Welcome back to Bottling the Moments, where I take you behind the scenes of my centre visits and share some of the moments that make me smile, make me laugh and, in this case, make me cry like a baby, while reminding me why early childhood education is such a special place to be.
Every centre visit fills my cup in a different way.
But my visit to Redlynch last week was pure magic.
From the moment I walked through the doors, I could see and feel how much work had gone into the environments. They looked absolutely amazing, but what I loved most wasn't how beautiful they looked.
It was how deeply engaged the children were within them.
Children's voices, ideas, interests and creativity were everywhere I looked. They were busy playing, exploring, creating and learning and, in many cases, were so completely absorbed in what they were doing that they barely even noticed I had arrived.
And I LOVE that.
Because as much as I adore an excited "Miss Lauren!" when I walk into a room, there is something pretty special about seeing children so engaged in their play that the person walking through the door simply isn't as interesting as what they are doing.
For me, that says so much about the environment the team have created.
Of course, it was Book Week, so I couldn't possibly arrive without getting into the spirit myself.
This meant dressing up as The Very Hungry Caterpillar and taking my little performance on tour around the centre!
My first stop was with our littlest ones in Starfish and Jellyfish, where we read The Very Hungry Caterpillar together before squeezing in a Bluey story as well.
Then it was off to Dolphins and Turtles, where I found the most beautiful little teepee to settle into with the children for another reading.
Over in Coral, something lovely happened.
After I had finished reading to the children, the roles were reversed and Ellie decided she would read to us, followed by Rosa. I happily handed over my storytelling duties and became part of the audience.
I love moments like that. Watching children feel confident enough to step forward, have a go and lead the experience themselves is pretty special.
My final Hungry Caterpillar stop was Seagulls, although somewhere along the way our Book Week story time turned into a real-life nature discovery when we found a grasshopper!
I'm not sure a grasshopper technically belongs in The Very Hungry Caterpillar, but it certainly created plenty of excitement.
Once my Hungry Caterpillar duties were complete, I had another very important job to do; judging the Redlynch Book Week Door Competition.
And I very quickly realised this was not going to be easy.
Every room had approached the challenge so differently, and what impressed me most was that these weren't simply beautifully decorated doors. There were children's ideas everywhere.
Family contributions.
Weeks of research and learning.
Natural and recycled materials.
Children's favourite stories, current interests and conversations being brought to life.
The judging criteria looked at everything from creativity and connection to the book, through to children's involvement, learning, use of resources, inclusion and belonging. And every room had found its own way to bring those things to life.
Starfish chose Every Story Starts at Home, which allowed them to follow each child’s individual interests and invite families right into the experience by asking each family to choose a book with their little one and even encouraging them to join their babies for the Book Week parade the day before.
Jellyfish brought Bluey Goes Camping to life, chosen from the children’s own interests, with the children creating everything from the fire to the grass. Families brought books in to share, and Marlow’s mum even came in to do face painting.
Dolphins did something a little different, really thinking about what would capture the interest of their children. They celebrated every child's favourite book and created Diary of the Dolphins Journey, with the team sharing that they want the children to grow up remembering the special experiences they had during their early years.
Turtles chose The Hairy-Nosed Wombats Find a New Home, which grew directly from the children's interest and developed over weeks of children and educators researching and learning together. Their Australian-themed display also created an opportunity to share more about wombats and the work of the Wombat Foundation.
Coral brought The Rainbow Fish to life, with the children involved in choosing the story and exploring beautiful messages around bravery, courage and kindness. Families contributed materials including shells, sustainable resources were used throughout, and the book was even sent home to families as a PDF so they could be part of the learning too.
And then there was Seagulls.
Their Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring display had been created using items collected with the children and told a much bigger story about our natural world.
Cracked soil when there is no rain. Flowers appearing when the rain comes. A lotus flower pushing its way through the mud. Resilience. Growth. Blooming.
There was so much thought behind it.
Even Adrian, our Chef, joined in, decorating the kitchen door and surrounding area with Green Eggs and Ham!
By the time I had been to every room, it was clear this was about so much more than which team could make the prettiest door. I was seeing children's learning made visible.
Their ideas had been listened to. Their interests had been followed. Families had been invited in. Educators had extended children's thinking. And every room had created something that genuinely belonged to the children within it.
After lots of deliberation, I finally made my decision... and the winner was our Turtles team with The Hairy-Nosed Wombats Find a New Home!
For me, Turtles really captured what this competition was all about. The whole experience had grown naturally from the children’s own interest, and the team had followed that curiosity over weeks of research, conversation and learning together. It was thoughtful, meaningful and completely connected to the children.
After such a fun morning with the children, I thought I knew how the rest of my visit would unfold.
I didn't.
Earlier this year, we made the decision as an organisation to sponsor some of the dedicated members of our Sanctuary Redlynch team.
I knew this decision mattered. What I didn't fully understand was just how much it mattered.
The team had prepared a surprise for me.
They had written personal messages, printed photos of themselves with the children and somehow created a video involving a cardboard box, which probably doesn’t sound particularly emotional as I write it, but what happened next completely stopped me in my tracks. Even writing this now takes me straight back there.
As I watched their messages and listened to their stories, I cried. And I mean, really bawled.
One by one, members of our team hugged me and shared what being sponsored by Sanctuary meant to them personally.
Not just for their work.
For their lives.
For their families.
For their futures.
I don't even know if I have the right words to properly explain what that moment meant to me.
These are incredible people who have become such an important part of our Sanctuary community.
And supporting our team like this ultimately comes back to our children and families too. When incredible educators choose to build their lives and futures with Sanctuary, our children are surrounded by people who truly know them, know their families and get to be there as they grow. That consistency and connection matters so much.
And yet, standing there listening to them, I realised just how much that decision had meant beyond the workplace.
Their trust. Their stories. Their hugs.
And the privilege of understanding, even just a little more deeply, what Sanctuary had come to mean to them and their families.
I felt incredibly grateful to them for sharing something so personal with me.
And because apparently, I hadn't cried enough for one day, the team had also organised the most beautiful thank you lunch.
Lyn and her family had prepared a Filipino dish, Bihon, for everyone to share, followed by the most incredible purple sweet potato Ube cake.
We sat together as the team came through for their breaks, eating, talking, laughing and sharing stories.
And after everything that had happened that morning, there was nowhere else I would rather have been.
As I left Redlynch that afternoon, I felt incredibly grateful, and more connected than ever to this beautiful community.
We talk so much in early childhood about creating places where children feel safe, known and that they belong. And rightly so.
But that day at Redlynch reminded me that belonging matters just as much for the adults within our Sanctuary community too.
To feel that you are part of something.
That your contribution matters.
That someone believes in you.
That there is a place for you here.
I went to Redlynch expecting a wonderful day celebrating Book Week with our children and connecting with our team.
I came home reminded that the most meaningful impact we make is often found in the relationships we build, the trust we create and the way we make people feel.
I will never forget that day.
Thank you, Sanctuary Redlynch, for filling my cup more than you will probably ever know.
Until next time...
Lauren x
