5-001 course

Sexualised Play and Behaviour in Early Childhood

A short course equipping educators to respond effectively to sexualised play and behaviour in an early childhood setting.


Learn at your own pace, when you can from any device. No time limits. 

Guiding with Care

supports New Zealand early childhood educators to build thoughtful, responsive practice around safe touch, sexual development and sexualised behaviour — grounded in Te Whāriki’s holistic framework for wellbeing, communication and relationships and committed to manaakitanga and respectful whānau engagement.

Who is this for?

Suitable for beginner to experienced educators

Learning Time

This self-paced course is approximately 2 hours of learning time.

Skill Level

Suitable for beginner to experienced educators.

Across this 7-part mini-series, you’ll explore:

Reflective Practice & Shared Language
Clarify values and perspectives and develop respectful, clear language for safe-touch and body-safety conversations with tamariki, whānau and kaiako.

Typical Development vs. Indicators of Concern
Understand developmentally age-expected behaviours and when they fall outside typical patterns — helping educators make informed, culturally aware judgements.

Context & Intent of Behaviour
Learn to interpret sexualised play and behaviour within its social and developmental context — centring te ao Māori perspectives on child development and relationships.

In-the-Moment Responses with Children
Strengthen skills to respond confidently and calmly, supporting both children’s wellbeing and belonging in the learning environment.

Conversations with Parents / Caregivers
Build confidence for respectful, professional dialogue that honours whānau values and supports shared understanding.

Policy, Processes & Specialist Pathways
Explore how services can align practice with requirements (including regulatory expectations), and when to consider specialist support pathways.

Resources to Support Safe Touch
Access a curated collection of books, learning aids, clips and tools that support ongoing teaching and learning about boundaries and body safety.
Certificate of completion provided for your professional learning records

Take a look at what is inside the course: 

About the presenter

Lyn Jansen

Prevention Education Lead at STOP NZ — an organisation dedicated to minimising sexual harm and equipping communities with practical, respectful ways to support tamariki, families and professionals. Lyn and the STOP team bring over two decades of experience in prevention education, consultation, and professional development across Aotearoa.
This course reflects the Te Whāriki emphasis on wellbeing (mana atua), belonging (mana whenua) and communication (mana reo) — helping educators feel grounded, confident and connected as they respond to sensitive moments in early learning settings.

What others said about this course:

Acknowledging the reality and then providing solutions. i loved the last discussion with Angela.
— MANJU
Learning different techniques and knowing what strategies I use are effective
— MICHELLE
Really informative and relevant to real-life situations. Thanks, ladies! Loved it 
— TESS

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