The Podcast
Welcome to Learn Play Thrive The Podcast.
Join us for expert insights and interviews, practical tips and inspiring stories about all things Early Childhood Education. Whether you are an educator or sector leader, this podcast is your go to weekly resource to discover strategies to foster learning, promote play and empower young minds to thrive.
Your Host Simone Brand
This podcast has been a passion project and long-term vision for host Simone Brand. Simone has spent the last 8 years planning, developing, and operating two 130 place Early Learning Centres from the ground up on the NSW Central Coast.
Simone has an incredible amount of knowledge and experienced, as well as a huge number of learnings from her 15 years as an educator, room leader, Educational Leader, Nominated Supervisor, primary school teacher, centre developer, owner and Approved Provider.
In this podcast Simone shares everything from the day-to-day running's of the two exceeding rated Long Day Care centres, to interviews with experts in the Early Childhood sector. Simone's wealth of knowledge and community connections makes this podcast the go to place to be inspired, challenged and to receive many tips and tools to grow in your professional practice.
Podcast Episodes
Inspiring, knowledge building, practical tips and tools
Are you ready to dive in and check out our podcast episodes? Every episode covers a different conversation about current topics relevant to the early childhood education and care sector. After listening, be sure to check out the show notes for any free resources and/or useful links included as part of the discussion.
Our blog posts capture some of the content from our robust podcast chats. Jump on over to our blog page or sign up to our newsletter to take a read and share with your team.
Our most downloaded episodes
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Mini -Series Podcast Episodes
Little Library
Once a month you will hear from Linda Harrison, Central Coast Regional Director of the Children’s Book Council of Australia, as she takes a deep dive into a different picture book each month. Linda will share the story’s themes and ways educators can use the book to promote children’s language, literacy and learning across the curriculum. You’ll discover interactive, book-based experiences for children to further engage with the story through play and promote deeper understandings.
Little Dreamers
Welcome to Learn Play Thrive's mindfulness stories specially written for your preschoolers! We will be sharing one mindfulness journey a month and each one will have a different mindful theme and adventure for you to share with your children.
These mindfulness journeys offer a simple yet effective tool for promoting relaxation, body awareness, and igniting imaginative thinking in young children. They naturally guide preschoolers through gentle imagery and conclude with easy-to-follow yoga poses.
We are hoping these will be helpful during rest time especially for your preschoolers who might not be taking naps any longer but still need that very important quiet time.
Be sure to DOWNLOAD the FREE Companion Guide to these episodes designed to help you create a calm, engaging experience around each monthly mindfulness story. Inside, you’ll find tips for setting up the listening space, ideas for reflection and creative play after the story, and gentle extension experiences to deepen the theme.