be working with a charity who provides the tools and relief in helping vulnerable families in our community. To have the opportunity to share this partnership with our families across all our ten campuses truly brings us a sense of joy knowing that we can spread the word and hope for more on-going support within our community. The community support aligns with our four pillars – grow, inspire, contribute and learn and we feel so warm in our hearts to know that our community, as well as the Baby Give Back community will do everything in their power to ensure the Baby Give Back mission is continued.
As adults we all know the importance of finding ways to cope with any form of stress, anxieties or depression, because let’s face it – there is nothing more nerve-wracking than feeling as though your head is going to explode. We have all been there.
Naturally, as you get older or should we say you gain ‘more life experiences’ instead, we did not all learn to cope with our stresses and anxieties at an early age or have the opportunities to practice modern mindfulness techniques like we do today. So, that is why at Little Scholars, we believe it is absolutely fundamental to bring this Mindfulness Program into our little scholars’ lives at a young age.
There is nothing more blissful than watching your little ones learn to understand and manage their own internal worlds. Whether that be learning to cope with overwhelming situations that arise in their day-to-day lives, or approaching interactions with other children or even siblings in a more positive way. There is so much our little scholars can learn and benefit from adopting mindfulness into their lives on a consistent basis, and we believe that this program compliments our existing holistic learning model which is in place across all of our childcare centres.
Our Mindfulness Program is a toolkit which has been implemented into the daily learning program at our campuses across all ages, and consists of exercises such as the ABC’s of Mindfulness, Yoga Flashcards and Memory Card. These thoughtfully crafted exercises have been created by Founder of ‘Mindful & Co Kids’, Jacqueline Yeats, a child psychotherapist who developed these mindful exercises based on scientific research. There are numerous studies that emphasise how mindfulness in early childhood can improve the capacity of a child’s brain to manage cognitive processes and helps increase their overall wellbeing.
What brings us the most comfort with teaching our little scholars mindfulness, is knowing that as they grow older we have equipped them with valuable tools and life skills to help them deal with emotions and stress calmly and constructively. Oh, and what proud (and sad) adults we will be when the day comes and our super ‘zen’ little ones are not so little anymore and can go on through their educational journey and teach their mindfulness skills to younger children.
Stay zen, and treat yourselves to a beach sunset walk a couple of times a week because we promise you, that is therapy. We would love to hear about your family’s favourite mindfulness activities.
We are so excited to share with our community the launch of our George St Valet Service, our first ever Valet service for the hard-working families of Brisbane CBD who are looking to save some hours during the week, or are hoping for a more convenient drop off on the way to work. We know how time consuming it can be every morning when you are stuck in traffic or stressed looking for a park during ‘drop offs’ but do not worry! We are here to help and make your life easier.
After completing a survey with our George St fam, it became clear that the most challenging element of their daily commute was finding parking, an elevator trip, hand over of belongings and the anxious goodbye – which can all take 30 minutes every morning. To create a less stressful childcare experience for both children and parents we thought it was only necessary to introduce a smoother drop off alternative for those parents who need it. Particularly now that more parents have returned to work in the city since the second wave of lockdowns, we can only imagine how busy the roads have become and that alone is stressful so we hope to bring some relief to our parents busy work schedules.
At Little Scholars, we try to make the lives of our children and parents as enjoyable and smooth as possible, and so far, our Centre Manager, Ricky Glasson, has reassured us that they already have numerous parents using the valet service on a daily basis, and the families utilizing this service has made their mornings more enjoyable, and for some families it meant they had more time to read with their children in the mornings, or even a spare moment grab a quick coffee before starting work. The most important thing is making sure you and your children feel secure and we can assure you that our valet service implements a safe ‘drop and go’ meeting point on a nearby main road, with our campus educators assisting children out of their cars and then into the centre.
We hope our lovely George Street community enjoy this new valet service, and if you have any queries please don’t hesitate to contact us.
You pile the children into the car, late as per usual, and do the panicked drive to your local Little Scholars campus.
Upon entering your Little Scholars campus, you’re suddenly enveloped into an atmosphere of calm. There’s coffee and croissants waiting for you next to a sign-up list for take-home dinners that evening. (Do you write your name down? You bet you do!) Friendly, caring educators help lighten your load and immediately engage your children with interesting, exciting activities. Your morning stressors lighten, you stand up a little straighter and you charge confidently back out into the carpark, ready to face your busy day.
But what happens once you leave? Here’s what!
Little Scholars campuses have extracurricular activities like Japanese, art, cooking and sport that are perfectly positioned to help develop your little learner. They’re cognitively engaged as they learn new skills, emotionally intelligent as they negotiate relationships with peers and teachers and they’re socially satisfied by engaging, exciting and interesting lessons. There is no ‘plonking them down in front of an iPad’ to be had here – if technology is used, it’s used well. This is the campus that’s backed by pedagogical understanding of what makes children tick and how they can be challenged to be the best they can be.
Every single Little Scholars is built on the tenements of imaginative and sustainable play. There is an ethos here that encourages children to become active learners, rather than passive children who wait to be told exactly what to do. There is a culture of calculated risk here as little scholars become citizens in the world of knowledge.
A sustainable lifestyle is encouraged wherein all children learn about recycling, reusing and repurposing materials to lessen our carbon footprints and respect the beautiful world that’s around us. The buildings and landscapes themselves often inspire the children to be more and to do more in terms of sustaining an environmentally sound future.
That hard day at the office is a little less awful knowing that your children are happy, safe and engaged in learning.
By introducing children to the people and places around them at an early age, your child will begin to establish a sense of familiarity and recognise first-hand the importance of belonging to a community. As part of their community involvement program, Little Scholars partners with local schools, libraries, emergency services and other community groups, allowing your child to learn about and respect the roles that people play within their community.
At Little Scholars, strong community relationships play a large role in their creative programming and developing these connections at a young age can teach children valuable life skills. Little Scholars combines their innovative philosophy with a unique combination of extra-curricular programs to give your little scholar the opportunity to participate in yoga, music, gardening and language classes – interacting with local community experts along the way. Through these interactions, your child will learn how people from throughout the community can actively come together to create a safe and welcoming place.
The Little Scholars community also extends to the natural environment, teaching your little scholar to appreciate all of the gifts that the great outdoors has to offer. Our Bush Kindy program extends outside of the classroom, giving your child the opportunity to explore local bushlands and beaches and appreciate time spent in the natural world. Taking this a step further, Little Scholars’ environmental strategy teaches children about the importance of respecting plants, animals and the earth by protecting the environment through sustainable practices.
The Little Scholars community also extends to the natural environment, teaching your little scholar to appreciate all of the gifts that the great outdoors has to offer. Our Bush Kindy program extends outside of the classroom, giving your child the opportunity to explore local bushlands and beaches and appreciate time spent in the natural world. Taking this a step further, Little Scholars’ environmental strategy teaches children about the importance of respecting plants, animals and the earth by protecting the environment through sustainable practices.
Part of the community-based programming at Little Scholars is teaching children the importance of giving back. Baby Give Back is passionate about helping vulnerable babies, children, and families in our community. The charity works tirelessly to ensure that these families receive the best possible support and care when making sure these babies all have an equal chances in life. We encourage our children and our families to support Baby Give Back by donating needed items and volunteering their time.
Contact Little Scholars today to learn more about how the Little Scholars community can give your child the confidence and social awareness they need to go out into the world and shine!
A trip to the park is an excellent way to promote not only physical activity and healthy living for our families but also to foster an appreciation of nature and the great outdoors. Finding the best parks Brisbane has to offer can mean a bridge is forged between the excellent work done in their nature classrooms in early learning centres and the experiences you provide when they are with you. There are a range of wonderful parks in Brisbane that represent careful planning and community consultation in terms of their facilities. There are change rooms, appropriate fencing and age and developmental-appropriate play equipment. As an added bonus for busy parents, many of these parks also provide access to Council Wi-Fi and have areas where you can set up and get a bit of work done while your children, depending on their age, play. We’ve chosen the best parks in Brisbane for busy parents to take a laptop and get a little work done, while they enjoy time with their kids. Because let’s face it, we’re all multi-taskers these days!
It’s important to encourage our children to play independently and to take healthy risks. It’s also important that, as today’s workload expectations increase, parents find the time to multi-task and take care of both themselves and their children. If that means answering emails for five minutes while your child enjoys their time with others in the play area, then so be it.
Here are the details of the best toddler parks in Brisbane to combine your child’s love of nature and fun and your pressing need to have a minute’s peace.
See a full list of Brisbane City Council parks with WIFI here.
The City Botanic Gardens Playground is a sensory playground that provides little ones with the opportunity to experiment with colour and sound in a carefully curated natural setting. There are change facilities and, while the area is not fenced, it is in an enclave that separates it from passing foot and bike traffic. You can also access Wi-Fi at this play area and there are ample, shaded places for you to set up your laptop. For fairy and nature loving toddlers, stay until the evening because there’s plenty of possums and other creatures about and a stunning display of fairy lit fig trees to explore, making this one of the best toddler parks in Brisbane.
Head to gorgeous Sandgate for the Einbunpin Lagoon Parklands, Sandgate Lagoon Playground. This fenced-in playground has easy access to toilets, toddler-safe ground coverings and council Wi-Fi connection. While there’s no table for working parents at this park, there is seating just outside the fully fenced playground. Happily, this playground is right alongside the nature reserve and is close to an observation bridge so you can take in the true beauty of the area and spot ducks, eels and other wildlife in the lagoon.
The Grand Dame of the best parks in Brisbane, New Farm Park has just as much to offer toddlers now as it has in years gone by. Excellent play equipment that will challenge and delight, a picturesque natural setting, free council Wi-Fi and plenty of places to park, making this an excellent toddler park in Brisbane.
Affectionately known as “Train Park” by local toddlers, the fully fenced Scarborough Beach Park has it all. Barbecues, covered seating for parents, wide open spaces, hills for rolling down, bike paths, a broad selection of play gear for kids of all ages, an enclosed climbing tree area and also, nearby beaches teaming with treasures. Scarborough Beach Park gives toddlers a feast of sensory stimulation and nature inspired play activity. After your play in the park, head out to any of the many local reefs, and hunt for natural treasures.
The Rocks Riverside Park at Seventeen Mile Rocks is a large open parkland on the west side of Brisbane. It offers water play and a huge variety of kids’ activities. There is plenty of toddler specific play equipment and if your child is a fan of sandpits, this is the place to be! You’ll also find free Wi-Fi, coffee kiosk and covered seating to help you get through those emails while your child plays, making it an all-in-one toddler park with enough activities to keep the whole family busy for the whole day!
Making a day of it? Check out our guide to toddler friendly Gold Coast and Brisbane bushwalking!
Exploring the best parks Brisbane has to offer is key to developing your child’s love of nature and we believe in incorporating nature play into more formal learning, too. Contact Little Scholars to discuss how this could benefit your child’s development.
Our Kindergarten children had the opportunity to visit The Volunteer Marine Rescue at Jacobs Well recently.
This was a great opportunity for us to further engage with the people and services within our community. The children got to visit the control room and listen in on some communication, they also got to explore one of the rescue boats that was parked in the rescue office. The children had a fabulous time and learnt lots about the great service that the VMR offer.
We have an exciting new program coming to our centres on Fridays… Bush Kinder!
Our bush kinder will provide a valuable natural kindergarten experience for 4-year-old kinder children enrolled at Little Scholars.
A forest kindergarten is a type of preschool education for children held almost exclusively outdoors. Whatever the weather, children are encouraged to take the lead in playing, exploring and learning in a forest or natural environment.
Bush Kinder is a special part of a Little Scholars’ total kinder experience. A model to suit our community’s and children’s specific needs. It recognises the place the bush has in Australian folklore and the significance of the land in aboriginal culture. It draws upon and extends the existing philosophy of Little Scholars to offer a unique educational program.
No toys, No tools, No art supplies
The children and adults benefit from using only what nature has provided.
“Outdoor spaces with plants, trees, rocks, mud and water invite open ended interactions, spontaneity, risk taking and a connection with nature” (NQS, QA 3 Physical environment).
Please speak to your Little Scholars Kinder teacher or Centre Manger for more details for your centre.
We are excited to announce the release of our 1st Edition of our Little Scholars Family Cookbook. In Conjuction with our families and the Little Scholars community we have gathered all of our favourite recipes for everyone to share. From our schoolies, to our Chinese teacher, everyone has been involved. We wish to thank everyone for their input and we hope you enjoy our Little Scholars Family Cookbook.
For your copy of the Little Scholars Family Cookbook, please speak with Tayla or Rachel today.
Let us hold your hand and help looking for a child care centre. Leave your details with us and we’ll be in contact to arrange a time for a ‘Campus Tour’ and we will answer any questions you might have!
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Let us hold your hand and help looking for a child care centre. Leave your details with us and we’ll be in contact to arrange a time for a ‘Campus Tour’ and we will answer any questions you might have!
"*" indicates required fields
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