For almost a year, a valuable educational facility has been openly operating in Narromine, but it would seem that few in the community know it exists.

Narromine Out Of School Hours Care, or OOSH as it’s called, has transformed the privately leased hall and rear outdoor space at the Generocity Church property in Dandaloo Street into a thriving activity centre each weekday afternoon during term time.

Supporting students from Kinder through to Year Six, OOSH provides a safe and supervised program of structured indoor and outdoor activities for participants between 3pm and 6pm, as well as afternoon tea that the children help prepare.

Importantly, by design and to support child protection, the program offered at Narromine OOSH is device-free. Activities do not involve technology, and staff phones do not have cameras, which proprietor Tanya Blair purposefully sourced from the USA.

“There’s no technology here. We just don't incorporate that into our education plan in any way, shape, or form,” she said.

Tanya told Dubbo Photo News the service opened in term four, 2025, after almost two years’ preparatory work, such is the regulated nature of establishing and operating outside school hours care in NSW.

“It’s policies and procedures, constant checklists and inspections,” Tanya explained.

“The Department of Education is really happy [with what we’re doing] and now we’re starting to push enrolments,” she added.

Tanya said the afternoon routine at Narromine OOSH begins with a structured afternoon tea from 3.30pm to 4.00 pm.

“We teach the kids to make their own afternoon tea. We don't do it for them. All the supplies are there if they want to do toasties or other sorts of things, and we'll supervise. But our big thing is teaching them to do it for themselves,” Tanya said.

“I find food is the most important thing to be putting in their tummies straight after school, and then we'll move into a world of activities.

“Mondays are a bit slower so we do more arts and craft, colouring, painting and ‘calmer things’ after a busy weekend, as they tend to be a bit tired,” she added.

“Tuesday is all about connecting them together and teamwork, doing obstacle courses, making decisions. Wednesday is always around sport and play, so a lot of soccer, basketball, movement, jumping. We do a lot of hands-on stuff.

“On Thursday it's mainly strategy games; a lot of Connect Four, and Monopoly is a big thing as well. Looking at numbers and money, but from a play aspect.

“And on Friday we do gardening,” Tanya added, proudly showing Dubbo Photo News the impressive outdoor space at the rear of the building which contains a thriving vegetable garden.

While Tanya herself does not personally have an education background, she has an established career in the international wine industry and is also a local broadacre cropping farmer.

The mum of two was inspired to start Narromine OOSH because one didn’t exist locally, and she felt her sons would benefit from a social setting that didn’t resemble school or sports.

“My kids don't enjoy sport as such, and we have no family here, so it was a way to give them connection with children their own age in a social setting that wasn't structured like school, and isn't sport,” Tanya explained.

While Narromine OOSH currently operates in the afternoons during term time, Tanya hopes to be able to grow the service to offer vacation care down the track. The centre is currently licensed for 46 children, and off-street parking is available in the Generocity Church carpark, making access to and from the centre easy and safe.

New enrolments are welcome, and further information about the service can be obtained by following Narromine OOSH on social media, by emailing Tanya at info@narromine-oosh.com.au, or calling 0418 288 457.