Explore & Develop

Welcome to Explore & Develop Freshwater

Scroll down to learn more about our service.

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Monday – Friday 7.00am – 6.00pm
68 Evans Street Freshwater NSW 2096
02 9071 8535

6 weeks to 6 years

We are a child-safe organisation

Meet the owner

Sally

With 25+ years of experience in Early Childhood Education and Care, and as a mother of four children, Sally, brings both professional expertise and personal understanding to her role as Explore & Develop Freshwater’s Owner/Approved Provider.

Throughout her career, Sally has been mindful about creating early learning environments where children feel safe, valued and deeply connected to the people around them. Her work has included volunteering within local early years and youth respite programs as well as international communities, where she witnessed firsthand the profound impact that nurturing, respectful educational environments can have on children, families and communities.

Features

Nutritious, seasonal menu prepared in-house
Nappies, wipes, formula & Sunscreen provided
Family Owned & Operated
Natural Outdoor Playscapes
Early Years & Extended Hours Preschool Curriculum
Beyond the Gate Curriculum
Learn to swim program
Strong Community Connections

Our approach

Explore & Develop Freshwater is a community-focused early learning service dedicated to creating thoughtful learning environments where children, families, our educational team and others feel a deep sense of belonging.

Conveniently located within the Harbord Diggers precinct, the children, families and educational team of our service community benefit from our beautiful coastal surroundings as well as the club’s aquatic, hospitality and wellness facilities – right on our doorstep!

  • As parents it warms our hearts to think how wonderful of an experience we and our son have enjoyed since joining E&D Freshwater. Our son’s development has been amazing going from English as a second language to fluent and from dreading daycare to loving it and not wanting to leave! The educators all the way up to owner Sally truly care about the children. We can’t say enough good things about the team; they are truly world class. The facilities and activities are top notch and we are very happy with our choice as daycare now feels like an extended family. Thank you very much for all you have done and continue to do it has made a big difference to our lives.
    Will (Jnr Preschool Room Parent)

  • From the moment you walk into Explore & Develop Freshwater you experience a sense of calm. The beautiful décor, indoor/outdoor environment, exciting toys and smiling faces of the educators only add to this great kindy!! The teachers and all staff are so friendly, interested and engaged in the children but also our family— they remember everybody’s name and any weekend plans and always ask how we are with genuine interest! We are absolutely loving being here— both our children come home talking about having had the best day playing and learning!! We love E&D Freshwater and cannot recommend it highly enough.
    Gemma (Toddler & Senior Preschool Parent)

  • The teams are great and really stand out as incredible individuals who really love the kids. It’s reassuring to know that the kids, have such a fantastic experience every day.
    “Mary & Liam (Infant & Toddler Room Parents)

  • I just wanted to write to say how fantastic the staff in the Explorers Room. Each time I come to kindy … they are there with such a fantastic presence.All the children in the Explorers room just adore them and are happy, they are really in amazing hands with Sarah and all the girls upstairs. She always goes out of her way to understand the needs of the kids. I’ve already told her how amazing I think she is, but I wanted to pass it on to you. It’s such a credit to you too Sally, all your staff are truly wonderful and so very engaged in the children and in life. Having children in both the upstairs and downstairs and how fantastic they all are is just a credit to you. So thank you so much for everything you do. You all do an amazing job and it is definitely noticed by our family.
    Fiona (Infants & Snr Preschool Room Parent)

  • Explore & Develop Freshwater is absolutely amazing, the facility, the staff, the menu and the daily programs are above and beyond perfect. I could not speak highly of the centre if I tried. Yordi has the best menu put together full of healthy foods! The staff are always willing to give you their time.
    Abbey (Toddler & Srn Preschool Parent)

  • We transitioned across just a few months ago from another service and I can honestly say Mila has never been happier. The staff are wonderful, friendly and genuinely caring. Explore & Develop Freshwater is a wonderful community of people, and I cannot be happier with the care their wonderful staff provide.
    Philippa (Infant Room Parent)

  • We have had the best time here, the girls have always loved attending and have made some beautiful friends – we always highly recommend you to our friends in the area. Thank you for everything and well done on your efforts in creating such a wonderful centre.
    Ange & James | Preschool Room

  • Thank you for such a wonderful year, he has enjoyed his time with each of you. Sally, you have created something so special and your leadership is so respected – we thank you very much.
    Fiona | Snr Preschool Room

  • I have particularly enjoyed the fantastic communication from Explore & Develop sharing with us how our child is going and what he is doing every day he is there as well as reflections on his own personal development in the learning stories. You all do such an incredible job and I am so grateful. I’ve never seen a place like yours and it is such an honour and a privilege to have our child there with you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your care and expertise this year.
    Alena | LG Toddler Room

  • I can not speak more highly of the staff you have in the upper toddler room. I feel so lucky to have found somewhere so special to attend daycare. They are all so lovely towards us; just now, they took the time to call me to tell me about his day and what a good day he had had, I thought how lovely of them to do that?
    Thank you for creating the most amazing daycare. Your staff are amazing!
    Tasha | UG Toddler Room

  • I also just love that the girls know A almost as well as Barry and I! They know if he’s having a bad day and they know his quirks – he definitely has a few and they know how to distract him and keep him calm which is so reassuring to know.

    He absolutely ADORES all of your staff and I just feel so happy that he’s with such wonderful women every day! I WISH I could spend every single day with him… but as I can’t, I’m just stoked that he’s happy and so well looked after.
    Hailey | Nursery Room

  • We love the kindy and so does B. The staff and what you do with children every day is just amazing. B has made such a huge progress in so many ways, the english vocabulary, her social skills, her confidence and she is now fully potty trained!

    Also big shout out to lovely Miss S. We think she is a superstar with so much passion and creativity, her drive to make new scenarios for children to play every day. We know it is all hard work and it amazes me how much she and other educators in B’s room put in to make us, parents, informed with all the reports, pictures, scrap book etc, we definitely appreciate it all! So thank you again and see you when we come back!
    Andrea | LG Toddler Room

  • We love Explore & Develop Freshwater. Beautiful caring staff, amazing healthy food and great facilities. A wonderful community.
    Kristen | Jnr Preschool Room

  • We have had a wonderfully positive experience here. A few months into Arlo’s attendance, we experienced a family tragedy; even though we hadn’t been at Explore & Develop very long, we felt very supported through that time and beyond. Arlo has loved all the educators he’s been lucky enough to have. He even named a Lego figurine after one of his educators and played at home with it all the time. I think these adults have such a huge impact on the lives of the children in their care, and the impact they have had on Arlo has been huge and very positive.

    Explore & Develop Freshwater don’t use agency staff and I think this is such a positive aspect of our experience. Having a familiar face ready to greet Arlo in the morning makes him feel comfortable and safe. It also allows the Teachers and children to build a relationship; they get to know the uniqueness and individuality of each child, which helps them relate and connect. Consistency for a child is so important, and that is what Explore & Develop gives us.
    Emily, Explore & Develop Freshwater Parent

  • Sophia was only 8 months old when she started at Explore & Develop Freshwater. She has been at Explore & Develop Freshwater most of her life and has enjoyed every single day!

    My husband and I are originally from overseas, which means we have no family nearby, as a result, our top priority was to find a service for Sophia that would become her second home and feel like family to her. We were never disappointed. Sophia found caring Educators and Teachers at Explore & Develop who not only looked after her but also nurtured her development, celebrated her achievements, and kept her safe, healthy, and happy.

    As a paediatric occupational therapist, I am very aware of the importance of children developing strong bonds and relationships with their educators. This is crucial for building trust, confidence, safe attachments, and maintaining clear and consistent routines.

    We always felt safe leaving Sophia at Explore & Develop Freshwater because we always knew who was there, and most importantly, Sophia was always happy to be at Explore & Develop with familiar Educators who knew exactly how to keep her happy and motivated!
    Nayare & Thomas, Explore & Develop Family

  • We have been fortunate enough to have been at Explore & Develop Freshwater since they first opened.

    Knowing that Explore & Develop is Owner / Operated, and being able to see Sally around the service helping out in the classrooms and being such a familiar face, it really hits home that it is such a very family orientated service here at Explore & Develop Freshwater.

    Its a really great family feel and Sally‘s done a great job to make sure that this is the way it has always been.

    The consistency of staff at Explore & Develop Freshwater, whether you are upstairs or down, and having the same people greeting you allows the kids to feel as though they really do know the staff, they are familiar to them, and they really are happy to go to anyone who greets them because they know everyone within the centre. We‘ve loved being at Explore & Develop; knowing that you are leaving your child with someone who knows them so well and is so genuinely caring and kind gives us the reassurance that they are in the best place, in the safest hands, whilst they are learning and having fun. We have never had any concerns about dropping our kids off, our biggest problem usually is getting them to leave in the evening!

    One of the incredible benefits of being at Explore & Develop Freshwater is the swimming program. Explore & Develop allows children to be taken within their day program to Carlile Swim Centre, which takes a job off our hands outside of the Early Childhood and School Week!

    They also enjoy going down to the beach; they have been on lots of excursions, they have been bird watching and whale watching, down on to the sand, to the Duke Statue – anything that can bring learning into their day and is within the Freshwater area has been taken advantage of and we are just so fortunate that the kids are allowed to go on excursions around the local area!
    Naomi, Explore & Develop Freshwater Parent

  • We have been part of Explore & Develop for the past 4 years since our son first started his early learning experience.

    We have had a fabulous experience at Explore & Develop Freshwater and we will continue to do so as our next child starts here, we just love the place – its amazing, and welcoming, and calm, and clean, and fantastic!

    We have had our son here throughout his preschool yea s, he‘s off to big school next year, and we have been really happy with the preschool program – so much so that he did two years rather than send him off to school we kept him here to have another year of preschool!

    He‘s learnt a lot through play.  Everyday he comes home with a new way to draw letters or explain numbers but is obvious that he has never formally been taught, he just gets to play and explore, and through that his literacy and numeracy skills have really come along so he is off to school as a fully empowered preschooler and he is so ready to go to school, Explore & Develop Freshwater has provided him with all the opportunities to do so.

    The thing I thing we love the most, aside from all the amazing side parts, the thing we really love is the staff here, they are just absolutely fantastic.

    We have always had the same teachers for our child, whether with him or around him, the whole time he has been here – everyone knows him, and our family, and really cares deeply for him; it feels like family here.

    Everyone looks out for him, we get post gabout things he has done from other teachers who have taken the time in the day to look out for him and we cannot really ask for much more.

    Explore & Develop Freshwater is owned and run by fabulous Sally, who I have been lucky enough to have grown up with, and she is a fantastic person who cares so deeply about the centre and every single child who is here.

    The fact that she runs the business shows, everyday, because she will care for your children like she cares for her own. She is wonderful. You will become part of her family if you join the Explore & Develop Family.
    Sooz, Explore & Develop Freshwater Parent

  • “I would like to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to the incredible staff at my son’s daycare for the unwavering support and dedication they have shown in helping A with his extra needs. From the very first day, it was apparent that this was a place where compassion and understanding reigned. The educators have gone above and beyond to create an inclusive environment where A feels safe, valued, and encouraged to explore his potential. Their tailored approaches, patience, and innovative strategies have made a tangible difference in his development, helping him to build confidence and social skills.”
    Bethany, Explore & Develop Freshwater Parent

  • Thank you to all of the educators for everything you do. You play such an important role in our children’s lives, and we are so grateful, both of our children love coming to Explore & Develop Freshwater.

    Thank you for making them feel safe, teaching them important life skills & having fun!
    Bradshaw Family

  • Thank you for the kindness, patience, and care you show Mila each and every day she spends with you.  Knowing she is supported, nurtured, and encouraged by such dedicated educators gives us so much comfort and joy.

    Your gentle guidance, warm smiles, and thoughtful ways mean more than words can express.

    We are truly grateful for the positive impact you have on her life and the love you bring into her early learning journey.
    Middleton Family

Learning Environments

Lilli Pilli Nursery Room

8 children, 6 weeks – 12 months

  • Dedicated sleep room
  • Personalised and developmentally-appropriate curriculum designed by our qualified and experienced Early Childhood educators
  • Supportive partnerships to develop nurturing routines that are reflective of home
  • Qualified and experienced Early Childhood Professionals
  • Architecturally designed indoor and outdoor learning environments
  • Secure online learning portal for families to access daily learning experiences, developmental observations and individual learning assessments
  • Breastfeeding room available for nursing mothers

Dedicated sleep room Personalised and developmentally-appropriate curriculum designed by our qualified and experienced Early Childhood educators Supportive partnerships to develop nurturing routines that are reflective of home Qualified and experienced Early Childhood Professionals Architecturally designed indoor and outdoor learning environments Secure online learning portal for families to access daily learning experiences, developmental observations and individual learning assessments Breastfeeding room available for nursing mothers

Wattle Room

12 children, 12 months – 2 years

  • Dedicated sleep room for infant children
  • Personalised and developmentally-appropriate curriculum designed by our qualified and experienced Early Childhood educators
  • Supportive partnerships to assist families as children transition into new routines and develop growing independence
  • Architecturally designed indoor  and outdoor learning environments
  • Secure online learning portal for families to access daily learning experiences, developmental observations and individual learning assessments
  • Breastfeeding room available for nursing mothers

Dedicated sleep room for infant children Personalised and developmentally-appropriate curriculum designed by our qualified and experienced Early Childhood educators Supportive partnerships to assist families as children transition into new routines and develop growing independence Architecturally designed indoor  and outdoor learning environments Secure online learning portal for families to access daily learning experiences, developmental observations and individual learning assessments Breastfeeding room available for nursing mothers

Toddler Rooms

15 children, 2 years – 3 years

  • Personalised and developmentally-appropriate curriculum designed by our qualified and experienced Early Childhood educators
  • Partnerships with families to support our toddlers’ growing autonomy, through nurturing the development of self-help skills, assisting the navigation of problem solving, and their increasing levels of communication
  • Architecturally designed indoor and outdoor learning environments
  • Secure online learning portal for families to access daily learning experiences, developmental observations and individual learning assessments
  • Breastfeeding room available for nursing mothers

Personalised and developmentally-appropriate curriculum designed by our qualified and experienced Early Childhood educators Partnerships with families to support our toddlers’ growing autonomy, through nurturing the development of self-help skills, assisting the navigation of problem solving, and their increasing levels of communication Architecturally designed indoor and outdoor learning environments Secure online learning portal for families to access daily learning experiences, developmental observations and individual learning assessments Breastfeeding room available for nursing mothers

Junior Preschool Room

20 children, 3 years – 4 years

  • Personalised and developmentally-appropriate curriculum designed by our qualified and experienced Early Childhood educators
  • Partnerships with families to support our junior preschoolers in preparing for their transition to primary school
  • Architecturally designed indoor and outdoor learning environments
  • Secure online learning portal for families to access daily learning experiences, developmental observations and individual learning assessments

Personalised and developmentally-appropriate curriculum designed by our qualified and experienced Early Childhood educators Partnerships with families to support our junior preschoolers in preparing for their transition to primary school Architecturally designed indoor and outdoor learning environments Secure online learning portal for families to access daily learning experiences, developmental observations and individual learning assessments

Senior Preschool Room

20 children, 4 years – 5+ years

  • Personalised and developmentally-appropriate curriculum designed by our qualified and experienced Early Childhood educators
  • Partnerships with families to support our senior preschoolers in preparation for their transition to primary school
  • Architecturally designed indoor and outdoor learning environments
  • Secure online learning portal for families to access daily learning experiences, developmental observations and individual learning assessments
  • The opportunity to participate in our Weekly ‘Learn to Swim Program’ in partnership with Carlile Swimming Freshwater
  • ‘Transition to School’ excursions to our local primary schools

Personalised and developmentally-appropriate curriculum designed by our qualified and experienced Early Childhood educators Partnerships with families to support our senior preschoolers in preparation for their transition to primary school Architecturally designed indoor and outdoor learning environments Secure online learning portal for families to access daily learning experiences, developmental observations and individual learning assessments The opportunity to participate in our Weekly ‘Learn to Swim Program’ in partnership with Carlile Swimming Freshwater ‘Transition to School’ excursions to our local primary schools

Rated 4.9 stars on Google

  • Amy Raper

    7 months ago

    Google

    E&D Freshwater is like no other and has been the most beautiful, incredible, loving, happy and supportive place for both my daughters. Having been there for 7 years, this became another home for not only my girls but for our family. It was very very sad to leave! The staff are fantastic and they truly care, support, educate and go above and beyond. I cannot recommend E&D Freshwater enough. Thank you again.

  • Donna Hudson

    8 months ago

    Google

    We cannot speak highly enough of Explore & Develop Freshwater. From the very beginning, the team created such a warm, nurturing, and supportive environment where our child truly thrived. It's obvious just how much the educators and leadership team go above and beyond. The care, dedication, and genuine love they show for the children is exceptional, and it gave us complete confidence every single day. The sense of community at Explore & Develop Freshwater is something truly special. The educators took the time to really know our family, and we feel incredibly grateful to have been part of such a thoughtful and professional service. Thank you to Sally and the entire team for the wonderful memories, care, and learning experiences. We feel so fortunate to have been part of the Explore & Develop Freshwater community and highly recommend it to any family.

  • Nick Tomlinson

    8 months ago

    Google

    Both of our boys attended Explore & Develop from around age one through to age five, and we have always been extremely happy with the care they received there. The environment is nurturing, thoughtful, and genuinely focused on helping children grow not just educationally, but as curious, confident, and kind humans. They were given so many opportunities to play, learn, socialise, and develop at their own pace, and we’ve seen the benefits of that foundation carry through as they’ve grown older. The staff have consistently been exceptional: caring, professional, and deeply invested in the children. Our boys formed special bonds with so many of them, which speaks volumes about the warmth and continuity of care. We feel very grateful to have had Explore & Develop as such an important part of our children’s early years, and would wholeheartedly recommend it to other families.

  • Johnny Larosa

    8 months ago

    Google

    We couldn’t have asked for a better daycare! Both our daughters joined as infants and loved every minute. All the educators and staff are one of a kind, all so caring and loving. An amazing community that truly feels like family, my daughters both left explore and develop with Incredible friends and it’s all thanks to Sally and her team. We’ll always be so grateful

  • Nicole Sly

    a year ago

    Google

    Both of our children were cared for and taught here from nursery to preschool. It is a centre full of caring and knowledgeable staff where we felt confident in their skill in nurturing young hearts and minds. Senior staff are present and responsive and there is clear leadership in each of the rooms. Physical and emotional development programs such as the resilience project were used and individual staff go above and beyond.

Fees & Inclusions

The daily fees for 2026

We are an approved Child Care Subsidy (CCS) service, which means eligible families will receive three days per week of subsidised care.

Use our CCS calculator for an estimate of your individual fees, or contact us and we’ll help you with it.

Our 2026 fees are outlined below. Note these fees are before CCS, which will significantly reduce out-of-pocket costs.

Our service is also eligible for Start Strong Fee Relief, providing a further saving for families of 3- and 4-year-old children, in addition to CCS.

AGE GROUPDAILY FEE (BEFORE CCS and Start Strong)
Nursery (0-2 years)$200
Early learning (2-3 years)$195.50
Preschool (3-5 years)$176

Our daily fee is all-inclusive, covering nutritious meals, snacks and drinks, nappies, wipes, sunscreen, bedding, educational programs and learning materials.

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Contact us

Monday – Friday 7.00am – 6.00pm
68 Evans Street
Freshwater NSW
2096
02 9071 8535

6 weeks to 6 years

We are a child-safe organisation