In this special episode of Early Start Expert Insights, we introduce our new hosts! New Early Start Co-Directors Associate Professor Judy Pickard and Associate Professor Anthony McKnight introduce themselves and share their vision for the future of Early Start.

In this episode, Lisa is joined by Emma and Mel from the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District. Together, they explore what it means to raise healthy eaters, discuss the principles behind their Growing Healthy Eaters program, and share practical strategies that can help take the pressure out of mealtimes.

In this episode, we explore the Sustaining NSW Families (SNF) program with Paula, a child and family health nurse, and Anna, a speech pathologist from the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District. Together, they unpack this nurse‑led sustained home visiting program that supports families from pregnancy through to a child’s second birthday.

In this episode, we hear from Fulbright Scholar Clare Murray during her visit to UOW for the International Art in Early Childhood Conference. Clare reflects on listening to children through art and making, her research with museums in Paraguay, and why child‑centred museum spaces matter. Together we explore how museums can honour children’s voices and create meaningful connections to culture, community, and place.

In this episode we explore the Binji and Boori program, an Aboriginal Maternal Infant Child Health Service supporting families across the Illawarra. Joined by Aboriginal health worker Lisa and midwife Katrina, we discuss culturally safe, holistic care from pregnancy through early childhood. Together we reflect on the importance of continuity, community connection, and advocacy, and how trusted relationships help Aboriginal children and families thrive during the critical early years.

In this episode we discuss a remarkable archive of children’s artwork from 1977, gathered from nearly 20 countries and recently rediscovered in a cardboard box. Gigi Schroeder Yu reflects on what these drawings reveal about children as artists, observers, and cultural contributors across time. Together we consider how visual art helps children make sense of their worlds and why their creative voices matter.

This episode continues our conversation with Gregory Metcalf from Scotland’s Children’s Parliament, exploring how young children make sense of digital technologies and the issues that matter most to them. Gregory reflects on recent workshops with children asking what they worry about, what they want changed, and how their perspectives reveal both the challenges and possibilities of designing technology that genuinely respects children’s rights.

In this episode, we sit down with Gregory Metcalf from Scotland’s Children’s Parliament to explore how children understand and are impacted by artificial intelligence. Gregory shares insights from a multi‑year project engaging 8–12‑year‑olds across Scotland in conversations about AI: what excites them, what worries them, and why their voices matter in shaping ethical, child‑centred technologies.

Today we explore how The City School in Bangkok, Thailand embraces the Reggio Emilia approach through interdisciplinary, project-based learning. Lea describes how each year begins with a blank slate, co-constructed with children’s curiosities, theories, and noticings. What does it mean to truly listen to children? How can education foster creativity and agency from the earliest years?

What does it mean to play? Where do digital and physical experiences intersect? Is there a distinction between digital and non-digital play? And what do adults need to understand about what play looks like today? Today we work to collectively build understandings of play and explore new possibilities for playful participation in the digital age.