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Incorporating Sound & Music Into Early Learning

From fostering creativity and self-expression to promoting language skills and cultural understanding, the benefits of incorporating music into our programs this way are many and varied.

But I understand that sometimes we just need a little inspiration to expand on what we’ve always done before, so in this edition, I'm sharing a few ideas and tips to help you get started.

How To Create Opportunities For Open Ended Play

Using a bit of common sense and a few creative strategies to overcome the challenges, you’ll find the open ended play approach a very useful way to support learning outcomes across various frameworks, including EYFS, EYLF, Te Whāriki, and ELOF.

But what exactly is open-ended play, and how can we incorporate it into our early learning environments? Let's start by breaking down the basics…

Supporting Emotional Intelligence & Regulation

In this edition, we're expanding on our exploration of "Nurturing Emotional Intelligence in Early Childhood: Tools and Strategies for Every Age".

While the regular Tips, Tools & Secrets newsletter provided a solid foundation, in this edtion of the extended magazine I'm going even further, giving you additional suggestions, practical strategies, AI tips, and reflective practice opportunities to strengthen your planning and interactions in supporting children's emotional regulation.

Make Documentation Easier & More Meaningful

In this edition, In this edition, we're diving deeper into our exploration of "Playful Assessment: Making Documentation Easier and More Meaningful".

While our regular Tips, Tools & Secrets newsletter laid the groundwork, the information in this extended edition magazine will strengthen your documentation skills by giving you a wealth of additional strategies, reflective opportunities, and creative ideas to reimagine and simplify your approach to capturing children's early learning journeys.

Creating Opportunities For Outdoor Learning

In this edition, we're popping on the hats and heading outdoors to explore how we can "Create Opportunities for Playful Outdoor Learning."

While the Tips, Tools & Secrets newsletter gave you inspiration for what’s possible with our outdoor planning and environment setup, this extended edition is here to help you take action that will help you reinvigorate your outdoor space into an engaging, inquiry-led early learning environment.

Inspiring Curiosity with Upcycled Materials.

In this edition we’re exploring the professional development theme "From Trash to Treasured Provocations: Inspiring Curiosity with Upcycled Materials."

While the Tips, Tools & Secrets newsletter gave you inspiration for what’s possible with incorporating recycled and upcycled materials into your activities and environments, this extended edition will give you even more ideas and inspiration that will help you find ways to transform trash into playful opportunities for eco friendly fun and active learning.

A Different Approach To Behaviour Management 

In this edition we’re exploring the professional development theme "From Control To Connection - Reimagining Behaviour Management in ECE."

I'm giving you more ideas, strategies and activities to try that will help you better understand what a connection based approach looks like in practice and how it could work for you. Together, we’ll cover practical strategies that you can use in your early learning environment, explore age-specific activities that build connection, and see how these practices link to the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) outcomes.

Stress Free Summative Assessments

In this edition we explore a less stressful and time consuming approach to summative assessment writing, offering practical tools, strategies, and mindset shifts to help you shift assessments from an overwhelming task into meaningful but efficient stories.

There is a wealth of ideas and inspiration to help you create assessments that truly celebrate each child's progress on their individual learning journey while aiming to reduce your admin workload.

Whether you're exploring timesaving AI tools, trying a new organisational method, or reframing your documentation mindset, there's something here to support you at every step.

Creating Inclusive End of Year Celebrations

In this edition we explore how to create meaningful end-of-year celebrations that support every child's unique story and help them feel truly valued in your early learning environment! We dive deep into practical strategies for planning inclusive celebrations that move beyond traditional holiday themes to focus on universal concepts like gratitude, community connection, and celebrating growth together.
From simple ways to incorporate child-led planning (even with babies and toddlers!) to tips for strengthening family partnerships and cultural competency, this extended edition is packed with ideas to help you create celebration moments that honour diversity while reducing planning stress.

The Educator’s Role as a Play Facilitator

In this edition we’re exploring the professional development topic:
"From Observer to Play Partner: Your Role As Facilitator in Play-Based Learning."
I’m giving you practical, easy to action strategies that will help you:
- Confidently shift between observer and engaged play partner
- Recognise when your presence adds value—and when it doesn’t
- Extend children’s learning through thoughtful interactions
- Document play in a way that makes learning visible—without disrupting the moment

The Difference Between Invitations and Provocations

In this edition, we’re exploring the professional development topic "Invitations vs. Provocations: How to Use Them to Support Play-Based Learning."
If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re setting up an Invitation to Play or a Provocation, or why children sometimes ignore a setup or use it in a completely unexpected way, this extended edition is for you!
Many educators feel frustrated when children don’t engage with their carefully arranged play spaces and invitations as they initially intended. But there's no “wrong” way to play! Understanding the difference between Invitations and Provocations will help you foster child-led learning, simplify planning, and create more meaningful play-based experiences.

Beyond Recycle Bins - A Holistic Approach To Embedding Sustainability

Sustainability in early childhood is about more than compost bins and veggie gardens. This extended magazine edition gives you practical, realistic strategies to make sustainability part of daily play and routines - without adding extra work onto your planning.

This edition shares age-specific approaches, from sensory connections for babies to leadership roles for school-aged children. You'll also find out how to support sustainability through storytelling, include First Nations perspectives, use AI to make sustainability easier, and examples of documentation to use that will support a holistic approach to sustainability.