Celebrating a year of Y Kinders’ Sandbox – Free high-quality professional development for Early Childhood Educators

Understanding the importance of professional development for the early childhood sector,the team from Y Kinders were proud to celebrate a significant milestone recently, marking 12 months since the popular Sandbox program was introduced to the sector. 

Sandbox is a free high-quality learning platform designed specifically for Australia’s early childhood sector, funded by the Victorian Government, and developed in partnership with Federation University. 

Delivered by Y Kinders, Sandbox is packed with engaging, practical modules to support educators at every stage of their careers, and is built for educators, backed by experts. 

Built for Educators, backed by experts

Every module in Sandbox has been developed by Y Kinders with sector leading experts and shaped by feedback from educators across Australia. The content is designed to be practical and immediately useful—giving strategies that can be applied in services straight away.

Emily Chatham, Sandbox Project Sponsor and Executive Manager, People and Culture at Y Kinders, has been close to the development and had a keen eye on the reactions of those road testing the modules already released.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the positive feedback, with early adopters praising the depth and quality of the modules,” she said. “Peer reviews and our research partner Federation University have confirmed what we already knew—Sandbox is a game-changer for professional learning in early childhood education.” 

“We keep hearing about the appeal for our educators across the board. Whether you’re new to the profession or looking to expand your skills, there’s content that’s relevant, easy to use, and designed to make a real impact in early learning environments.”

More learning, more growth

The Sandbox project team is excited to announce three new modules coming soon, which will be freely available.

“We’re always listening to the early childhood community and evolving Sandbox based on feedback,” Emily said of the ongoing project development. “These modules will cover emerging trends, innovative teaching strategies, and ways to build stronger connections with families and communities.”

The new learning units will include short video clips taken directly from real-life examples being filmed at Y Kinders.

Available Australia-wide – free of charge

As an online platform, Sandbox has been created to be engaging and accessible.

“Learning is flexible, so you can complete the variety of modules at your own pace, on your own schedule,” Emily explained.

“We believe professional development should be available to all educators, without financial barriers. That’s why Sandbox is 100 per cent free, ensuring every early childhood educator in Australia can access high-quality learning opportunities,” she added.

Proudly supporting Early Childhood Educators

“As one of the largest Early Years Managers in Victoria, we’re incredibly proud at Y Kinders to have created and facilitated Sandbox, for our own teams and also for all early childhood educators,” she continued. 

“Our goal is to support educators in delivering the best possible learning experiences for young children. By providing free, high-quality professional development, we’re helping to strengthen the early childhood sector across Australia.”

Join the Sandbox community

Early Childhood educators are invited to explore Sandbox and start learning for free at sandbox.org.au, and to take advantage of the fresh ideas, new strategies, and deeper insights, all designed to assist professional growth.