Health, Wellbeing & Nutrition
Building coping skills
7 simple ideas for helping children build resilience in a stressful world.
Supporting the development of listening skills
Listening is an important lifelong skill, learn how to support children to develop great listening skills.
Vocal strain: Educators at risk
Strategies for preventing vocal strain and promoting good vocal health among busy early educators.
Available now: Free counselling services for educators and staff
Learn how to access free, confidential, one-on-one counselling support for educators.
Tackle toxic stress: Ensure safe, stable and nurturing relationships
The role of early learning settings in nurturing children who may be experiencing toxic stress.
Be Sun Smart This Summer
We all know Slip, Slop, Slap, but did you know there are two more factors that contribute to sun safety?
Managing stressful moments: Breathe deep and create calm
Six strategies to help early educators manage their stress response, which can be practised in the workplace.
How to Spot, Stop and Prevent Bullying
Research shows early educators may not recognise instance of bullying in the early years, learn the signs and symptoms of bullying.
Progressive mealtimes – Are they right for your service?
Nicole Halton from Inspired EC explains progressive mealtimes, the practice of allowing children to eat when they are hungry, rather than at set mealtimes.
Meet the Christchurch Preschool in the Park
Casa Dei Bambini Montessori Preschool, in Christchurch, is known as the preschool in the park as it survived the earthquakes and is now surrounded by parkland.
Compulsory COVID vaccinations…?
With COVID-19 vaccinations underway, this article discusses the rights of early education workers when it comes to vaccinations.
Gastro: How to Stop the Spread
What early childhood services can do to prevent gastro and how to respond in the case of an outbreak.
More than 35 million hours of early learning lost to Coronavirus
Research shows that preschool-aged children lost more than 35 million hours of early learning due to shut downs imposed by COVID-19.
Nappy changing: A valuable opportunity to connect
Maximising the opportunity to connect with children during nappy change.
Balance the day with supportive sleep-rest practices
The importance of structured sleep and rest time and tips on how to support children to take a break even if they don’t sleep.
Embracing the rich resource of cultural and linguistic diversity
Cultural and linguistic diversity is a rich and positive resource which educators can tap into to better support inclusive learning environments as well as the children within them.
Managing aggressive behaviour
Aggressive behaviour is common among young children but can be distressing for educators and other children. Learn how to manage aggressive behaviour and identify it's causes.
The scoop on safe and fun sandpit play
Sandpits offering plenty of opportunities for unstructured play. Learn how to maintain a safe and hygienic sandpit in your service.
How your service could benefit from positive psychology…
Psychologist Nicole Nossiter, the founder of Growing Strong Minds, explains how early childhood educators can support the wellbeing of young children through positive psychology.
Serving up safety at end-of-year festive celebrations
A range of COVIDSafe reminders and ideas for early education services wishing to celebrate 2020.
Upping vege intake for kids in early learning
Research shows children in early learning settings may not be consuming the recommended amount of vegetables and calls for a consistent approach to menu planning.
Mindfulness for preschoolers
Mindfulness educator Lisa Mount explains how mindfulness benefits preschool-aged children and offers tips for building simple mindfulness activities into the everyday routine at early learning centres.
Outdoor winter activity makes a lot of sense
Five good reasons to continue outdoor play during winter, how children benefit and what elements are necessary to ensure they have a comfortable experience, despite the conditions.
Burnout busters for worn out educators
Strategies for supporting the health and wellbeing of early education and care providers over the long months of winter to avoid burnout.
15 reasons why kids bite
The 15 main reasons why young children bite and what educators can do about it.
Books to boost LGBTQI Inclusion
10 age appropriate picture books celebrating a diverse range of families and children that will boost LGBTQI Inclusion in your early childhood service.
The power of language for thinking and learning
Learn how preschool-aged children use language to think and learn in this contribution by paediatric speech pathologists Tania Kelly and Janice Zee, directors of Little Birdie Books.
Strategies for supporting children with grief
How early childhood teachers can help children cope with their grief and common grief reactions among children at various ages and stages.
Making magic on International Mud Day
Ideas for participating in International Mud Day, an international event for celebrating the sensory and educational benefits to be gained from playing with mud.
Kitchen Hygiene in the Spotlight
7 simple strategies for ensuring the kitchen in your early childhood service is operating in line with best practice guidelines in terms of hygiene and cleanliness.
Early learning at Alert Level 2
With NZ likely to be at Alert Level 2 for some time, this article is a reminder what that looks like in early learning services and what hygiene procedures need to be adhered to at this level of operation.
Making sense of child temperament
How early education teachers can support children to better manage their emotional responses, by understanding the unique temperament of each child in an early learning setting.
Techniques and tips to avoid back pain and injury
Steps educators can take to reduce their risk of injury at work and care for their body.
Going vegan? Considerations for EC services
Dietitian Nicole Dynan, explains the key considerations for early childhood services wanting a more plant based diet.
Strategies for dealing with school sores
Learn how to identify school sores along with treatment protocols and recommended exclusion periods.
Up skill and exercise your brain with a free online course
Free online courses that can be undertaken in an educator’s own time and at their own pace offering invaluable new skills.
Learning about nature - The gift that never fades
8 small, simple cost effective ways that early childhood services can scaffold a child’s exposure to nature and environmental education as well as ideas to bring nature to your doorstep.
COVID-19 Information for ECEC
COVID-19 – information for ECEC.
Serve veggies with fun, frequency and a side of patience
Five strategies for early childhood services to boost vegetable consumption among children in care.
Supporting children to sleep well
How to support children in your service to get better sleep and what to tell parents.
Work can be stressful - Self care 101
9 simple ways to improve self care practices and boost wellbeing in your early childhood service.
Small but powerful steps to build a sense of gratitude
Learn how to teach young children gratitude and what activities can support this learning.
Fun Ideas for Boosting Activity Levels
The Healthy Active Learning initiative has been designed to promote and improve healthy eating and physical activity in schools, kura and early learning services across Aotearoa.
Novel Coronavirus – Exclusion Advice
Early learning services have been advised to inform families and staff members who have travelled to the Hubei Province in the past 14 days to isolate themselves in their home for 14 days.
The role of early childhood educators in preventing family violence
New Zealand has the worst reported rates of sexual and domestic violence in the OECD.
Helping children understand death and cope with grief
How do you help the children in your early childhood service understand death? And how do you help them cope when it touches them personally?
Mindfulness in early childhood settings
Mindfulness is a growing area of interest in the early childhood sector and is promoted as a way to reduce stress and anxiety and to improve mental health and wellbeing.
Can music improve emotion regulation?
Teaching young children how to manage and regulate big emotions is a challenging job, and one that early childhood educators face on a daily basis.
Nailing Nappy Changes
Nappy changing hacks to lighten your workload.
Fostering a sense of wonder
How to foster a sense of wonder and awe in children and how it benefits them.
Supporting early childhood friendships
Encouraging children to develop and maintain friendships in the early years is an important role for educators, and this week we look at the reasons why.
Educator vaccination status a growing concern
Why the vaccination status of educators is such an important issue right now.
Choking prevention for early learning centres
The latest information and advice on choking to ensure your service is well equipped to prevent and respond to incidences of choking.
Resilience lessons for early childhood
Supporting the development of resilience to improve the mental and physical wellbeing of children.
Measles - New Zealand still on high alert
The measles virus remains an ongoing concern in New Zealand as outbreaks continue to occur across the country.
How to turn mealtimes into successful development experiences
Making the most of mealtimes in early childhood education and care settings to learn and connect.
The link between bullying and depression
One in two Kiwi kids are bullied on a regular basis and bullying often begins in the preschool years.
What is FPIES?
FPIES and why allergy training is so important for early educators.
How to protect your back
Sating safe at work. according to Science Direct, early childhood education and care staff may contribute to 7 per cent of all reported workplace injuries.
Let's get physical - How much exercise should children be doing?
Physiacal activity guidelines for kids in care to support optimal physical wellbeing.