The recent delivery of an award winning training course, aimed at helping children to overcome trauma and live happy lives, to over 2000 Queensland child protection workers has proved to have such high impact that the State Government have announced they are exploring how to roll it out to those working in early childhood education and care (ECEC).

Traditionally, in many cultures, the development of children’s plant knowledge, or ‘botanical literacies’ has come from a family member, such as a parent or grandparent.

The Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA) Victoria is hoping to ‘spread a little sunshine’ and remind educators, approved providers, directors and nominated supervisors about what drew them to working in the sector in the first place. Something pure, something real, something wonderful – the magic of early childhood.

The Abecedarian Approach Australia (3A) training recently reached Alice Springs, with students at Centralian Senior College, many of whom are Early Years Rewarding Careers Trainees, benefited from 3A Practitioner training, in an adaptation of the American Abecedarian program.

Play and activity were essential tenets of the kindergarten created in 1837 by Friedrich Fröbel. In creating the kindergarten, Fröbel had an intentional goal – teaching children to learn, observe, reason, express and create through play.