At Oona’s PlayCare we see play as being the “heartbeat” of our program.

Within the context of play there exists a myriad of learning opportunities. Children explore social relationships, contribute ideas and take on the ideas of others. Play provides the opportunity to experiment, explore, discover, and to solve problems. As children play there are opportunities to talk, to listen and to explore language. There are also opportunities to relax, to have fun, to experience and express joy.

At Oona’s Playcare, our teaching team plays an important part in supporting your child’s learning within the context of our playbased program. We provide resources, which support children to form connections, to explore, create, construct and solve problems. We maintain a balance between experiences, which are initiated by the children, and those, which are supported or facilitated by thoughtful and intentional teaching.

We value providing a caring and nurturing environment for children, their families and for staff. Feeling cared for and nurtured supports a person’s healthy emotional, physical and mental development – and causes a sense of belonging, self-worth and connection.

We endeavor to promote practices that care for and nurture our environment.

We recognize that all children, their families and staff are part of a wider community. We value building connections between a child’s home and family, and the classroom. Supporting these connections helps children develop a sense of belonging and self-worth. They know that their teachers and families have a shared interest in what’s happening in their world.

We believe that community and connections within that community are essential both individually and collectively. These connections help contribute towards a healthy personal development and a healthy society.

We strive not only to nurture and foster a healthy community within, but also to look outwards and to form connections with people and places outside the classroom. We believe that it is important for children (and adults) to have an understanding of what it is to belong to a community. We seek to help children understand what it is to “belong” in a number of contexts. We believe that children are citizens in their own right and as such have the opportunity to participate, contribute and engage meaningfully within their various communities.

We present a learning environment that supports the development of children who can:

• make choices

• think independently

• take challenges

• explore ideas

• appreciate beauty

• appreciate diversity

• ask questions

• feel nurtured, safe, and well-cared for

• invite curiosity

We aim to place an equal value on the learning through play that takes place both indoors and outdoors.

We believe that a gentle rhythm to the day helps create a sense of security – however we also believe in providing an environment that is responsive to children’s own rhythm, interests, ideas and contributions.

We believe in the capacity the environment has to influence thinking, mood, behavior, learning and emotions. With this in mind, we work to establish an environment that is aesthetically pleasing, with an emphasis on a “home-like setting, de-institutionalization, high quality materials, use of natural and found objects, and acknowledgement of sustainable practice.