Mother Duck Childcare Enoggera

Our Junior studio children have made friends with 'chocolate' the Magpie (named by one of the Junior studio children). Chocolate visits often, brings excitement and so much curiosity for our children during their days. Our Junior children will begin an inquiry around chocolate and how they can further develop their interests around him.

When people think about early childhood education, they often picture play.

Building towers.
Painting.
Reading stories.
Singing songs.
Exploring outdoors.

Play is certainly at the heart of what we do.

But behind every meaningful learning experience sits something that is far less visible.

Karen Prestedge highlights the importance of recognising the invisible work that early childhood educators do to help our children thrive whilst in their care.

https://loom.ly/FclGGeU

The Thinking Work We Don't Always See in Early Childhood Education - Mother Duck Child Care When people think about early childhood education, they often picture play. Building towers. Painting. Reading stories. Singing songs. Exploring outdoors. Play is certainly at the heart of what we do. But behind every meaningful learning experience sits something that is far less visible. Thinking.....

Our infant studio children have continued to extend their exploration of light and colour, discovering how colours move, change, and reflect throughout the environment. As they watched, reached, touched, and tracked the light with their eyes, the children developed their sensory awareness, visual tracking, and curiosity through meaningful exploration.

Educators extended the children's learning by providing repeated opportunities to investigate light and colour, following their interests and allowing time to revisit their discoveries at their own pace. This responsive approach nurtured curiosity, confidence, and a love of exploration.

Our educators recently came together for a staff meeting to explore and discuss our updated Code of Conduct, with a strong focus on creating and maintaining child-safe environments. Together, we reflected on what child safety looks like in our everyday practice, considering how our interactions, environments, and routines support the wellbeing of every child. Through collaborative brainstorming, educators identified practical ways to strengthen our learning spaces and practices, ensuring our service continues to foster a culture where children feel safe, respected, valued, and empowered.

As part of our recent review of our Code of Conduct, educators and children worked together to reinforce the importance of keeping our studios phone free, and sharing this with families coming into the service. Children created "Phone Free Zone" signs to proudly display throughout the learning environment, helping to promote this shared expectation. By keeping personal phones out of the studios, we minimise distractions and ensure educators remain present, responsive, and focused on providing a safe, secure, and engaging environment where every child is supported and protected.

Our infants are beginning to build meaningful relationships with their peers by noticing one another and responding to invitations to play. Through shared smiles, gestures, sounds, and simple interactions, they are developing important social skills, learning to connect, communicate, and enjoy experiences together.

Our Kindergarten children are offered a variety of opportunities to strengthen their fine motor skills through writing and drawing experiences. These experiences support the development of pencil grip, hand control, and coordination, building confidence as children practise writing their names, forming letters, and expressing their ideas through drawing and early writing.

There is a quiet emotional load that exists within early childhood education.

Not the loud or dramatic kind people often imagine, but the kind that can become so familiar within the profession that educators simply learn to carry it as part of their everyday work.

It is the constant stimulation.
The ongoing movement, conversations, questions, routines, and responsibilities that fill each day.
The responsibility of remaining emotionally available, calm, patient, nurturing, observant, and responsive for children throughout the day.

Katy Bloodworth shares a deeper insight as we acknowledge the extraordinary emotional commitment that educators bring to their work each day.

https://loom.ly/0xmD3ic

The Emotional Work We Don’t Always See in Early Childhood Education - Mother Duck Child Care There is a quiet emotional load that exists within early childhood education. Not the loud or dramatic kind people often imagine, but the kind that can become so familiar within the profession that educators simply learn to carry it as part of their everyday work. It is the constant stimulation. The...

Even our youngest children are encouraged and supported to develop good sun safety habits. Through consistent role modelling and gentle guidance, educators help children learn the importance of wearing hats, seeking shade, and applying sunscreen. By teaching and reinforcing these healthy practices from an early age, we help children build lifelong habits that support their health and wellbeing.

When people think about child safety, they often think first about interactions between adults and children. However, research increasingly shows that safe workplace cultures between adults are also critical to safeguarding children.

At Mother Duck Childcare and Kindergarten, our Code of Conduct includes a strong focus on respectful conduct between adults and understanding our responsibilities under workplace legislation.

Heidi Denner shares more about positive duty and our Code of Conduct in her blog.

https://loom.ly/_aQz63o

Positive Duty and Safe Workplace Cultures - Mother Duck Child Care When people think about child safety, they often think first about interactions between adults and children. However, research increasingly shows that safe workplace cultures between adults are also critical to safeguarding children. At Mother Duck Childcare and Kindergarten, our Code of Conduct inc...