Emphasis on learning through play ticks the boxes Hands on: Children play in the child-friendly environment at Wee Care Kindergarten in Bondi Junction. It boasts a fairy garden, mud patch, separate art studio and large sandpit. And when government assessors walked into Wee Care Kindergarten at Bondi Junction they told head teacher Antonia Folden they could immediately feel what a child-friendly environment it was. Wee Care was judged by the NSW children's service to be exceeding the new education and care quality standards. Ms Folden said the centre placed great emphasis on developing strong and capable children who learn through play. Parents took advantage of the open-door policy, coming in to read books or cook with the children. "For World Oceans Day we'd never print out a stencil of a fish and say 'colour that in'," she said. "We offer books and photos, we had [marine animals] in glass cases for the children to look at, then we said, 'Create this out of clay and wire."' She said Wee Care did not have to change much to fall it into line with the new rigorous regulations."The new quality standards sat so well with us, there was almost a sigh of relief that it was how we were [assessed]," Ms Folden said. Cosima Marriner