Play-based education helps early learners grow confidence - from soil to snack time

Lizzie works as a Garden Educator at an Early Learning Centre just outside Melbourne’s CBD. With a background in environmental education and a passion for hands-on learning, Lizzie supports her centre’s Playground to Plate program - where children grow, harvest, and prepare food straight from their own garden.

As a first-time Early Learning Educator, Lizzie found herself looking for reliable, engaging and developmentally appropriate resources to support her in delivering the curriculum. That’s where Cool.org came in.

Cool.org’s Early Learning resources are designed to support educators working with children aged 3 to 5 and centre on play-based learning, curiosity, creativity, and care. The materials span a huge range of topics - from health and wellbeing to movement, nature play, and cultural connection - and are grounded in evidence-based practice.

Importantly, these resources are flexible enough to meet children where they’re at developmentally, while helping educators build confidence in areas like First Nations perspectives, sustainability, and social and emotional learning.

Lizzie says:

"I work as a Garden Educator at an Early Learning Centre just outside Melbourne CBD. It’s a mixed demographic suburb with migrant families, young families and older families and we run a Playground to Plate Program as part of our core curriculum."

"I love the emphasis on using play-based and intentional teaching strategies, the movement lessons have been a particular favourite, and the Connection to Country resources have really helped me feel confident in delivering resources that are accurate and culturally appropriate. Thank you so much Cool.org for the tremendous work and invaluable support.

Here’s a picture of me harvesting snow peas for an afternoon snack for some of our kinder kids in one of our productive centre gardens."

From fostering independence and motor skills to building awareness of cultural heritage and sustainability, Lizzie’s story shows how Cool.org’s Early Learning content can help educators bring learning to life - right from the garden bed.

Student examples