Nature play and school strategies

Educators have often wondered how the COVID pandemic impacted children's learning and development. The research is starting to emerge, and in this episode Crystal and Sophie take you through what the data is telling us, how it connects to your stories from the classroom, and what we should focus on to support children and families to thrive. This episode will appeal to early childhood educators, primary school staff, and parents of children who were in their early childhood (0-8) during the pandemic. 

This episode was informed by the following sources:

• Australian Early Development Census 2024 findings: https://www.aedc.gov.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/aedc_national-report-2024_da7-409a37b9d-95ce-43e7-af00-51aa604cf0b3.pdf?sfvrsn=b56015ba_1 
• Australian Early Development Census Data Story: How has the COVID19 pandemic affected children? https://www.aedc.gov.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/aedc-data-story_issue-3_covid_da6.pdf?sfvrsn=3dec201c_1 
• COVID Kids ABC Radio National Life Matters podcast (2023) https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/lifematters/talkback-covid-kids-pandemic-impacts/102439774  
• More than isolated: The experience of children and young people with disability and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic Report on CYDA’s 2020 COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and children and young people with disability survey by Professor Helen Dickinson and Dr Sophie Yates Public Service Research Group, School of Business, UNSW Canberra For Children and Young People with Disability Australia May 2020 https://cyda.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/covid_report_compressed_1.pdf 
• The Post-Pandemic Child by Professor Kim Cornish AM https://publishing.monash.edu/product/the-post-pandemic-child/  
• Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Children in Australian Early Childhood Education and Care from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute https://www.rch.org.au/uploadedFiles/Main/Content/ccchdev/Impact%20of%20COVID-19%20pandemic%20on%20children%20in%20Australian%20ECEC%20(1).pdf 
• National trends in child development AEDC (ECA conference presentation 2025) 
• ‘Are the kids alright? Raising the post-pandemic child’ panel discussion through Victoria University 2025 
• Full Stop Australia COVID19 response inquiry https://fullstop.org.au/uploads/main/Submissions-Reports/2024/Full-Stop-Australia-Submission-COVID-19-Response-Inquiry.pdf  
• SNAICC position on COVID19 https://www.snaicc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/SNAICC-position-on-COVID-19_ECEC_recovery.pdf
• Parenting During COVID‐19: A Study of Parents' Experiences Across Gender and Income Levels 

Full list here: Sources.pdf