schedule A Day at Cuddly Bear

Predictable days, flexible rhythms

Children thrive when they know what’s coming next — and feel free to linger when something captures them. Here is how our day flows from 7am to 6pm.

favorite
Our philosophy
A scaffold, not a schedule

Routines give children the security of knowing what comes next — and that security is what frees them to take creative risks, build deep friendships and follow a question for hours.

Our day has clear anchors — meals, rest, outdoor time — but everything in between bends to the children. If a project is flying, lunch waits. If a baby needs a sleep, the cot is ready. Predictability with flexibility.

At a glance

A day at Cuddly Bear

7am to 6pm, woven around our ten daily moments.

wb_sunny
7:00am
Doors open · arrival
Warm welcome, slow settle, breakfast available.
extension
8:30am
Morning learning
Provocations, projects and small-group invitations.
local_cafe
10:00am
Morning tea
Family-style fruit, baking and warm drinks.
park
10:30am
Outdoor time
Garden, sandpit, bikes, mud kitchen and bush kindy.
restaurant
12:00pm
Lunch
Three-course cooked-on-site meal, served family-style.
bedtime
12:45pm
Rest & quiet time
Sleep mats, stories and quiet activities for non-sleepers.
auto_stories
2:30pm
Afternoon learning
Music, art studio, dramatic play and project work.
cookie
3:30pm
Afternoon tea
Savoury platters and a fresh-baked treat.
toys
4:00pm
Free play
Child-led play, indoor-outdoor flow.
waving_hand
6:00pm
Pickup & handover
Educator handover, daily notes and a goodbye hug.

Routine by age group

Every room follows the same rhythm — shaped to suit the children in it.

child_care
12 weeks to 2 years
Babies

Attachment, sensory exploration and responsive routines.

Explore room arrow_forward
child_friendly
2 – 3 years
Toddlers

Language, movement, early friendships and big feelings.

Explore room arrow_forward
auto_stories
3 – 5 years
Pre-Kindy

Long projects, bush kindy and emerging literacy.

Explore room arrow_forward

wb_twilight
Morning rhythm
Arrival, settling & morning learning

From 7am, children drift in to a calm room with warm breakfast available and a soft activity already set up. Educators kneel to greet every family by name.

By 8:30am the morning learning block opens — provocations laid out the night before, small-group invitations and ongoing projects waiting to be picked up where they left off.

restaurant
Mealtimes & snacks
Family-style meals, shared together

All meals are cooked on site by our chef and served family-style at child-height tables. Educators sit and eat with the children, modelling conversation and good food.

We follow a four-week seasonal menu with allergens managed individually. See Meals & Nutrition for the full menu and nutrition philosophy.

park
Outdoor time
Outside every single day

Our garden is the second classroom. Children get at least two long blocks of outdoor play daily — sandpit, mud kitchen, bikes, a climbing tree and a vegetable patch they tend themselves.

Light rain doesn’t stop us — we have spare jackets and gumboots. We only stay in for storms, smoke days or extreme heat warnings.

bedtime
Rest & quiet time
Rest that respects each child

After lunch the lights dim, the diffuser hums and educators read a story to the whole room. Sleepers move to their mat; non-sleepers rest their body for 15–20 minutes with a book.

Babies sleep on their own schedule, not the clock — in dim, separate sleep spaces with educators always within sight and sound.

auto_stories
Afternoon rhythm
Re-engage, create, wind down

After rest, the afternoon opens with a snack and a slow re-entry — usually music, art studio or dramatic play. Project work picks up where the morning left off.

By 4:30pm we move into gentle free play, indoor-outdoor flow and gathering belongings so children are calm and ready when their grown-up arrives.

waving_hand
Pickup & handover
A goodbye that says it all

Your child’s primary educator will share how they slept, ate, played and felt — plus anything you’ll want to know for tonight. You’ll have already received photos and notes via Storypark during the day.

We finish with a hug, a goodbye wave to friends, and a quick “see you tomorrow” from the team at the door.

When routines flex

Individual rhythms always win

child_care
Babies sleep when they need to

Cot routines follow each baby’s home pattern, not the clock on the wall.

ramen_dining
Mealtimes shift for learning

A beautiful play moment in full flight? We stretch the morning and bring lunch out a little later.

cloud
Weather adjustments

Stormy morning? Bush kindy becomes a movement workshop in the hall. Forty-degree day? Water play replaces the sandpit.

Stay in the loop

Communication during the day

We use Storypark — a private, family-only app — to share photos, notes and observations as the day unfolds. No more wondering what your child did today.

photo_camera
Morning
A first-play photo and a note on how drop-off went.
restaurant_menu
Around lunch
What your child ate, drank and how the morning’s project is tracking.
bedtime
After rest
Sleep length, mood on waking and the afternoon’s invitation.
chat
Anytime
Message your educator directly — and they’ll reply between learning moments.

Moments from the day

A day, in pictures

Real, candid moments from a recent week at Cuddly Bear.

    Routine questions

    You asked, we answered

    • What time should we arrive?

      Most families arrive between 7:30am and 9:00am. Try to be in before 9:30am so your child can join morning learning, but we’re flexible if appointments make that hard.

    • Do you stick rigidly to the timetable?

      No. The rhythm is a frame, not a script. Babies sleep when they need to, mealtimes shift for a beautiful learning moment, and outdoor time stretches when the weather is perfect.

    • What if my child doesn't sleep?

      Non-sleepers rest their bodies for 15–20 minutes with a book or quiet activity, then move to a calm experience like puzzles, drawing or one-on-one reading.

    • Will my child go outside every day?

      Yes. Outdoor play is non-negotiable — we go out in light rain (we have spare wet-weather gear) and only stay in during storms, smoke days or extreme heat.

    • What happens at pickup?

      Your child’s primary educator will share a quick handover — how they slept, ate, played and felt. You’ll also have already received photos and notes via Storypark during the day.

    • Can I drop in during the day?

      Of course. Cuddly Bear is your child’s second home. We just ask for a quick text so we can let your educator know you’re coming.

    Keep exploring

    More of how a Cuddly Bear day comes together.

    menu_book
    Curriculum & EYLF

    How play-based learning maps to the national framework.

    Learn more arrow_forward
    restaurant
    Meals & Nutrition

    Three cooked-on-site meals plus morning and afternoon tea.

    Learn more arrow_forward
    celebration
    Events & Excursions

    Bush kindy, local walks and community celebrations.

    Learn more arrow_forward

    Come see a day in motion

    The best way to feel our rhythm is to walk through it. Morning tours show the centre at its busiest and most joyful.