In early childhood education, wellbeing is more than physical health—it’s about emotional safety, social connection, and the ability to navigate life’s ups and downs. The National Quality Framework (NQF), through the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) V2.0, 2022 and the My Time, Our Place (MTOP) Framework, places strong emphasis on wellbeing as a foundation for learning and development.
Social-emotional wellbeing includes a child’s ability to understand and manage emotions, build relationships, and develop resilience. It’s a vital part of helping children thrive—and it’s something educators support every day.
Why Wellbeing Is Central to Early Learning
1. Wellbeing as the Foundation for Learning
Children who feel emotionally safe are more confident, curious, and ready to engage. A strong sense of wellbeing supports concentration, cooperation, and exploration.
This aligns with EYLF and MTOP Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing, which recognises that wellbeing “maximises their learning potential”.
2. Developing Resilience and Self-Regulation
From managing frustration to coping with change, emotional regulation is a key skill. Aware Bear stories gently introduce themes that help children recognise and manage feelings, building their executive function—the brain processes that support planning, focus, and emotional control.
This supports children’s capacity to cope with day-to-day stress and challenges, a core aspect of wellbeing.
3. Building Positive Relationships
Learning to share, take turns, and express emotions constructively are essential social skills. The NQF Principles—especially “secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships”—highlight the importance of responsive connections and friendships in supporting wellbeing.
4. Encouraging Open Conversations About Emotions
Mental health awareness is growing, even in early years education. Aware Bear’s storybook, Aware Bear Celebrates World Mental Health Day, offers gentle guidance and heartwarming illustrations that help children talk about their feelings.
It encourages open conversations and reinforces the message that “it’s okay to not be okay”.
5. Seamless Integration into Daily Practice
Educators already do incredible work to support children’s wellbeing. Aware Bear is designed to enhance these efforts with a plug-and-play format that fits naturally into your daily rhythm.
Each story includes teaching notes that link directly to EYLF and MTOP Outcome 3, helping you articulate how your programme supports children’s physical, emotional, social, cognitive, linguistic, creative and spiritual being.
How Aware Bear Supports Social-Emotional Learning
Aware Bear offers a ready-made solution for embedding wellbeing into your curriculum. Each pack includes:
- A cuddly Aware Bear plush
- 15 beautifully illustrated storybooks, including:
- Aware Bear Celebrates World Mental Health Day
- Teaching notes aligned with EYLF and MTOP outcomes
- Special day tummy patches to support emotional literacy and wellbeing themes
These resources make it easy to deliver meaningful, curriculum-aligned lessons that nurture emotional development and resilience.
Ready to Put Wellbeing at the Heart of Your Early Learning Programme?
Explore the Aware Bear Wellbeing Story Collection and support every child’s emotional journey.