Your child’s first day in childcare is a special milestone for your whole family. At Enrich, we go above and beyond to make this transition as smooth, supported, and memorable as possible. Here’s what you can expect when you arrive, along with how we support both you and your child throughout the day.

A warm welcome from our team

When you walk through our doors, our educators greet you with warmth and care. You’ll meet your child’s room leader and educators, who will walk you through the day’s schedule. This first connection helps build trust and eases nerves for both parent and child. We also ensure that an educator remains close, offers comfort and reassurance, and follows your child’s cues throughout the day.

Settling in: Child-led at their own pace

Every child settles in at their own pace. Some run straight to the playground while others prefer to stay close to a parent or educator for comfort. At Enrich, we acknowledge and validate their feelings, whether it’s excitement, hesitation, or sadness, so they know it’s okay to feel however they feel. 

Our Montessori-inspired environment fosters independence while offering the reassurance young children need. We prepare the classroom and playground so children can explore shelves or trays of carefully chosen, hands-on materials that spark curiosity and joy. Giving children a choice in which activity they would like to start their day with helps them feel in control and eases first-day nerves.

Our educators are partners in helping your child feel safe, settled, and supported. When you arrive, we encourage you to share details about your child’s routines, interests, and favourite songs or activities. This helps our educators create a familiar and comforting experience by include these activities into the day. Everything we do is focused on making your child’s first day as positive and reassuring as possible.

Group time is where our day gently anchors. It begins with our Acknowledgment to Country, grounding ourselves in gratitude and respect. Followed by a chat about our identity photos. This strengthens the children’s sense of self and belonging. Each group time, we sing emotion focused songs to work on their phonics. These comforting rhythms help the children feel safe and seen.

We listened to a story called “The Bear and the Picnic Lunch”. It sparked a conversation about kindness and sharing food with friends, which helps children build empathy and social skills. Today’s intentional learning focus was on grace and courtesy. During the activity, we practices serving ourselves and our friends a drink by using a tray. An activity focused on not only practical life skills but also kindness, respect and motor skills. 

Group time is not about sitting still. It’s about coming together, sharing ideas, and building a sense of ‘we’. Montessori group time adds a splash of togetherness to a child-led day.

Happy Feet Dance Class

Our day finished with laughter and movement during Happy Feet Dance Class. Through music, dance, and storytelling, the children explored ‘road safety’ concepts. Recognising pedestrian crossings, waiting for signals, and practising how to cross safely.

Every child received their on steering wheel to pretend drive a car! As the children ‘drove around’, they learned about how traffic lights work. These playful lessons are designed to help children build essential life skills in a way that truly sticks.

Happy Feet Dance Class is a much-loved part of our Activity Program and is included as a complimentary experience for all enrolled children. It offers a beautiful opportunity for children to express themselves, build confidence, and learn through the joy of dance.

Book a tour

We’d love to welcome your family for a personal tour so you can see our enriching activities for yourself. Book your tour today to secure your child’s spot.

If you worry about when the tears during childcare drop-offs are going to stop and if you should take your child out of childcare, you’re not alone. Please know that many young children often experience some separation anxiety as they adjust to a new environment, and the same goes for parents who might feel a tug at their hearts during those morning goodbyes.

Separation anxiety can happen when a child is going somewhere new or when they see you leave. Your child might cling to you, cry, throw a tantrum, or even say they feel unwell, like telling you their tummy hurts.

Typically, separation anxiety peaks between 8 and 24 months, coinciding with the development of object permanence in children. That means they start to realise you still exist even when you’re out of sight. 

Separation anxiety during childcare drop-offs.

The good news is: Separation anxiety is a sign of secure attachment to you. Children feel safe with their parents and notice when they’re apart, which is a developmentally healthy experience. While every child adjusts at their own pace, most children settle within minutes after you leave and happily start playing or stay close to an educator for a bit more comfort.

It’s important to remember that separation anxiety can feel just as challenging for parents. Saying goodbye, even for a few hours, is not always easy. At Enrich Early Education, we’re here to support you as much as your child. Educators can send private updates or photos during the day to give you peace of mind and help you feel connected.

We’ve seen it over and over again: with loving care, patience, consistency, and support, separation anxiety eases. Before you know it, your child will grow to love their childcare days, rushing in to greet friends, explore Montessori-inspired activities, and learn. 

Starting childcare is a big milestone, and it’s normal for young children to experience big feelings. What feels like a short separation to an adult can seem endless to a young child who’s still learning about routines, relationships, and the concept of time.

At Enrich, our approach is infused with Emotional Intelligence teachings: we validate each child’s feelings, guide them through their worries with gentle reassurance, and help them rediscover calm and confidence through play. This allows them to feel safe, supported, and ready to explore their new environment.

You can help your child get ready to start in childcare with these confidence-building tools:

• Read books about starting childcare.
• Talk about what to expect in simple, age-appropriate terms.
• Practice short separations. For example, by leaving the room briefly and returning quickly.
• Explore their feelings by positively chatting about childcare.
  

Ask your educators for tips, too

We encourage families to share about their child’s routines and favourite activities, such as stacking blocks, singing songs or reading books. The educators will do their best to include these activities in their routines. You know your child best, and we’re here to complement that knowledge with emotional support, consistency, and care.

Every family’s start to childcare looks a little different, and that’s okay. Some children run in excitedly, while others prefer a gentler start. Both are normal. Our role is to walk beside you — to listen, guide, and celebrate the small steps of courage your child takes each day.

At our Gold Coast early learning centre, we combine Montessori-inspired principles with emotional intelligence teachings, helping children feel safe, confident and excited for their new childcare adventure.

If you’d like to explore our emotionally intelligent approach to early learning and childcare in person, we’d love to welcome you to Enrich Early Education for a tour.

From the moment the children arrive to the calm of the afternoon, every day in Kinder is full of exploration, learning, and connection.

Outdoor adventures
Exploring and learning in the playground

As soon as the children enter the playground, they move to their favourite areas: riding bikes along the path, digging and building together in the sandpit, soaring high on the swings and climbing with confidence on the play equipment. At the same time, some children prefer to start their day with calmer activities, such as reading a book or drawing Christmas-themed pictures.

At Enrich, we prioritise spending time outdoors as it supports big-body movement, social interaction, independence, and calm emotional regulation. These moments are as educational as they are fun.

Nurturing little bellies
Nutritious and delicious meals

Throughout the day, our chef, Sayaka, prepares delicious, nutritious home-made meals and snacks for the children.

Have a look at today’s menu:

• Morning tea: Coconut cardamom and chai custard with seasonal fruit. 
• Lunch: Butter chicken served with rice and papadams.
• Afternoon tea: Herb-and-garlic wholemeal baguette with vegetable sticks

Hands-on learning experiences
Montessori education

The educators continuously observe the children to see which activities they enjoy most. They’ll then introduce a follow-up activity to expand their learning and help them reach their milestones in an enjoyable way. For example, when educators recognise that the children enjoy scooping their own food onto their plates, they’ll introduce a learning activity: pouring coloured water into cups and serving it to their friends.

‘Wet pouring’ is a Montessori activity that not only builds coordination and focus, it also encourages sharing, cooperation, and self-confidence — all of which are core aspects of our EQM approach.

Every activity at Enrich is designed to nurture confidence, curiosity, and joy. Whether it’s outdoor play, group storytelling, or quiet moments of reflection, our Montessori-inspired approach ensures children grow every day.

Tiny pumpkins, superheroes, and witches appeared from every corner of the centre — a telltale sign that our annual Halloween party had begun. The centre buzzed with excitement as the children began getting ready for the spooky fest. We loved seeing the children work together as they helped each other put on their costumes, tie capes, and straighten their hats. These small acts of kindness and teamwork remind us how children learn empathy, connection, and confidence through shared experiences.

Trick-or-treating the Enrich way

As the afternoon began, our playground transformed into a Spooktacular Halloween playground. Parents volunteered to dress in their spookiest costumes and wait for the children to go on a round of trick-or-treating. Each child proudly shared their “trick” — a spooky dance, a cheerful “boo!”, or a friendly high-five — in exchange for a small, non-lolly treat such as a slinky, slap band, or spinning top. The joy on their faces said it all!

It wouldn’t be a party without some dancing. So, we put on some spooky tunes and soon after, the children showed us their spookiest dance moves. We loved hearing their little voices sing along to the songs and seeing the joy on their faces.

A celebration for our community

As a family-focused well-being hub, we invite our Enrich community to our events. Having our children’s (grand)parents and caregivers attending means the world to us and the little ones. Seeing their family and educators at the party helps the children make sense of where they belong in the world. 

🎃Thank you to all our wonderful families and volunteers who made this year’s Halloween celebration magical🎃

Hands-on Montessori learning

The Gemelli team brought a fragrant selection of fresh toppings—basil, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, sliced zucchini, and, of course, plenty of cheese! Our little chefs enjoyed rolling the dough, spreading the tomato base, and layering on their favourite toppings.

Making pizzas from scratch isn’t just a fun cooking activity. It teaches children essential life skills—from turn-taking and practicing patience to developing social skills while discussing which toppings to add and passing ingredients and tools to their friends.

A child-led and sensory-rich experience

Hands-on activities such as pizza-baking are child-led, sensory-rich, and structured, allowing children to make their own choices and express their creativity. It fits our Montessori-inspired approach and it helps children develop focus, responsibility, independence, confidence, and self-discipline —key skills that extend beyond the classroom.

A heartfelt thank you to the Gemilli brothers and our Pre-Prep student’s dad who organised this beautiful experience

Book a tour

Would you like to see for yourself how we make learning fun for children? Book a tour and see for yourself how we make learning a joy for all our little ones.

This is where learning the difference between Holding Space and Emotion Coaching comes in.

Holding space is letting your child feel their feelings, safely, with you by their side.

• Stay calm yourself. Your steadiness helps them regulate.
• Offer gentle words to let them know you are here for them.
• Allow silence; wait until your child’s emotions start to soften.

• Name the feeling: “You were really disappointed when I said no.”
• Validate the feeling: “It’s okay to feel upset when things don’t go our way”.
• Teach healthy coping skills: “Next time, we can take some deep breaths or find another activity.”