Our Centre
Family Testimonials
Timetable & Fees
Where we learn and play
Discover our inviting rooms and dynamic learning spaces, thoughtfully crafted to nurture your child’s growth, creativity, and play at every stage.
Our rooms
Joey Room - 6 weeks to 1 year
Our babies room is a safe and happy home away from home. Education and care focus is on children’s wellbeing and development. We engage a range of age appropriate activities including tummy time and sensory play to support the development of your child’s fine and gross motor skills along with singing and story time for language development. Mirror and facial expression games are a favourite to support social emotional development.
Emuand Wombats – 1 to 2 years
Our Bilby and Wombat rooms are hives of activity and our educators encourage children to learn through play, to foster self-confidence and identity. Favourite activities include music, dance, yoga, sensory games and reading. Group play is designed to develop confidence and social skills.
Possum and Bilby - 2 to 3 years
Lots of play is encouraged, including construction games, dance, and memory games. Language skills are developed through reading and music. Social skills and self-confidence are encouraged through group play. Children begin to explore literacy and numeracy through interaction with the Educators.
Kookaburra - 3 to 4 years
We encourage plenty of outdoor play for this age group, in an environment designed to allow them to follow their interests, while building a healthy body and positive mental wellbeing. Children are able to explore risky play and other extracurricular activities while educators support the development of social and emotional resilience.
Koala - 4 to 5 years
Play is encouraged to support development, through music, dance, games, reading, technology and lots of outdoor fun. Our sessional kindergarten, school readiness program helps children prepare for the next step in their education, following the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework. Children guide the curriculum, depending on their interests and preferences.
Our spaces and environment
Our unique programs and activities
Our programs are designed to support and promote a child’s development through active child-initiated play and educator-facilitated experiences. Some of these include:
- Our teaching teams are culturally and linguistically diverse, with over 10 different languages spoken across the teams
- We have regular Allied Health visits
- A strong focus on language and literacy learning, including a Storybox Library and a Family Lending Library, inspiring a love of reading and storytelling!
Our Child Safety Commitment
A warm and connected community
At our Centre, families, children, and educators come together to create a supportive, inclusive community where everyone feels they belong.
What our families are saying about our Centre
"The staff here are very caring and committed to the development of children....
... Over the 5 years my children have attended there has been nothing but positive experiences. The low turnover of high quality staff here I think speaks volumes for the quality of the Centre."
"I couldn't be happier with the Centre. The Educators and Centre Director are...
... all lovely and very organised. My 1y/o daughter is all smiles at drop-off and pickup, I felt very comfortable leaving her there from her very first day."
"My daughter has been going to Showgrounds Children’s Centre since she was...
... seven months old. She is nearly three now, and we are always happy with the warmth, affection and the level of education she has been receiving. The educators are skilled at building rapports with families and it shows. The most important thing to us at the end of the day is to know we are leaving our little one in capable and loving hands, and that is always the case."
Opening Hours
7:00am – 6:30pm, Monday to Friday
Fees
| Age | Daily Fee |
|---|---|
| Under 3 Year Old Rooms | $169.00 per day |
| Over 3 Year Old Rooms | $166.70 per day |
| 3 year old kindergarten | Free from 2023 - see below |
| 4 year old kindergarten | Free from 2023 - see below |
From 2023, the Victorian Government made kindergarten programs free for three and four-year-old children – saving you over $2,000 per year for each year of a kindergarten program your child attends in an integrated long day care setting. Free Kinder is a critical component of the Victorian Government’s Best Start, Best Life reform.
The Victorian Government’s Free Kinder payments will be deducted from the childcare fees that you pay, a value of over $2,000 for a 15-hour program. If your child is enrolled in an Integrated Three-Year-Old Kindergarten program for less than 600 hours per year, Free Kinder will be applied on a pro-rata basis.
From 2026, the below listed 4YO priority groups can access up to 25 hours of free kindergarten
- Children who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
- Children from a refugee or asylum seeker background
- Children who have had contact with Child Protection.
Daily fee inclusions
Our daily fees include:
- Freshly prepared and nutritious meals
- Nappies
- Sunscreen
- Bedding
- Some incursions & excursions
FAQs
How do you communicate with parents and guardians?
All families have access to Story Park. Storypark is communication tool that has been designed to help record and allow you to share in your child’s milestones and activities. You can also connect other members of your family to see your child’s photos and videos.
Are meals and snacks provided, or do children bring a lunchbox?
All meals and snacks are provided for the children by the centre’s in-house chef, who is able to cater to all dietary needs, with vegetarian or halal options available. All the dietary and religious food preferences are catered for and welcome and encourage all input from parents or guardians
We also lead cooking experiences with children on regular basis. We often explore food as a form of tradition and celebration, making Anzac biscuits, Pancakes, Damper and Gingerbread men. for afternoon tea, dampers, muffins for morning tea, making salads, Gingerbread man for Christmas.
How is food used to teach the children about healthy eating and nutrition?
Food is used as a way to teach the children about the benefits of healthy eating. Starting from washing the hands and washing the food is the beginning to teach about hygiene and health. The children are encouraged to eat fresh fruits and vegetables and the “Healthy body and Minds" project starts mid-year in the older rooms, followed by excursions to Coles for grocery shopping.
What types of incursions and excursions do you have for the children?
Excursions:
- The local park
- Local schools
- Showgrounds
- Library
Incursions:
- Local fire brigade
- Police
- Ambulance
- Teeth on wheels
- Tingle toddle for road safety
- Water safety incursion by Jump swim school.
What equipment is outside for the children to play with?
Our outdoor environment supports a range of diverse learning experiences and sensory play.
- Cubby house
- Slides
- Water play
- 3 sandpits
- Mud Kitchen
- Ball games
- Bike tracks
- Monkey bars
- Outdoor activity tables with rotating set-ups
