Yarra Ranges Kindergartens

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Yarra Ranges Kindergartens

At Sassafras Kindergarten, we’re driven by the belief that early childhood should be an exciting adventure, full of wonder, imagination and open-ended play.

At Sassafras Kindergarten for YRK in Sassafras, we’re driven by the belief that early childhood should be an exciting adventure, full of wonder, imagination and open-ended play. We take pride in providing a warm and friendly environment where children and families feel welcome. We strongly believe in developing a sense of community within the pre-school and building trusting and collaborative partnerships with families. We value the involvement of parents and believe in close relationships between home and preschool which instills children with a sense of security and belonging.

21/10/2026

Throwback Thursday: 54 children, three staff and a whole lot of community spirit! 🌿
In March 1953, Upwey Pre-School Centre made the local news when enrolments reached a record 54 children. According to the Mountain District Free Press, the kindergarten needed three staff to accommodate its growing numbers. And how did the community help support its local kinder? By organising street stalls in Upwey Main Street over Easter!
More than 70 years later, YRK Upwey Kindergarten continues to be part of the community, with 58 children currently enrolled. The numbers may have changed, but the community spirit lives on. 💚
Do you remember a YRK kinder in years gone by? Were you a child, parent, or educator there? We'd love to hear your memories and see your old photos. Email [email protected]
🌿 30 years. 22 kindergartens. Thousands of stories.

21/10/2026

It all began with a feather... For National Bird Week (19-25 October) we're celebrating curiosity taking flight at YRK Sassafras Kindergarten. Inspired by a galah feather and educator Monica Moulday's father's old bird book, children began collecting feathers, identifying birds and creating a bird book of their own. It's this type of research and learning that has ensured that YRK Sassafras Kindergarten was rated as exceeding the National Quality Standards in all seven quality areas. Here's what the Star Mail had to say: https://rangestrader.mailcommunity.com.au/news/2026-10-20/little-artists-big-ideas-at-sassafras-why-families-keep-finding-their-way-back/

09/10/2026

Some places stay with you, like Yarra Ranges Kindergarten’s Sassafras.

Max attended Sassafras as a child and found a photograph from his kinder class in 2001. Twenty-five years later, his daughter Autumn now comes through the same doors.

For Maggie, the connection goes back another generation. Her grandfather Graham attended Sassafras when it first opened as a preschool, and now she is making memories of her own where gramps once played.

For Romana, the decision was made on her own when she saw the kinder and asked her parents to bring her here.

Some families return. Others go out of their way to find us. And some little people apparently make the decision themselves.

Perhaps that’s what makes a kinder part of a community. Each new group of children, adding their own stories to those that came before.

Sassafras is also rated Exceeding the National Quality Standard across all seven quality areas, independent recognition of the quality families experience here.

Could Sassafras be part of your child’s story?

👉 Find out about YRK Sassafras for yourself: https://www.yrkinders.com/kinders/sassafras-kindergarten-yarra-ranges-kinders

05/10/2026

Meet Bubbles 🐰

He’s the resident bunny at Yarra Ranges Kindergarten’s Mt Dandenong.

Last week was International Rabbit Day and yesterday was World Animal Day. And we couldn’t let it pass without celebrating the fluffiest member of our Mt Dandenong kinder family.

A rabbit can prompt some big questions. What does it eat? How does it tell us it needs space? What helps it feel safe?

Animals offer opportunities for children to observe, ask questions, and learn about gentle care.

Did your kindergarten have an animal you still remember? So, a slightly belated Happy International Rabbit Day and World Animal Day from Bubbles and everyone at YRK’s Mt Dandenong.

Want to find out more about Bubbles? Call YRK’s Mt Dandenong for a walk through our kindergarten. https://www.yrkinders.com/find-a-kinder

28/09/2026

Kindergarten is more than just a place to play. It's where children build confidence, develop social skills, make friendships, and discover a love of learning.

Through play-based experiences, children learn to communicate, problem-solve, explore their creativity, and gain the skills they need for a successful transition to school.

At kindergarten, every day is an opportunity to learn, grow, and belong.

2027 enrolments are open now 🌿 Link in bio.
📧 [email protected] | 📞 9726 0439

25/09/2026

What a wonderful afternoon at our Sassafras Kinder Art Show!

It was so lovely seeing the children proudly showing their families their artwork and sharing the things they have created throughout the year.

24/09/2026

At Bush Kinder, every puddle, stick, leaf and trail is an opportunity to learn!

There’s something special about learning in nature. Bush Kinder gives children the freedom to explore, discover, and connect with the world around them through hands-on experiences in the outdoors.

Benefits of Bush Kinder include:
🐞 Building confidence and independence
🐛 Encouraging curiosity and creativity
🪲 Developing problem-solving skills
🕷️ Supporting physical health and wellbeing
🐜 Fostering a love and respect for nature

Find out more about Bush Kinder at participating YRK kindergartens: https://loom.ly/RBfb9uI

22/09/2026

2027 places are filling at Belgrave Kindergarten!

Our play-based, nature-immersed program for children aged 3–5 is open for enrolments and we'd love to welcome your family in to see it for yourself.

Come meet our educators, explore the space, and see if Belgrave feels like the right fit.

📍 6 Hayes Place, Belgrave

Contact us: 📞 (03) 9754 5594 | 📧 [email protected]

18/09/2026

Time flies when you're learning through play!

Our Yarra Ranges Kindergartens will be closing for the school holiday break from Saturday 19 September, returning Monday 5 October 2026.

Head Office will remain open throughout the holidays. If you have any questions about enrolments or your child's place, don't hesitate to get in touch.

Wishing all of our YRK families a wonderful, restful break and we can't wait to see everyone back in Term 4 🌿

📞 9726 0439 | ✉️ [email protected]

09/09/2026

Our children have been busy creating in so many different ways!
Sewing, sculpting, painting, threading, sticking, gluing and designing.

Come along to our Art Show next Thursday 17th 4.30-5.30, gold coin entry.

07/09/2026

We are so excited to open our doors and welcome our wonderful community to the Sassafras Preschool Art Show next Thursday, 17 September, from 4.30–5.30pm.

Come along and celebrate the creativity, imagination and incredible ideas of our preschool children as we showcase a selection of their artwork and creations from throughout the year.

📅 Thursday 17 September
⏰ 4.30–5.30pm
📍 Sassafras Preschool
🎟️ Gold coin entry

And don’t worry about arriving hungry! 🌭
We’ll be selling sausages on the BBQ, so you can enjoy some dinner while you explore the exhibition and celebrate our little artists.

29/07/2026

We enjoy playing outside in all kinds of weather at Sassafras kinder.
Today the rain became part of our play as children followed the path of the water, collecting drops on bamboo ramps, and filling buckets exploring how water moves.
A simple moment of curiosity that turned into lots of exploring and experimenting.

29/07/2026

A big thank you to the The Philanthropic Collective for providing the bread for our morning toast at Sassafras kinder!

The children have been enjoying morning toast- they are in charge of serving themselves, spreading their own toast, and washing up their own dishes afterwards.
These everyday routines help build independence, confidence and practical life skills.

01/07/2026

Looking to enrol for kindergarten?

Come along to our Stay & Play Afternoon and discover all that our kinder has to offer!

📅 Wednesday 23rd July
🕑 2:00–3:00 pm

Explore our beautiful learning environment, meet our friendly teachers, and see what makes our kindergarten such a special place to learn and grow.

Enrolments are now open!
We will be offering three 5-hour sessions in 2027.

We’d love to welcome you and your family!

25/06/2026

Looking for a warm, community-focused kindergarten where children can learn, play and grow?

At Sassafras Preschool, we offer:
- 5-hour sessions (Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 8:30am – 1:30pm)
- A beautiful natural environment
- Play based learning led by experienced educators

Come and discover why our kinder is such a special place to begin your child’s learning journey.

22/06/2026

Sassafras Preschool was honoured to be invited to the official opening of the Sassafras Village Green!

Located along the beautiful Ngurrak Barring walking trail, the Village Green provides a welcoming outdoor community space where families, friends and visitors can gather, rest and play.

The site features a community gathering area and a small play structure, creating a wonderful place for connection within our local community.

Our children enjoyed being part of this special occasion, participating in a Welcome to Country and Smoking ceremony, we learnt some dances from the Djirri Djirri dancers and explored the new space.
We look forward to many future visits, walks and learning opportunities in this wonderful addition to Sassafras.

A special thank you to Yarra Ranges Council
and the ngurrak barring team who helped make this possible for us.

18/06/2026

We are pleased to let families know that we will be continuing with our much-loved program of three 5-hour kindergarten sessions each week next year.

If you have a child starting kindergarten next year, or know a family looking for a nurturing, play-based program, we would love to hear from you. Feel free to call up to come and see us in action.
https://www.yrkinders.com/?fbclid=IwVERDUAShz09leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeawQQo9V6lOk029_X_K2UUwSMpyBXkoCTpnlnsc6MkiBZEZdqxJxkMTZ9PLg_aem_iE4EhYE_gqs5El-l2IpkFQ

18/06/2026

This term at kinder we have been learning about recycling and discovering how old materials can be transformed into something new. The children had so much fun making their own recycled paper, tearing, soaking, mixing and pressing paper scraps to create beautiful new sheets of paper. What a wonderful way to learn about caring for our environment while exploring science, creativity and sustainability!

Address

394 Mount Dandenong Tourist Road
Sassafras Gully, VIC
3787

Website

https://www.yrkinders.com/kinders/sassafras-kindergarten-yarra-ranges-kinders

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