A sea of possibilities: How a bottle cap mural inspired sustainability, leadership and community connection

At Montessori Minds early learning service, a striking new mural has transformed a simple wall and the way children, families and educators think about sustainability, creativity, and community. 

At the entrance of Montessori Minds, a wall now bursts with colour, texture and imagination. It’s no ordinary wall, it’s a “Sea of Possibilities“.

A fish swims alongside a turtle, coral blooms around jellyfish, and a wave curls through more than 1,500 carefully placed bottle caps. But beyond the mural’s visual beauty is a deeper message about what’s possible when children lead, communities unite, and sustainability is embraced through creativity.

The idea began, like many powerful learning moments, with play. One afternoon, a group of children began exploring a tub of old bottle caps set aside for crafts. Some lined them up by colour, others stacked them into towers. One child looked up and asked, “Can you make a fish for me?”

That single question sparked a project that would come to define the year.

Children quickly began sharing ideas coral inspired by the centre’s aquarium, turtles, jellyfish with tentacles. From that moment, they led the way. They chose a sea theme, designed the mural’s layout, and carefully selected animals and colours. 

The project tied closely to the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF), with children demonstrating voice, agency and collaboration across every phase.

As they sorted, cleaned and prepared the bottle caps, the children engaged deeply in sensorial and practical learning. Their fine motor skills, spatial awareness, and planning abilities flourished, alongside growing knowledge of sustainability and environmental care. 

A comment from one child “We need more blue. Ask your mum to buy the milk with blue caps!” revealed just how personally they had taken on the project. What began as exploration had become advocacy.

The community followed, families collected caps at home, local cafés and the nearby Rotary Club pitched in as well as staff from the Geelong Healthcare Precinct contributed. 

Every cap had to be cleaned, sorted, and placed with precision. Volunteers gave their time, parents, grandparents, local handymen, and friends. Over weekends, the mural began to take shape, a labour of love that connected young and old in shared purpose.

The mural didn’t just stay within the service. Families reported children initiating conversations about recycling at home. Some created art with reused materials. Others began collecting caps with extended family members. The learning became embedded in everyday life.

Now completed, the mural stands as a permanent reminder that powerful learning is not confined to planned lessons. The project aligns strongly with VEYLDF Learning Outcomes and the National Quality Standard including Quality Areas 1, 3 and 6. It also reminds us that beauty can come from what we discard and that even the smallest voices can lead meaningful change.

Each morning, children stop at the wall to admire their work. “That’s my red cap!” one exclaims. “I made that jellyfish!” another smiles. Their pride is palpable. Their learning, lasting.

This mural is just the beginning. Already, ideas are forming perhaps a vertical garden next? Or sculptures made from reused materials? Whatever comes, one thing is clear: from little caps, big things grow.

Visit Montessori Minds early learning to find out more about this purposeful project with the children, educators, families and communities.