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PICNIC in Early Education

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What is PICNIC in Early Education?

PICNIC in Early Education is a free child feeding and nutrition education program designed for Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) staff. It was co-designed by PICNIC dietitians, Mid North Coast ECEC staff and parents.

The program aligns with the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia and complements the Munch & Move program.

PICNIC in Early Education is an extension of the PICNIC program and consists of three self-directed learning modules, along with resources and ongoing support. 

The program is available for all Mid North Coast ECEC staff, including directors, educators, cooks and administrative staff. It is suitable for both centres that provide food and those where lunchboxes are brought from home.

PICNIC dietitians and Health Promotion Officers are available to support your centre with implementation.

The program provides the latest evidence-based information on child feeding and offers practical tools to create a positive mealtime environment that is enjoyable for both educators and children, helping to reduce mealtime stress.

What does the program involve?

Our three self-directed learning modules each take about 40 minutes to complete and include videos, images, infographics, reflective practice and quizzes.

Modules are designed to be completed individually but can also be completed as part of a team if preferred.

Module topics include:

  • Fussy eating
  • Australian Guide to Healthy Eating
  • Starting solids and learning to eat
  • Learning to manage new textures safely
  • Babies learning to self-feed
  • Feeding roles
  • Meal environment / role modelling
  • Pressure to eat
  • Food restriction
  • Meal structure
  • Safe foods and new ‘still learning’ foods
  • Food rewards
  • The meal environment
  • An educators’ role at mealtimes
  • Services that provide food
  • Services where food comes from home
  • Food learning experiences
  • Engaging families
  • When to seek more specialised support

Register for PICNIC in Early Education Mid North Coast

Resources

No pressure lunchboxes

Lunchboxes can sometimes feel stressful, but we’re here to help. No Pressure Lunchboxes (pdf) offers simple, practical and evidence-based ideas to make packing lunches easier and more enjoyable for both adults and children. Contact your local Health Promotion Officer if you would like printed copies.

Other PICNIC resources

As part of PICNIC in Early Education, we have developed a suit of resources to help implement evidence-based feeding practices within your centre, including:

Book recommendations

  • Off to the market by Alice Oehr
  • Artichoke to Zucchini by Alice Oehr
  • What’s cooking at 10 Garden Street by Felicita Sala
  • But I’m not hungry for my dinner by Valerie Gent
  • At my family table by Mandy dos Santos
  • One Little Bean by Cecil Kim
  • What if vegetables were people by Kate Wengier, Elijah Oliver, Ari and Lily
  • Grow it by Georgie Birkett

Research

PICNIC in Early Education is currently being evaluated in 10 NSW Mid North Coast ECEC centres as part of HETI Rural Research Capacity Building Program. The evaluation will assess whether the program impacts educators’ feeding practices during mealtimes. 

We look forward to sharing the results soon.

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