Health, Wellbeing & Nutrition
Raising the bar on workplace wellbeing
Wellbeing strategies for early educators to prevent burnout over the silly season and beyond.
Tackle toxic stress: Ensure safe, stable and nurturing relationships
The role of early learning settings in nurturing children who may be experiencing toxic stress.
Building coping skills in early childhood
7 simple ideas for helping children build resilience in a stressful world.
Be sun smart this summer | CareforKids.com.au
It's important to be sun smart in early learning settings. This article covers all the basics and what to do in case of a child's overexposure to the sun.
Socialising children who have been in lockdown
Ideas for educators wanting to support children returning to care after a period of isolation.
Making masks more tolerable for children
With mask wearing a legal requirement during COVID-19 imposed lockdowns, this article explains how educators can help children become more accepting of mask use on adults and more tolerant of wearing masks themselves.
Barefoot learning: Benefits too great to walk past
The developmental benefits of bare foot learning in early childhood services and how to do it in the colder weather.
Raise awareness to protect pregnant staff from CMV
Cytomegalovirus can be easily transmitted in early learning settings, learn how to control CMV to reduce the risk for pregnant women.
Container Baby Syndrome
How to identify and prevent Container Baby Syndrome for infants in early learning services
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.
Physical activity guidelines in after school hours care
New physical activity guidelines for children in Outside School Hours Care services propose higher levels of physical activity than children are typically receiving.
How to spot, stop and prevent bullying
Learn the signs and symptoms of bullying in early learning services and how to support both the victim and the child bully.
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.
Compulsory COVID-19 vaccinations for ECEC?
With COVID-19 vaccine underway across Australia, learn the implications of the vaccination program for early educators and whether they will be required to be vaccinated.
Profile – Sustainable Play Preschool
The Sustainable Play Preschool in the Newcastle suburb of Barnsley has built sustainability into every aspect of the service to boost children’s wellbeing and educational outcomes and lessen the environmental impact.
How character strengths align with the EYLF
How the five learning outcomes in the EYLF can be supported by the educator, understanding of character strengths in children, and themselves, and how this supports children and families.
Embracing the rich resource of cultural and linguistic diversity
How to tap into cultural and linguistic diversity to create a more inclusive learning environment for children and families.
Gastro: The prevention strategies you need to know about
What early learning services can do to prevent gastro and how to respond in the case of an outbreak.
New ways to tempt picky eaters through learning and play
The Healthy Eating Advisory Service has launched a range of new resources to support early educators with fussy eaters, including suggestions for encouraging them to try new foods and a How To series.
Nappy changing: A valuable opportunity to connect
Nappy changes offer a valuable opportunity to connect with and support the development of young children. Learn how to maximise the benefits of nappy change for children.
Managing aggressive behaviour
How educators can manage aggressive behaviour among children and identify its causes.
The scoop on safe and fun sandpit play
Learn how to maintain a safe and hygienic sandpit in your early learning 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.
Planning an end of year celebration like no other
COVIDSafe reminders and ideas for early education services wishing to celebrate the end of 2020.
New research says boys benefit from starting child care early
New research from Canada shows that boys who start child care young may be more likely to finish high school and be financially successful.
Is it time for national menu guidelines for early education services?
Research shows many preschool-aged children in early learning settings may not be consuming the daily recommended amount of vegetables and calls for a nationally consistent approach to menu planning in centre based care.
Putting children first this National Child Protection Week
National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect National Manager for Child Safe Organisations, Sammy Bruderer, discusses the role of early educators in protecting the wellbeing of Australia’s children.
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.
Would you spend 50 cents per day for healthier kids?
New research from Edith Cowan University, has shown that spending an extra fifty cents per day on healthier food could deliver significant dividends to the health and wellbeing of children.
The power of language for thinking and learning
Learn how preschool-aged children use language to think and learn in this special contribution written by paediatric speech-language pathologists Tania Kelly and Janice Zee, directors of Little Birdie Books.
VIC Level 3 Restrictions: Guidance for providers
How gap fee waivers will ensure child care services maintain their enrolments and continue to be paid the CCS, even if a child is absent for a COVID-related reason.
Building stronger teams
COVID-19 has left many people feeling anxious and uncertain. This article looks at the ways early childhood leaders can support staff and help people feel connected and engaged in their workplace.
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, to ensure the wellbeing of staff and children.
Techniques and tips to avoid back pain and injury
How educators can work safely and reduce the risk of injuring their neck and back while lifting and playing with children.
Strategies for dealing with school sores
School sores, or impetigo, do happen in early childhood services, The good news is that despite being highly contagious impetigo is unlikely to cause major harm to children and usually clears up without causing scars.
Genetic link to childhood emotional, social and psychiatric problems
Learn how emotional, social and psychiatric issues among children may indicate a higher genetic vulnerability to adult depression, according to new research out of the University of Queensland.
COVID-19 Advice to supporting early learning communities
Beyond Blue and Early Childhood Australia have written a resource to support early childhood educators to take care of themselves, as well as children and families, during the restrictions imposed by COVID-19.
Going vegan? Considerations for EC services
Accredited dietitian Nicole Dynan, explains the key considerations for early childhood services seeking a more plant-based menu.
Up skill and exercise your brain with a free online course
Free online professional development courses can be undertaken in an educator’s own time and at their own pace offering invaluable new skills.
Kindness is contagious: Create a caring culture
Six ideas to support children to develop and practice acts of kindness and compassion.
Serve veggies with fun, frequency and a side of patience
AIHW research reveals that less than one per cent of children are eating the right quantity of vegetables each day. This article includes five strategies for early childhood services to boost vegetable consumption.
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.
Small but powerful steps to build a sense of gratitude
Learn how to teach young children gratitude and what activities can support this learning.
COVID-19 – Support for providers
COVID-19 – Support for child care providers.
COVID-19 Information for ECEC
COVID-19 Information for ECEC.
Could your future career be intergenerational care?
The benefits of inter-generational care and how qualifications could grow their numbers.
Work can be stressful - Self care 101
9 simple ways to improve self-care and boost wellbeing in your early childhood service.
Be You Resource Pack - Helping educators support children to cope after bushfires
Learn about the Be You initiative, which supports educators to nurture young children suffering from anxiety and trauma following the recent bushfires as well as storms and flooding.
Fun ideas for boosting activity levels
How to build more movement into the daily routine of children in early learning services.
Novel Coronavirus – Exclusion Advice
Early learning services have been advised to inform people who have travelled to the Hubei Province of China in the past 14 days to isolate themselves in their home for 14 days after leaving.
The role of early childhood educators in preventing family violence
How early childhood educators can support children and parents living with family violence.
Helping children understand death and cope with grief
Simple ideas for supporting children in your early childhood service to understand death.
Training to support mental health
The role of early childhood educators in supporting and nurturing the mental and emotional wellbeing of the children they care for.
Gardening activities for little green thumbs
Simple ideas for incorporating gardening opportunities in your program and the educational benefits for children.
Supporting early childhood friendships
Social interaction, bonding with peers, and establishing and maintaining friendships are important developmental milestones that offer children many benefits.
Resilience lessons for early childhood
Resilience is the ability to cope with life's ups and downs and is important for mental health and wellbeing of children. It's developed through social and emotional interaction and strengthened with practice.
The importance of sharing
Teaching sharing, an essential skill for social, cognitive, and emotional development of children.
Educator vaccination status a growing concern
What you need to know about measles and the importance of vaccination among educators.
Kids Alive - Do the Five
Drowning prevention strategies for young children and a summer water safety reminder.
How to turn mealtimes into successful development experiences
Why mealtimes are so valuable for young children in care, ways to improve your current systems and create different mealtime experiences.
The link between bullying and depression
How childhood bullying may contribute to depression later in life.
Promoting good mental health in the early childhood workforce
How we can support the mental health of our early educator workforce, and why it's important.
How Sensory Processing Disorder affects children
How to support children with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) in early education settings.
What is FPIES?
It is an essential legal requirement for early childhood educators to be trained on the full range of allergies , including FPIES.
Let's get physical - How much exercise should children be doing?
Physical activity is vital to a child's healthy development and helps with confidence, strength, motor skills, sleep, stress, obesity, behavioural issues and more.
New research - Integrating autistic children in mainstream care
Supporting autistic children to successfully assimilate into mainstream school alongside their non-autistic peers.
How to protect your back
Preventing back injuries among early educators.
Be You – Mental health initiative for early learning services
Beyond Blue has launched a new initiative for schools and early learning services, which aims to improve the mental health of children through provision of a seamless mental health resource.
Understanding and responding to biting
Understanding why children bite and strategies for supporting families and children through incidents.
Stop it at the Start
The Stop it at the Start campaign encourages all adults to think about the impact of what they say and do and how they talk to young children.
Mental health advice for early childhood from KidsMatter
Advice from KidsMatter on mental health among children.
An easier way to manage food allergies
A new look food allergen portal will make it easier for early childhood services to manage children with food allergies.
National Child Protection Week 2-8 September
National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN) National Manager for Child Safe Organisations Sammy Bruderer explains how early childhood services can protect young children from abuse and harm.
Burnout busters for early childhood staff
There aren't many jobs as physically and mentally taxing as early childhood education and care, and at this time of the year it's easy to become stressed, run down and unwell.
Vaccinations for early childhood staff
To protect yourself and the children in your service it's important to keep your vaccinations up-to-date, and while this isn't compulsory for early childhood staff it's highly recommended.
Protecting staff from parents who bully
Protecting your team of early educators from pushy and bullying parents.
High stress levels in early childhood workforce
Recent research from the UK demonstrates high stress levels among early educators, many who are considering quitting.
The effects of emotional eating at home
The tendency for children to eat more or less when stressed and upset is mainly influenced by the home environment and not by genes, according to a new study by University College London.
Menu planning tool aims to tackle obesity
In an effort to curtail obesity in young children the government has launched feedAustralia, a menu-planning tool to support early childhood services to provide meals which meet Australian Dietary Guidelines.
Boosting activity levels in early childhood
Research shows 66 per cent of children are not getting the nationally recommended three hours (180 minutes) of daily physical activity needed for optimal growth and development.
Supporting the oral health of young children
How educators can support oral hygiene among children in early leanring services.
11 safe sleeping practices
Early childhood educators play an important role in helping children and their parents develop safe practices to support quality sleep.
A new approach to mental health in education
Beyondblue's new National Education Initiative aims to transform Australia's approach to child and youth mental health care, by providing a single end-to-end school-based mental health framework.
Stamping out bullying in early childhood services
While bullying is not typically ascribed to children in the early years, bullying behaviours can start to appear as children start socialising and learning to relate to each other and witnessing how their behaviours impact others.
New tool to tackle childhood obesity
Free menu planning tool for early childhood services aims to reduce obesity among children in early learning services.
Mandatory sleep and rest policies
Mandatory sleep and rest policies.
Tougher vaccination rules for NSW early childhood services
Tougher vaccination rules for NSW early childhood services.
Obesity prevention guidelines being ignored
Obesity prevention guidelines being ignored.
National Nutrition Week 15-21 October 2017
National Nutrition Week 15-21 October 2017.
Healthy fundraising ideas for National Nutrition Week
Healthy fundraising ideas for National Nutrition Week.
Managing a gastro outbreak in your service
Managing a gastro outbreak in your service.
New book helping kids cope with family violence
New book helping kids cope with family violence.
New guidelines for childhood sport-related concussion
New guidelines for childhood sport-related concussion.
Keeping kids safe New guide to inform practice
Keeping kids safe New guide to inform practice.
Improving mental health from early childhood
Improving mental health from early childhood.
Autism changes to diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5
Autism changes to diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5.
Early childhood the key to improving Indigenous health
Early childhood the key to improving Indigenous health.
Poll shows No Jab No Play popular with parents
Poll shows No Jab No Play popular with parents.
Promoting verbal language skills
Promoting verbal language skills.
Managing ear infections in early childhood
Managing ear infections in early childhood.
The link between age and ADHD diagnosis
The link between age and ADHD diagnosis.
'Autism Epidemic' due to diagnosis of less severe symptoms
'Autism Epidemic' due to diagnosis of less severe symptoms.
Australia receives a D for kid's physical activity… again
Research shows that despite the active, sporty outdoorsy lifestyle for which Australia is famous for, our kids are some of the least active in the world according to Active Healthy Kids Australia.
Promoting language development in babies
Promoting language development in babies.