1-204 Webinar

Making Sense of Toddlers

Kimberley Crisp and Anja Geelen explore creating an effective early years environment that supports toddler urges.
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Toddlers are not small preschoolers. They are their own extraordinary, bewildering, wonderful kind of human — and working with them well means preparing yourself fully: head, heart, and hands.
In this webinar, we explore what's really driving toddler behaviour and impulses — from the compelling urge to throw, knock down, fill, and run, to the fierce emotional storms that can catch us off guard. We'll look at why two-year-olds are genuinely different from older children, and how understanding those differences shapes everything: the way we set up our spaces, the way we plan our teaching, and the way we show up each day.

You'll leave with practical, ready-to-use strategies for designing environments that work with toddler urges rather than against them — and a deeper understanding of what intentional teaching really looks like when you're on the floor with a two-year-old. At the heart of it all is the practice of connect before correct: a simple but powerful shift that builds safety, trust, and joy for toddlers and educators alike.

Presented By

Kimberley Crisp and Anja Geelen - The Heart School

Webinar Duration

Approximately 60 minutes

Skill Level

Suitable for beginner to experienced educators

What will you learn?

What we'll explore together:
  • Making sense of toddler behaviour and impulses — what's really going on beneath the surface.
  • Preparing yourself — head, heart, and hands — for the unique demands of toddler work
  • The unique needs of two-year-olds versus older children — and why that difference matters
  • Why less is more — and how to slow down to keep up with toddlers
  • The teacher and team's role in fostering safety, connection, and joy
  • Practising "connect before correct" as the foundation for behaviour guidance

Practical strategies you'll take away:
1. Environment design
Set up spaces that channel urges safely — for throwing, climbing, filling, dumping, and more
2. Intentional teaching
Plan with urges in mind — meaningful provocations, open-ended materials, and following the child's lead
3. Routines and transitions
Build predictability and calm into the day so toddlers feel safe enough to explore
4. In-the-moment responses
Language, tone, and presence — practical tools for connecting and guiding without shutting down
Certificate of completion provided for your professional learning records
About the presenter

Anja and Kimberley

We are two early childhood teachers based in New Zealand and the founders of The Heart School.

We have decades of experience as teachers on the floor and owners/managers of our own early childhood settings.

We practice from, with and for the heart. Join us on the heart path. Draw from our experience and dive into our resources!

What others said about this webinar:

The whole webinar inspired me! I have 4 pages of notes to share with my fellow toddler Kaiako tomorrow'
— KATHERINE
Love the concept of putting on different glasses and removing you pre conceptions about the children and their needs 
— NATAYLA
There were many things that were said that I didn't even consider, the biggest higlight was the discussion of toddlers not necessarily having "interests" but mainly having urges. This will certainly stick with me.
— HANNAH

Want to learn more about infants and toddlers? 

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