Healesville Sanctuary Launches Eight-Week Playgroup for Toddlers

On a Wednesday morning in late April, a small group of two-year-olds and their adults gathered in a quiet pocket of Healesville Sanctuary, shoeless, running their fingers through bark chips and leaf litter. They weren’t just wandering past the kangaroo exhibit. They were the first children to sit inside Sanctuary Playgroup, an eight-week early-learning program that turns native bushland into a classroom.

The playgroup is the newest addition to the sanctuary’s offering for zoo member families, targeting children aged two to five. Sessions run for 90 minutes every Wednesday at 10.15am, with each term following a different theme. The first cohort began on 29 April 2026 and will wrap up on 17 June. Bookings for Term 2 have already closed, but the next intake – Term 3, starting 22 July – will soon open to members. It’s a commitment: book the first session and you’re locked in for all eight weeks, same day, same time, same group of children.

Zoos Victoria designed the playgroup around the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF), the government’s guide to play-based learning for under-fives. That means every craft activity, song, and sensory exploration ties directly to developmental milestones. For families looking at more than a one-off zoo trip, it’s a structured pathway into conservation values, led by early childhood specialists who know how to hold a toddler’s attention longer than a wallaby can hop.

The program leans on the sanctuary’s outdoor spaces: children might handle seed pods in the woodlands one week, follow a story about wombats under a messmate gum the next, and finish with a nature-inspired art project made from fallen leaves. The consistency of the same group, the same guide, and the same time slot each week is what sets it apart from a casual visit. For a parent, it’s the kind of routine that starts to feel familiar by week three. For a child, it’s a slow-build connection to native wildlife that isn’t rushed or performative.

Cost is $250 per child for the full eight weeks. Additional siblings aged two to five get a 10 percent discount, bringing the fee down to $225. Siblings under two don’t count toward the group’s capacity and don’t need a ticket, which is a practical detail families will appreciate. The sanctuary is clear on one point: only Zoo members can book. General admission won’t cut it. If you’re not already a member, this is the reason to sign up before Term 3 spots vanish.

Getting there with a pram and a reluctant toddler requires a plan. The sanctuary sits near Healesville township, about 65 kilometres east of Melbourne’s CBD. Driving is the most practical option for young families; there’s specific parking at the venue. Public transport is possible – train to Healesville station then bus or taxi – but the journey can stretch patience with little kids in tow. If you’re making the drive, it pays to build a full day out of the trip. The Yarra Valley’s cafes, bakeries, and family-friendly wineries are the obvious post-session stop. Healesville itself has a main street with playgrounds and lunch spots that don’t blink at a little noise.

What makes Sanctuary Playgroup different from a generic community centre program is the location. A morning spent in a place where cockatoos screech overhead and a keeper might walk past with a python draped over their shoulder isn’t something you can replicate indoors. The curriculum is designed to use that daily reality as a teaching tool. For families weighing the cost of extracurriculars, it’s a straightforward proposition: the same price might buy a term of swimming lessons, but it won’t come with the same wild backdrop or the same unhurried, tea-tree-scented air. Bookings for the upcoming terms are expected to fill fast. The sanctuary has not released a cap on numbers, but the first term’s closure signals that demand among members is alive and well.