Mixed Age Learning

Mixed-age environments can be both beautiful and challenging, but when you really lean into them, something powerful happens: belonging becomes more than a word in the Early Years Learning Framework, it becomes lived.

In these spaces, children grow through connection. Older children discover leadership, empathy, and patience. Younger ones find courage, language, and a deep sense of security through the steady presence of their peers. The EYLF reminds us that “learning outcomes are most likely to be achieved when educators work in partnership with families and communities.” In mixed-age settings, we see that partnership play out daily, between children themselves.

There’s a warmth to these environments like a hum of real life. Siblings stay together, friendships bridge age gaps, and the room begins to feel less like a classroom and more like a community. As educators, we become observers of humanity in its simplest, most genuine form.

But let’s be honest here, it’s not easy. Planning for a crawling baby and a pre-schooler in the same space can feel like juggling fire and feathers. It takes skill, flexibility, and reflection - the very practices that underpin Quality Area 1 of the National Quality Standard (NQS). The curriculum has to breathe, stretch, and adapt, just like the children within it.

For educators, it can be transformative. You begin to notice the small things, like a four-year-old crouching to comfort a baby, a toddler following the lead of a friend, or a child who once preferred solitude now thriving in the group’s rhythm. Those are the moments that remind you why you chose to become an educator.

Mixed-age settings remind us that early learning is not about ticking developmental boxes, it’s about belonging, empathy, and connection. They ask us to bring our hearts as much as our knowledge.

So next time you find yourself in the middle of that beautiful chaos with a baby in your arms, a toddler at your feet, and a preschooler asking, “Can I help?” - take a deep breath. You’re not just managing a group. You’re nurturing a community. And that’s where true learning begins.