Jacaranda
Our Jacaranda Room provides high quality care and education for children between 18 months and 3 years. Ratios for this age group are 1:5 (or 1:4 for children aged under 2)
Our program for children aged 18 months to 3 years is a play-based early learning program led by qualified early childhood educators who provide a warm, nurturing and developmentally appropriate environment. The curriculum supports children as they begin to explore their world, develop early communication skills, form trusting relationships and build the foundations for future learning.
Children in this age group continue to develop important skills that foster social connection, emotional regulation, curiosity, independence and confidence. Through play-based learning and gentle guidance, educators encourage children to explore, make choices, experiment and express their ideas. We nurture each child’s developing sense of identity and emotional resilience, and we prioritise outdoor play to promote health, wellbeing and early physical development. Children are supported to build early language, numeracy and problem-solving skills through meaningful, everyday experiences. We value, acknowledge and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander cultures as well as the diverse cultures represented within our community.
Our outdoor space is expansive and offers opportunities for children to dig in the sandpit, enjoy water play, practice climbing and balancing, ride toddler-appropriate bikes and engage in large, big body movement. Children are encouraged to move between indoor and outdoor play, with sensory, creative and quiet experiences offered throughout the day to meet the needs of this age group.
During this stage of development, children experience rapid growth in their communication, self-help skills, physical abilities and emotional expression. They begin to show stronger preferences, form early friendships, practice turn-taking and develop increasing independence in routines such as feeding, toileting and dressing. Educators provide warm, consistent support, modelling language, guiding behaviour and helping children navigate big feelings as they become more capable and confident.
Trained Educators deliver the Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum; a child safety and respectful relationships curriculum providing age and developmentally appropriate activities for children and young people from birth to year 12. All children and young people, in developmentally appropriate ways, can:
- Understand they have the right to be safe
- Recognise abuse and unsafe situations
- Apply knowledge, skills and understanding to be safe
- Seek support for themselves or others
As children become developmentally ready, we provide experiences that gently build the skills needed for a smooth transition into the Gum Nut room (3–4-year-old program), including early social skills, simple problem solving, self-regulation and confidence in exploring new environments.