AUSSIE PRESCHOOLERS ESCAPE KINDERGARTEN AND WALK MORE THAN 1KM IN DESPERATE BID TO WATCH CARTOONS

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Two brazen preschoolers have been captured running along a busy road unsupervised on their way home to watch cartoons after escaping from a kindergarten in inner-city Melbourne.

Authorities are now investigating how the pair, aged four and five, managed to escape Fitzroy North's Isabel Henderson Kindergarten unnoticed on Monday morning.

As kindergarten staff launched a frantic search, CCTV captured the boy and girl hopping and skipping along St George's Road.

Multiple vehicles, including a tram and a truck, were seen travelling along the busy thoroughfare.

A stunned elderly Good Samaritan walking in the opposite direction did a double take as the pair ran past her.

She alerted other concerned bystanders, who contacted police and followed the pair to ensure they were safe. 

'A lady came up to us and asked us if we've seen two kids walking around the area,' one witness told Nine News.

'We were a bit confused, I said 'do you want us to help you?'

It is understood the children had been in the kindergarten playground when they removed brush fencing to escape.

Remarkably, the pair ended up at one of their homes more than a kilometre away, where a confused family member allowed them in, and let them watch the Netflix animation KPop Demon Hunters while the centre was called. 

The kindergarten launched an internal investigation into the pair's escape and were working with the relevant authorities.

It has also since written to parents to address the matter and spoken to children about safety.

'This is really devastating for the families involved and for us,' kindergarten director Anna Tibb told The Age.

'We are a very transparent and open organisation, and we take these things very seriously.'

The removed fencing has since been replaced to prevent any further runaways.

The Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority has launched an investigation into what happened.

'VECRA won't hesitate to take strong action to protect the safety, rights and best interests of children,' a spokesperson said.

'Parents have every right to expect that their children are actively supervised at all times while in education and care services.'

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2026-07-29T22:57:35Z