Research
Workforce
R U OK? Day: Ready for ECEC to get ready – Sparking lifelong connection
Fiona Alston
Aug 19, 2025
Save
R U OK? Day is Australia’s annual celebration of meaningful connection, held on the second Thursday of September this year, that falls on 11 September 2025. The message is simple yet powerful: start a caring conversation because a conversation could change a life.
In early childhood settings, small moments of care build a foundation of emotional safety and resilience. Promoting kindness, recognising feelings, and encouraging young children to ask questions like “How are you feeling?” are core to not just behavioural support but emotional education, something educators do all day, every day.R U OK?’s education hub includes tailored materials for children aged 5 and under crafted to align with the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and developed with early childhood expert Belinda Hibbert Highlights include:
- Week of Kindness
- Friendship Wall
- Being Kind
- Recognising Kind Behaviours
- Emotions and Emotional Regulation
These come ready-to-use as print-and-go templates, including bunting, colouring-in sheets, “Conversation Bingo,” word searches, and “Four Steps” posters to decorate learning spaces
Register for Free ResourcesVisit the R U OK? website and register to access PDFs, posters, conversation guides, social tiles and calendar planners for your centre, staffrooms and families
Create a 'Kindness Corner'Use templates like the “Friendship Wall” or “Conversation Bingo” to craft zones where children can pin kind thoughts, celebrate feelings, or mark when a friend has shown care.
Integrate learning into daily routinesRun quick, joyful activities like creating emoji masks (happy/sad/silly/mad), or a “Compliment Circle” where each child gives a compliment then reflect together on how it “felt to give and receive”
Emphasise emotional literacyEcho the guidance which encourages educators to help children put words around their “rough” and “smooth” feelings focusing on emotional resilience, not avoidance.
Looking after each other at work
R U OK? Day is also a vital reminder that emotional wellbeing starts with the adults in the room. In early childhood education, where emotional labour is high and stress can accumulate quietly, checking in with colleagues is just as important as supporting children.
A quick “Are you okay?”asked genuinely, can open space for trust, conversation and shared support. Leaders and educators can use the R U OK? Workplace Toolkit to foster safe, caring environments where everyone feels seen, heard and valued. Whether it’s a morning tea, a kindness board, or simply time to listen, prioritising wellbeing at work helps create the kind of emotionally safe environment that supports educators to give their best every day.Beyond the Day — Building emotional resilience every day
R U OK? resources are designed for year-round use well beyond the official Day. On the Every Day page, educators can find toolkits for staff, families, and community audiences, adaptable to any centre context.
Embedding emotional check-ins into everyday rhythm nurtures children’s capacity to notice when others aren’t okay, ask questions with compassion, and encourage gentle action, even if that’s just seeking help together.
R U OK? Day is more than a single calendar moment, it’s a joyful invitation for ECEC centres to model caring, conversations, and emotional literacy from the ground up. Educators aren’t just asking “Are you okay?” They're showing children how to be okay with asking, listening, caring, and supporting.
Don’t miss a thing
Related Articles
