For many parents, walking into a childcare centre for the first time comes with a mix of nerves, hope and a hundred questions. During a tour at Little Scholars, something important usually happens – families start to picture their child here, happy, settled and thriving. That is often the moment they understand why 9 out of 10 parents who visit our campuses decide to enrol.
Here’s what parents tell us makes all the difference.
One of the first things families notice is how personal the experience is.
During every tour, our educators ask about each child’s interests, comfort items, allergies, routines and quirks — not out of obligation, but because we want to understand who your little one is before they even start.
Little Scholars is intentionally built around a warm, community feel. Parents tell us it feels like an extension of their family: educators who remember children’s favourite stories, who celebrate milestones, and who build relationships with parents from day one.
It’s that sense of belonging that makes the very first drop-off a little easier.
Our philosophy is simple: children learn best through play, exploration, imagination and real-world experiences.
Across our Gold Coast, Brisbane, Ipswich and Redland Bay campuses, children enjoy:
Parents consistently tell us these are the things that set Little Scholars apart and make early learning feel meaningful.
A tour gives families a true feel for our campuses: the learning environments, the natural materials, the artwork created by children, the soft lighting and the open-ended, nature-inspired play spaces.
Outdoors, you’ll find large shaded areas, sand pits, climbing structures, gardens and spaces thoughtfully designed for curiosity and safe risk-taking.
Behind the scenes, we take safety seriously:
Parents consistently tell us our environments “just feel right” — clean, calm and full of possibility.
One of the biggest surprises for new families is how much is included in our daily nutrition program.
With seasonal meals prepared fresh by our in-house chefs, a typical day might include:
Parents love that Little Scholars removes the pressure of meal prep — and that their children are trying (and loving!) new foods every day.
We know parents are juggling a lot, so our support extends well beyond the classroom.
Across our campuses, families have access to a “village” of services and supports, including:
Families tell us this makes childcare feel easier, more connected, and more supportive of their lifestyle and work commitments.
One of the most common things we hear from our Kindergarten parents is “I can’t believe how ready they were.”
Our school readiness program builds independence, emotional resilience, social confidence and foundational literacy and numeracy skills — all embedded in hands-on, play-based experiences.
We’ve seen children who once struggled with separations now walking confidently into Prep with their friends. We’ve watched quieter children find their voice, and energetic children channel their curiosity into problem-solving and teamwork.
These are the moments families remember most.
Our educators support gentle, consistent routines and communicate closely with you. Most children adjust far more quickly than parents expect. We’ve written a blog on our tips and tricks for dealing with separation anxiety so be sure to check it out!
We encourage you to visit, ask questions, meet the educators and see the environment firsthand. Transparency and open communication are core to how we operate.
We offer a variety of options that can be tailored to meet the individual needs of every child, however you’ll find that within our relaxed, shared mealtimes, even the fussiest of eaters are often trying new foods!
We’d love to welcome you to your nearest Little Scholars campus.
Your child’s early years matter, and Little Scholars is here to make them extraordinary.
Why do our children sometimes express some big bursts of negative moods after they come home from a seemingly fun day at childcare? This could be due to after school restraint collapse. Meanwhile, you expect them to come home happy and excited to tell you all about their day of crafts, books, playtime and outings, after all, you often get reports that your child was an angel all day. But when he or she comes home, that angel seems to have taken those wings and flown away, being replaced with something not so angelic.
Some child experts call it ‘after school restraint collapse’, and it seems to happen because children hold it together all day in childcare. Children use a lot of energy being well-behaved, following direction, sitting still, retaining information, and all of this without their primary attachment figures, their parents/caregivers. It can also simply be that some children meltdown because they are tired or overstimulated. Wanting to learn more about Little Scholars and how we deal with these big emotions? Contact us today.
This leaves your child’s best opportunity to release their emotions when they get to a safe place, their home. Those emotions can take the shape of crying fits, whining, screaming, disrespect or physically acting out to parents or siblings.
“I always say to parents, ‘do you have a best friend, someone you let all your emotions out when you see them? You are this to your child and when they see you after a big, busy day at Kindy, it all comes out,’” says Libby Kissell, a lead educator with our Redland Bay South campus.
“Rest assured they had an amazing day, but they let it all out when they see you because YOU are their person, their safe zone.”
Young children haven’t yet developed the essential brain wiring or had the necessary life experience to be able to calm themselves down from big feeling states, which is why they experience such frequent meltdowns. They know they can do this at home because they’re in a place where they’re loved and supported.
Your child is loved and supported by our team at Little Scholars, talk to us if you’re struggling and we can think and discuss how to make things easier for your little one.
“As an adult, we come home from a big day at work and we just want time to ourselves to zone out and not have to think,” says Holly Medbury, an educator from our Stapylton campus.
“We might even get annoyed if people want our attention, kids feel the same, but often have difficulty expressing it. Children are little people with big emotions, they too need some time to ‘chill out’ or a friend to be there and hug, with no expectations. It’s just reassurance for parents out there that they are doing an amazing job and providing useful strategies to help children cope with their big emotions.”
You can send them to their centre with a comfort toy or blanket that they can reach for when they need it. You could also send them with a picture of their family, or a note in their bag telling them how proud you are of them and how much you love them
Spend an extra five to 10 minutes with them before they start their day at Little Scholars. Just a few connected minutes with your child can make a significant difference in their day
Have a conversation with them on the way to childcare or when you get to their centre that focuses on what they can look forward to after you pick them up later, maybe that conversation looks like, ‘When I come to get you, would you like to go to the park or go pick out some new books to read at the library?’
Bring a snack for the trip home, sometimes hunger can be distracting for them and can stir up emotions.
When you pick them up, maybe all they need is a big reassuring hug. Maybe they need quiet. Maybe they’d like to tune out to some music they enjoy for a few minutes. Maybe they need to relax on a park bench or burn some energy at the playground. Follow their lead and take some time before asking questions about their day.
Again, feel free to talk to your educators about what’s happening at home. We have an open-door policy and we’re here for you. Your child’s educators, after spending time with your little one, may have specific ideas on how to help your child or can try to dedicate some quality time with your child to help them relax and feel cared for.
By understanding a little better why there are strong feelings coming from your child after a day of childcare, you are better armed to handle after school restraint collapse or even moderate reactions before their start.
For more information:
You can help bring Christmas joy to vulnerable families.
We are collecting new gifts for children (aged 0-17 years), parents and caregivers. The gifts will be distributed by Baby Give Back to families doing it tough via their network of caseworkers during December.
Only NEW Christmas gifts can be accepted.
We ask that all gift donations be made by 10th December 2021
So, the questions that pop up often for a parent when their little ones are in their last year of kindergarten is; is my child ready for school, or what do I need to do to make sure my child is equipped for their transition to school? These are all totally normal thoughts to have as a parent, but we can happily reassure you that at Little Scholars, we offer an extensive Transition to School Program that will give your child the life skills they need and confidence to have a successful transition to big school!
What we believe makes a successful transition to school is our Little Scholars School of Early Learning service and educators working in collaboration with local schools and our community to make sure we are assisting children and families with this transition. Our Transition to School Program is based on the National Early Years Learning Framework and Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guidelines, as well as we have wonderful early childhood teachers (also known as ECTs) who teach the children and support their learning and development hugely.
School readiness is about the development of the whole child – their social and emotional skills, physical skills, communication skills, and cognitive skills. For children to thrive at school, they need to learn important skills like following instructions, communicating their needs, and getting along with other children. At Little Scholars, we are truly committed to ensuring that our little scholars are supported and motivated in all aspects of their learning and development so that our children in their last year of Kindy are ready for that next stage of their lives.
Some key points involved in getting your child ready for their school transition and that make up our Transition School Program are the following:
These are all fundamental steps we teach our children in kindergarten so that they can learn a comfortable school routine and most importantly, so they can adapt to this new transition period. At Little Scholars, we want their routine to feel as normal and as exciting as possible, rather than something daunting. It is important to support the children in every way imaginable during their Transition to School program, and the most rewarding part for us is watching our little scholars go confidently into their next chapter, blossoming and becoming a positive contribution to our futures.
Our Little Scholars’ Kindergarten studios integrate some small but very useful routines for the children which assist in getting them ready for school. We bring in programs for the children that start at 8:30 am, so we encourage you and your child to arrive before this time so they can become used to big school starts!
We focus on teaching age-appropriate independent skills in the kindergarten studio – such as packing their bag, carrying their own bag, opening lunch boxes and food containers, dressing as well as emotional regulation skills.
At Little Scholars, we offer a range of stimulating extra-curricular activities that give the children a firsthand experience into the diverse range of subjects they would learn at school. These extracurriculars include our Intergenerational program, swimming, sports and fitness program, languages program, yoga, and dance programs weekly, Lab Kids’ STEM, Bush and Beach Kinder programs, and excursions and incursions.
Wondering what else you can do with your child at home to assist in preparing them for big school? We can help with this! You can help your child develop a basic awareness of numbers by helping around the house – they could set a table and count the plates, match socks from the clothing line, or measure ingredients for baking.
It is beneficial to read with your child as often as possible, and try talking to them about the story, point out new words and ask questions – this will help with their comprehension, vocabulary, and language skills.
Let’s say you have some free time in the afternoons, or even on the weekends, you can play games with your child like Snakes and Ladders or Go Fish! These simple games are great for practicing developing basic numeracy, turn-taking, sharing, waiting, and learning to cope with not winning.
Finally, encourage your child to have conversations with you – ask them questions, listen to their answers, and encourage them to talk about what they think and feel so they can express themselves with new friends and teachers.
We are extremely happy to have you with us, if at any time you feel there is more we can do, please let us know as we are here to encourage and support your child to learn and grow in a fun, exciting, and stimulating environment.
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!
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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