Hello and Welcome
There’s a particular feeling people notice when they walk into Mt Cotton. It’s warm, welcoming and full of life. Children are deeply immersed in their discoveries, educators are right there alongside them, and creative moments often leave a little paint on more than just the paper.
We’re a large centre, with 99 places, but we’ve worked hard to make sure it never feels that way. Every child is known, every family is welcomed, and even in the busiest moments, there’s a sense of connection, belonging and home.
Centre Director
At the heart of everything we do is an unwavering commitment to child safety. It is a responsibility that shapes our decisions, our everyday practices and every interaction with children.
Our educators remain attentive to children's voices, behaviours, emotions and individual needs, creating environments where children feel safe, respected, heard and supported.
Through thoughtful supervision, strong safeguarding practices and a culture where children's wellbeing always comes first, we work to ensure that every child is protected, their boundaries are respected, and their right to feel safe is upheld every single day.
Visit Your Smart Tots Centre Today
Connection. Belonging. Home.
Childcare and early education in
Smart Tots Mt Cotton sits on Valley Way, opposite the IGA, welcoming families from across the Redlands, Mt Cotton, Sheldon, Cornubia, Redland Bay, Carbrook and Burbank.
We're surrounded by bushland and open sky, and we make the most of it. Days here are built around outdoor play, hands-on discovery and real experiences in our own community, from walking down to the local shops to our Kindy Golf program with Redland Bay Golf Club.
Step through our doors and you’ll be welcomed by a mural of the park stretching across our entry wall — a reflection of our belief that calm, natural and inspiring environments create the perfect foundation for children to learn, explore and grow.
See Smart Tots in action
Alongside the everyday program, children at Mt Cotton take part in specialist experiences that most centres don't offer:
We bring visiting professionals into the centre so families don't have to take time off work and children don't have to sit in unfamiliar waiting rooms.
Depending on the term, that includes:
Speech pathology
Occupational therapy
Dental checks
Children's haircuts
Children see these professionals in a place they already feel safe, surrounded by educators they trust — which makes an enormous difference to how the visit goes.
All allied health services are provided by independent visiting practitioners, with parent consent and bookings arranged directly.
Delivered by a Bachelor-qualified, Queensland Registered Teacher and guided by the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline, with so much more to discover, including our engaging STEAM programme that brings science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics to life through hands-on learning.
Alongside the everyday program, children at Mt Cotton take part in specialist experiences that most centres don’t offer:
Bush Kindy
Learning taken properly outdoors. Children explore the natural environment, take safe risks, and develop the kind of confidence that only comes from real space to move.
Kindy Science
This is an engaging external program that brings science to life through hands-on experiments, exciting discoveries and playful investigations. Children are encouraged to ask questions, explore how things work and develop a natural curiosity about the world around them.
Swimming
Water confidence and safety skills from an early age.
Kindy Golf
Run in partnership with Redland Bay Golf Club — coordination, patience and teamwork, with real coaches on real greens.
Community excursions and celebrations
Walks to the local shops, cultural celebrations, and event days that bring families together.
Our teachers are trained to bring science, technology, engineering and maths into the day in a hands-on, curiosity-led way.
Thoughtfully refreshed indoor and outdoor spaces that invite children to move, explore, create and discover through play.
Book a tour. See the rooms, meet the educators, and ask the hard questions.
See Smart Tots in action
Our program is built on the Early Years Learning Framework, the national curriculum for early childhood and shaped by what each child is genuinely curious about.
Reggio Emilia inspired learning
Imagine. Create. Discover. Grow.
The period from birth to age two lays the foundation for lifelong learning and wellbeing. Our nursery and toddler rooms are designed around that: responsive routines, consistent educators, and unhurried time to explore.
Our programs are Reggio Emilia-inspired and built on the Early Years Learning Framework — the national curriculum for early childhood.In practice, that means we start from a simple belief: children are capable, curious and full of ideas.
Our job isn't to fill them up with facts. It's to notice what's genuinely captivating them and build something worthwhile around it.
The environment does a lot of that work. Rooms are set up to invite investigation — open-ended materials, natural light, spaces that ask a question rather than give an answer.
Educators document what children discover and use it to plan what comes next.
Across every room, we're working towards the five EYLF Learning Outcomes:
children who know who they are and feel confident speaking up
Belonging to their family, their room and their neighbourhood
healthy bodies, settled minds, and the resilience to bounce back
curiosity, persistence and the
willingness to have a go
language, listening, storytelling and early literacy
Families receive ongoing updates on their child's learning through daily communication with educators and regular documentation of progress.
Extra Curricular Activities
Alongside the everyday program, children at Mt Cotton take part in specialist experiences that most centres don't offer.
Bush Kindy
Learning taken properly outdoors. Children explore the natural environment, take safe risks, and build the confidence that only comes from real space to move.
Kindy Science
Big questions, little scientists! Through hands-on experiments and playful discoveries, children explore how the world works, spark curiosity and develop a love of learning through investigation, imagination and wonder.
Swimming
Water confidence and safety skills, built steadily from an early age.
Kindy Golf
Run with Redland Bay Golf Club — coordination, patience and teamwork, with real coaches on real greens.
Environments
At Smart Tots Early Education, we create a welcoming place where your child can play, discover and grow. From nursery through to kindergarten, our caring educators nurture curiosity, build confidence and help every child feel a sense of belonging.
Being ready for school is so much more than knowing the alphabet. Our Kindergarten Program prepares children for Prep by building four things that matter most in a classroom:
01
asking questions, persisting through difficulty, having a go without fear of getting it wrong.
02
sharing, negotiating, resolving conflict, joining a group
03
managing a lunchbox, a bathroom trip, a jumper, a big feeling
04
understanding they're part of something bigger than themselves
Smart Tots Centre Director
Leading people. Inspiring children. Building community.
Hello, my name is Belle. I've worked in early childhood education for over 20 years, and I've been lucky enough to watch children grow and learn at every stage, from the nursery right through to outside school hours care. I've always been passionate about helping children build the foundations for lifelong learning, working alongside their families, and creating a safe, secure and trusting environment where children become strong, independent and confident. Just as important to me is supporting the educators in our team.
Advocating for them, mentoring them and empowering them is a part of my role I take real pride in, because great educators are what make great education possible. My door is always open. Come and say hello.
Our Educators
Ask a Mt Cotton parent what they love about us and they'll talk about the educators before anything else.
Our team is creative, warm and genuinely close — the kind of team that feels more like a family than a staff roster. They celebrate culture. They celebrate the small, beautiful moments in a child's day that a busier centre would let pass. And above everything, they celebrate the children themselves.
Every educator holds at least a nationally recognised early childhood qualification as required under the National Quality Framework, with Diploma-qualified and Bachelor-qualified team members across the centre. All hold current Blue Cards and up-to-date first aid, CPR, asthma and anaphylaxis training.
But that's the part you'd expect. What you can't put on a certificate is the way our educators greet children by name at the gate, remember what happened at the weekend, and light up when your child walks in.
Our team is culturally and gender diverse, and we think that matters. Children benefit from seeing the whole world reflected back at them.
Caring Educators
Where Curiosity Knows No Bounds
A big centre with a little-community feel, where muddy hands, curious minds and genuine connections make every day an adventure.
The Rhythm of Our Day
Each day balances care, play, rest and guided learning. The rhythm feels reassuring, while educators remain responsive to children’s interests, energy and individual needs.
Wondering what to pack for your little one’s day with us? We’ve put together everything you need to know to help make mornings a little easier; simply click the link below.
MORNING
Warm welcomes, open-ended play and time to settle into the day.
MIDDAY
Small-group learning, nourishing meals and respectful rest routines.
AFTERNOON
Outdoor discovery, creative experiences and calm transitions home.
What parents and our community say about us
Hear from our Smart Tots families and community about the care, connections and everyday moments that help their children feel at home.
Ready when you are
Meet our educators, explore the play spaces and see why families choose Smart Tots.
F A Q's
The centre provides long daycare and early education from 6 weeks through to school-going age, with age-appropriate studios and programmes for each stage.
Smart Tots Mt Cotton is open from 6:30 am to 6:30 pm, giving families flexibility around work and daily routines.
Yes. Families are warmly invited to book a tour, meet the team and explore the centre before making an enrolment decision.
Call the Capalaba team on (07) 3823 1145, request a callback, or fill out the form below and book a tour. The team can discuss availability, current fees and your family’s needs.
Your next step
Meet our educators, explore the learning spaces and ask every question on your list.
Your next step
