Bush Kinder
Bush Kinder is The Farmhouse’s nature-based 4-year-old kindergarten program.
Sure, we deliver all the ‘normal’ components of a kindergarten, but the passion of our educators, massive outdoor yard, big vegie gardens, and views of Mt Buller really make this place special.
The cows, goats, chickens, sheep, ducks, rabbits and guinea pigs would also like you to know they make the kinder experience pretty special too. As does the 1km on-site native corridor, complete with bush hut for roasting marshmallows and drinking hot chocolate.
You see, where you learn is just as important as what you learn.
Exploring nature
Actively utilising the outdoors as a classroom is essential for children’s engagement and curiosity. The program builds children’s confidence, character, trust and resilience in preparation for school. Children have the freedom to explore responsibilities and rights, to gain an understanding of how their actions and responses affect others and are empowered to make choices and appreciate the value of fairness.
In nature, children go on bush trips around our incredible community and in the foothills of the High Country, developing their understandings of the interdependence between land, people, plants and animals. Children develop their resilience, tolerance, abilities, confidence, self-reliance… and their eyes will fill with wonder. In caring for The Farmhouse animals, children develop compassion, responsibility, curiosity, empathy, self-esteem and of course… pure joy.
Intergenerational Learning Program
The Farmhouse has formed a partnership with our very own local Bindaree Retirement Centre to bring this beautiful concept to Mansfield families—of all ages. Once a week we visit Bindaree where our educational program continues, enhanced and enriched by the involvement of Bindaree residents.
As the first-world has become a generationally segregated society, these meaningful interactions are a joy to both demographics, sometimes separated by a hundred years but connected in moments of joy, laughter, singing songs together, reading books and doing craft activities with one another. These experiences deepens children’s sense of being and belonging within our community, where they’re engaging meaningfully within the fabric of our local community.
Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program
Pleasurable food education is a fun, hands-on approach to teaching children and young people about fresh, seasonal, delicious food so they form positive food habits for life.
Delivered through a kitchen garden program, pleasurable food education has an array of health, wellbeing, education and community benefits.
The Farmhouse has been delivering the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen-Garden Program for over ten years, with a commitment so strong that all of our rooms have access to their own kitchen. Plus we have a dedicated Kitchen-Garden room with an interactive kitchen environment and the vegie and herb gardens ? Well, they’re everywhere, and they’re thriving!
Rites of Passage
A Rite of Passage is a way of recognising that life and a person’s role in it will be permanently different—in a positive way. Our bush excursions are a Rite of Passage for children prior to beginning school. Stretching back thousands of years, indigenous tribes and communities put enormous effort into their Rites of Passage, however somewhere in the 21st Century we forgot how to acknowledge these important milestones in our lives. Not any more.
On their last bush excursion though they’re in for a surprise and together we celebrate this major milestone in their young life, acknowledging the journey they’ve taken this year.
All year they’ve taken these journeys themselves, but on the last one children are met by their family, welcoming them with pride and acceptance for the child they’ve become, ready for their primary education to begin. We’re not aware of any other kindergarten in the first world that values a Rite of Passage in such a thoughtful and community-orientated way.
Additional care
In 2026, Bush Kinder is delivered on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 8.30am-3pm.
Life’s busy, for all different reasons. To help the running of your week, The Farmhouse offers before and after kinder care to Bush Kinder children. Your child can attend The Farmhouse before kinder, and is then walked across to the Kindergarten building ready commence their kinder session. At the end of the kinder session, your child is walked back by our staff to The Farmhouse for a seamless day. Many children do one or both of the above and enjoy the security this offers.
Before Kinder Care: 6.45am-8.30am
After Kinder Care: 3-6pm
Kinder children can also attend The Farmhouse on their “non-kinder” days where care is available 6.45am-6pm.
Enrolments are open
To avoid disappointment, please let us know as soon as possible that you would like to join us. Feel free to come and see Bush Kinder for yourself!
3494 Maroondah Highway, Mansfield.
Just 2 minutes from the centre of town!