This paper reports on a systematic review of the literature conducted to inform Early Childhood Australia (ECA) in the development of a national Statement on Young Children and Digital Technologies. The review examines empirical studies published between 2012 and 2017 identified through systematic screening to advise adults on appropriate digital technology use ‘by and with’ young children aged birth to eight years. Four themes are canvassed in this review: (1) healthy practices; (2) relationships; (3) pedagogy and (4) digital play. Findings from the themes suggest advice for adults working in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector about appropriate digital technology use ‘by and with’ young children.

THIS PAPER REPORTS ON the findings of a sector-wide survey conducted as part of a multi-component process in Early Childhood Australia's development of a national Statement on young children and digital technology for those working within early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings. The survey sought broad comment and feedback from the Australian ECEC sector regarding adult perspectives on young children and digital technology. The cross-sectional online survey included 12 Likert scale items and three open-ended questions. Five hundred and fifteen participants representing various roles, ages and locations completed the survey. Findings suggest the sector holds diverse and complex perspectives, including appreciation for the learning and teaching opportunities afforded via technology, and concerns for children's health and digital citizenship. Findings also highlight the need for evidence-based practices and sector-wide support in the pedagogical use of technology that enhances children's physical, emotional and social health and development.

This paper discusses characteristics of converged play for early childhood education. The characteristics were derived from a four-year study of teachers’ interpretation and use of ‘web-mapping’ as an explicit conceptual tool, designed to mediate teaching practices and learning outcomes according to a definition of pedagogy as the relationship between teaching and learning. Three characteristics of converged play were identified via detailed analysis of ten core converged play ‘episodes’ drawn from teacher exemplar cases. The characteristics were ‘multi-modal’, ‘global-local’, and ‘traditional-digital’. The characteristics of converged play presented can help teachers understand teaching and learning in the digital age, providing a starting point for an early childhood pedagogy in which children and teachers can engage in well-established opportunities for play-based learning alongside multi-modal, global-local, and traditional-digital activities in early childhood education and care settings.

Early childhood educators currently provide content focused learning opportunities for children in the areas of well-being and environmental education. However, these are usually seen as discrete content areas and educators are challenged with responding to children’s interests in popular-culture inspired food products given these influence their consumption of energy-dense, nutrient-poor and highly packaged food in the early childhood setting. This paper reports preliminary findings from a pilot randomised trial examining the interconnectedness of sustainability, well-being and popular-culture in early childhood education. Planning, assessment documentation and summaries from twenty-four learning experiences implemented by six educators over a six-week period were analysed using a deductive approach. Twenty well-being and environmental education topics were identified and shown to be generated by the educators when considering the children’s ‘funds of knowledge’ on popular-culture inspired food products. We argue that topics derived from children’s engagement with popular-culture may help educators to create an integrated approach to curriculum provision. This may impact child weight and facilitate obesity prevention and environmental sustainability as children create stronger connections between these content areas and their everyday choices and practices.

BACKGROUND: Engaging in classroom‐based physical activity (PA) breaks may help increase children's subjective wellbeing and enjoyment of PA, important precursors for children to remain engaged in PA. We conducted a systematic review to investigate the effect of brief classroom‐based PA interventions on primary school children's subjective wellbeing and enjoyment of PA.METHODS: Databases were reviewed between the earliest date of records and April 2020. Eligibility criteria included peer‐reviewed empirical quantitative or mixed methods studies reporting enjoyment of PA or wellbeing outcomes of participating in a brief classroom‐based PA program. Fifteen papers were included. Interventions supported 7022 child participants enrolled at baseline and 6286 children analyzed in interventions across 148 schools.RESULTS: Thirteen studies examined the effect of brief classroom‐based PA interventions on subjective wellbeing. Four found a significant positive effect for children in the intervention group (specifically for children's self‐efficacy in learning with video exercises, quality of life, and self‐confidence). Eight studies examined the effect of brief classroom‐based PA interventions on enjoyment of PA. Five studies reported a positive effect for children in the intervention group and only 1 study found a negative effect for 1 grade level of children in the intervention group. The remaining studies with wellbeing and/or enjoyment outcomes reported no significant effect.CONCLUSIONS: Findings from these studies indicate that the integration of brief PA breaks may support PA enjoyment and specific self‐beliefs and quality of life perceptions that contribute to children's subjective wellbeing. However, more research is needed to confirm this effect.

Background: Participation in sport and physical activity could minimise the inflated risk of poor physical health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and adolescents. This review aimed to synthesise existing quantitative and qualitative literature regarding barriers and facilitators to physical activity and sports participation in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Methods: Literature was systematically searched to include studies reporting barriers or facilitators to physical activity and/or sports participation in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 0–18 years. Using a pre-established taxonomy based on the social-ecological model, a deductive analysis was performed. Quality appraisal was performed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Results: Of 3440 unique articles, nine studies were included with n = 10,061 total participants. Of the nine included studies one reported on participants from urban areas, two from regional and three from remote areas. Three were from representative samples of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. Barriers were reported in all nine studies: 18 individual, 9 interpersonal, 27 community and 4 at the policy level (58 total); Facilitators were reported in five studies: 12 individual, 11 interpersonal, 11 community and 3 policy level (37 total). Conclusions: Research in this area is lacking with some states in Australia not represented and small samples. Strategies for improving participation in sport and physical activity by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and adolescents need to integrate a comprehensive identification of barriers and facilitators with a social-ecological understanding of how community and cultural factors can impact individual participation.