Learn Play Thrive The Podcast

In this episode, we are honoured to sit down with Director Amy Shine, an incredible force in the ECEC sector with over 25 years of dedicated experience in rural and remote communities. Amy is a passionate advocate for inclusion, reconciliation, and ensuring that every voice is heard within the early years classroom.

Amy shares her deep commitment to building strong community partnerships and a culture where everyone belongs. We dive into the vital work being done at Forbes Preschool, exploring how they collaborate with Community Health to identify gaps and ensure that essential speech and language programs are accessible to every child.

Amy provides tips for how educators and therapists can work together to create sustainable, evidence-based programs that make a difference. We discuss the critical referral stage—moving beyond just the initial assessment to ensure meaningful follow-up that shapes positive outcomes for children in the year before school.

Find out more:
https://www.facebook.com/p/Forbes-Preschool-100063665347418/ https://www.instagram.com/p/DJkeL0yTRHq/
https://www.forbespreschool.com/
If you enjoyed this episode, consider leaving us a review on your favourite podcast platform.
Have questions or feedback? Connect with us on social media or email us at [email protected]
Connect with Us:
- Website: www.learnplaythrive.com.au
- Instagram: @learnplaythrive_
- Facebook: @Learn Play Thrive Australia
- Email: [email protected]

In this month's episode of our Little Dreamers mini-series, we explore the playful world of our favourite furry friends! Host Kathryn leads preschoolers on a gentle relaxation journey through a sun-drenched backyard, smelling the fresh eucalyptus leaves and feeling the soft green grass. 
It’s a sensory-rich mindfulness experience designed to help little ones transition from high energy to a state of peace and calm. Preschoolers can also stretch their bodies with easy-to-follow yoga movements, including Downward Dog and Cat Pose. 
If you enjoyed this episode, consider leaving us a review on your favourite podcast platform.
Have questions or feedback? Connect with us on social media or email us at [email protected]
Connect with Us:
- Website: www.learnplaythrive.com.au
- Instagram: @learnplaythrive_
- Facebook: @Learn Play Thrive Australia
- Email: [email protected]

Welcome to an invigorating episode of Learn Play Thrive! Today, we are joined by a powerhouse of  our sector, Stacey Jackson from Twinkl Australia. As the Early Years Segment Manager, Stacey is at the forefront of bridge-building between pedagogical theory and the practical, transformative tools used in early years learning environments every day.

In this conversation, we dive deep into the 'why' behind the 'play', exploring how Twinkl's high-quality, EYLF V2.0 aligned resources can help spark children's curiosity and lifelong learning. Whether you are a sector leader or an educator in the thick of it, Stacey’s empowering perspective will help you rethink how to use intentional tools to enrich the lives of children from birth to five.

Stacey also shares insights into how Educational Leaders can use Twinkl's pedagogical tools as a foundation for mentoring, ensuring that inclusive philosophy and high expectations remain at the heart of every service. Plus, we are thrilled to celebrate Twinkl as our Platinum Sponsor for the upcoming Learn Play Thrive: Pedagogy in Practice conference! 

Find out more:
Twinkl Australia Early Years
Twinkl Australia Early Years Facebook group
Twinkl Australia Early Years Instagram
If you enjoyed this episode, consider leaving us a review on your favourite podcast platform.
Have questions or feedback? Connect with us on social media or email us at [email protected]
Connect with Us:
- Website: www.learnplaythrive.com.au
- Instagram: @learnplaythrive_
- Facebook: @Learn Play Thrive Australia
- Email: [email protected]

Join Linda Harrison and author/illustrator Aura Parker to explore the delightful picture book, Bowerbird Brood. This enchanting story is a heart-warming ode to nature and a mother's love, exploring themes of protection, nurturing, and belonging vital for young children.

Discover how Aura's beautiful illustrations feature 'seek-and-find' Australian insects and birds, supporting numeracy and early science concepts like bird life cycles and subitizing. Learn how the bowerbird's nest acts as a metaphor for security, giving children the confidence to explore their world.

This episode is packed with play-based, story-inspired ideas for educators! Get practical tips for implementing inquiry-based projects on bird habitats and behaviours. Tune in to gain new ideas for using Bowerbird Brood to explore STEM, belonging, and the natural environment in your early learning setting.

Find out more:
https://www.illustrated.com.au/craft
https://www.instagram.com/auraparker/?hl=en
https://www.abc.net.au/kidslisten/programs/noisy-by-nature
https://streetlibrary.org.au/what-is-a-street-library/
If you enjoyed this episode, consider leaving us a review on your favourite podcast platform.
Have questions or feedback? Connect with us on social media or email us at [email protected]
Connect with Us:
- Website: www.learnplaythrive.com.au
- Instagram: @learnplaythrive_
- Facebook: @Learn Play Thrive Australia
- Email: [email protected]

In this powerful episode of Learn Play Thrive, we are joined by Dr Red Ruby Scarlet—an activist, teacher-researcher, and academic who has spent over three decades championing quality early childhood education and care. 

Red is a driving force behind the Early Childhood Education Summit 2026, a national movement born out of the exclusion of early childhood educators from the very political decisions that shape their daily practice. We explore why this summit is a critical turning point for the sector, shifting the narrative to educators as the primary resource for child safety policy in Australia.

Red breaks down the mechanics of the upcoming summit, explaining how a unique collaboration between frontline educators and researchers is turning lived experience into a set of evidence-based demands for the Australian government. We discuss the importance of raising the voices of those on the ground and how this event—held both online and in Sydney—serves as a vital platform for educators to claim their power. This conversation is a call to action for anyone committed to the future of early childhood education and care. 

Tune in to learn how you can participate in this important initiative and help lead the professional debate.
Register to attend here:
https://redrubyscarlet.com.au/the-early-childhood-education-summit-2026/
https://events.humanitix.com/the-early-childhood-education-summit/tickets
If you enjoyed this episode, consider leaving us a review on your favourite podcast platform.
Have questions or feedback? Connect with us on social media or email us at [email protected]
Connect with Us:
- Website: www.learnplaythrive.com.au
- Instagram: @learnplaythrive_
- Facebook: @Learn Play Thrive Australia
- Email: [email protected]