Winter Workshop Series 2026

Real support. Practical strategies. Designed for early childhood education teams.

Winter workshops

Winter in early childhood education is no small feat. The energy shifts, the illnesses roll through, motivation dips, and the demands don’t ease up. This workshop series is designed to meet you where you are - providing practical, relevant support that you can take straight back into your centre, your team, and your daily practice.

These are not sit-and-listen sessions. These are real conversations, real strategies, and real solutions for the realities of teaching in Aotearoa today.

May – Winter Wellness
Keeping your team, tamariki and whānau well through the winter months. We all feel it - shorter days, colder weather, and the wave of winter illnesses. This workshop focuses on how to navigate the season proactively, not reactively.

Together we will explore:

Practical ways to support team wellbeing (without adding more to the workload)
Creating calm, responsive environments for tamariki during unsettled months
Strengthening communication and support for whānau
Simple systems that actually work during winter pressures

This is about getting through winter well, not just getting through it.

June – Midyear Motivation
You’ve hit the halfway mark - now let’s keep going
June is where things can start to dip. Energy is lower, routines feel heavy, and the end of the year still feels a long way off.

This workshop is about resetting and refocusing:

Reigniting motivation across your team
Revisiting purpose and why we do what we do
Practical strategies to lift morale and engagement
Small shifts that create big impact in daily practice

Because how you lead and teach now sets the tone for the rest of the year.

July – Tantrums: What’s Really Going On?
Who’s having them, why they’re happening, and what to do about it. Let’s be honest, winter brings big emotions, for tamariki and adults.

This session unpacks:

What’s behind behaviour (beyond the surface)
Age-appropriate responses grounded in current practice
Supporting emotional regulation in meaningful ways
How kaiako can respond consistently and calmly under pressure

No fluff, just practical strategies that work in real ECE environments.

August – Curriculum Slumps
Refocusing, being intentional, and staying the course
By August, many teams feel it - the curriculum starts to lose momentum.

This workshop brings you back to centre:

Reconnecting with intentional teaching practice
Strengthening curriculum design and set-up
Keeping learning environments fresh and engaging
Linking practice back to planning, assessment, and evaluation

This is about getting purposeful again, not just “filling the day.”

September – The Light at the End of the Tunnel
Finishing strong as the pace picks up while others start to wind down, ECE ramps up. Spring brings energy but also pressure.

We’ll focus on:

Managing the end-of-year workload without burnout
Keeping teams focused and energised
Supporting tamariki through transitions and change
Planning ahead while staying present

Let’s set you up to finish well, not just make it to December.