Storypark

Early childhood services use Storypark to record what children do and learn, and to share that record with their families in a private online space set up for each child. Educators add photos, video, audio and written observations, and families can respond, so a day's learning becomes a conversation instead of a note sent home at pick-up time.

Learning stories and planning for each child

The core of the product is documentation. Educators capture learning as it happens, then use the feedback that comes back from families to plan how to extend a child's interests and abilities. The vendor says the tool was shaped with guidance from specialists in early childhood education, and that documentation can be written to fit a service's own philosophy and curriculum. Developmental planning, child notes and learning stories all sit in the same place.

The family app and two-way messaging

Families get their own app. Through it they receive updates, messages, photos and details of a child's routines and learning, and they can write back. The vendor's argument is that parents who see the detail of what happens in a room understand the learning better, and it points to an independent study by a Canadian university from 2019 on how parents and educators experienced the tool.

Compliance records and daily routines

Preset planning templates are included, and a service can build its own forms. Compliance records are kept together so they are easy to find. The same section of the product covers cleaning checklists, menus, weekly lesson plans and daily sheets for infants and toddlers, which means routine paperwork lives alongside the learning record instead of in separate files.

Enrolment and finance tools

The current site has widened the range beyond documentation. It describes digital waitlists, tour bookings, customisable enquiry forms and paper-free enrolment, intended to move enquiries through to enrolments. For Australian services it also describes tools for managing the Child Care Subsidy, billing and payments, with a direct link to Services Australia and dashboards for reporting on financial performance.

Who uses it and how it is supported

Storypark says it serves childcare centres, preschools and before and after school programmes, with more than 11,000 early learning services and over a million family members using it worldwide. Support comes by email or chat inside the product, larger organisations are given a named account manager, and pedagogical consultants offer learning-focused support packages. Services can start a free trial or book a live demonstration with a specialist.

Storypark is an app for early childhood programmes to document learning and stay in touch with families. Educators share photos, video, audio and observations in a private online community for each child.

What Storypark offers

• Learning documentation: records learning as it happens and gathers feedback.
• Family app: two-way messages and updates on routines and learning.
• Planning templates: preset or custom forms, with compliance records kept together.
• Daily records: cleaning checklists, menus, weekly lesson plans and infant daily sheets.
• Live demos: specialists show the tool to interested services.

Who it works with

Early childhood centres, educators and families in many countries.

Key facts

• Reach: the vendor reports use by over 11,000 centres in 37 countries.
• Design: developed with guidance from early childhood experts.