Mother Duck Childcare Lawnton

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.....

Sparked by the Kindergarten children's curiosity about the birds visiting our outdoor environment, this inquiry grew through ongoing discussions, shared ideas and hands on experiences. The children named the space "The Lorikeet Coop", worked together to clear the area and added a water bowl and food to encourage more birds to visit. Families and Educators collaborated alongside the children, extending the project through meaningful contributions and conversations. This documentation celebrates the children's voices, their growing understanding of caring for living things, and the rich learning that develops through child-led inquiry, exploration and collaboration.

Have you met our new fish friends? You'll find them swimming happily in the fish tank in our foyer, where the children have been enjoying watching, wondering and learning about how to care for them.

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...

“Teamwork turns wonder into discovery, exploration into learning, and small moments into great successes.”

During NAIDOC Week, our conversations in the Herb Patch Studio centered on Connection to Country through shared responsibility, respect and belonging. Together, the children reflected on the meaning of our yarning circle as a place where everyone is welcomed, valued and listened to. Through these discussions, we explored the importance of respecting each person's right to speak and be heard, taking turns to share ideas, stories and perspectives. The children worked collaboratively to clean and care for the yarning circle, recognising that looking after shared spaces is one way we show respect for one another and our community. Inspired by these conversations, the children also made a plan and designed a special talking stick to be used during our yarning circles. This meaningful process encouraged thoughtful communication, active listening and a deeper understanding of Aboriginal ways of learning through storytelling, connection and respect. Through these experiences, children strengthened their sense of community while developing an appreciation for caring for people, place and Country.

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...

Today the children explored a ball-and-box challenge they co-created together. After listening to one another’s ideas and agreeing on the rules, they took turns aiming to topple the box tower, then returned to rebuild and reimagine it each time.

We noticed so much shared thinking as friends encouraged each other, negotiated turns, adjusted their strategies, and solved problems in the moment. The children’s joy, perseverance, and sense of community were wonderful to witness.

Through this play, the children strengthened skills in listening, turn-taking, communication, collaboration, and creative problem-solving—while having lots of fun together!

Creating child-safe organisations requires more than policies alone — it also requires adults to feel confident and responsible to speak up when something does not feel right.

At Mother Duck Childcare and Kindergarten, our Code of Conduct places a strong focus on reporting pathways, accountability and creating a culture where concerns are taken seriously and responded to appropriately.

Heidi Denner, Training and Development Officer at Mother Duck explains more in her blog.

https://loom.ly/wDd9Xwc

Speaking Up: Reporting Pathways and the Reportable Conduct Scheme - Mother Duck Child Care Creating child-safe organisations requires more than policies alone — it also requires adults to feel confident and responsible to speak up when something does not feel right. At Mother Duck Childcare and Kindergarten, our Code of Conduct places a strong focus on reporting pathways, accountability...

During outdoor play, the children discovered pieces of bark on the ground, sparking their curiosity about where it had come from. Educators supported their investigation by encouraging the children to explore the beautiful tree in the yard, where they examined its texture, poked gently at the holes in the trunk, and shared their ideas about the creatures that might live there. Inspired by their discoveries, the children used the bark in their play, mixing dirt and water to create mud and engaging in rich sensory experiences.