When Jacqueline Hautot talks about primary prevention, she reaches for the clearest picture she can find: the ambulance at the bottom of the waterfall. Response services save lives after the fall; prevention is about moving upstream to understand why people fall in the first place. In the context of family and gender‑based violence, that means addressing the underlying drivers early—long before stereotypes harden and power imbalances calcify.
‘We operate from Our Watch’s Change the Story framework,’ Jacqueline explains. ‘We know gender inequality is the key driver, and stereotypes are the piece we work with most in early years.’
from a link list to a movement
Level Playground didn’t arrive fully formed. It began in 2018 as a practical response to a practical problem.
‘There was lots of good material out there on promoting gender equity with young children,’ Jacqueline says, ‘but educators and families didn’t have time to sift through it.’
The team at FVREE (Free from Family Violence) created an online hub and social channels to curate what mattered, then noticed the gaps—and started filling them. Fact sheets, posters, training. A newsletter. Partnerships with councils, community health services, libraries and playgroups. Everywhere young children gather, Level Playground tries to show up with useful, doable ideas.
That community‑first approach is woven through FVREE’s broader mandate. As the specialist family violence service for Melbourne’s Eastern Metropolitan Region—spanning seven local government areas—FVREE provides response and recovery services and houses a small, ‘mighty’ prevention and early intervention team, that Jacqueline is a part of. Prevention is not an add‑on; it is an essential lane on the same road.
why early years? because stereotypes are formed early.
Ask any early childhood educator: kids are meaning‑makers. By preschool, many already hold surprisingly rigid ideas about what boys and girls ‘should’ wear, or do. The consequences are not
abstract. Stereotypes constrict play, narrow skills, and limit future options; over time, they also reinforce unequal power dynamics and expectations—the soil in which violence grows.
As Jacqueline says, Level Playground’s agenda has two main aims. ‘To open up possibilities for every child, and bring about generational change.’
Conversations about gender are increasingly visible in early years settings, and educators are often the trusted adults who hear disclosures about family violence from parents or children. With that visibility comes pushback, particularly from parents.
Level Playground doesn’t shy away. Jacqueline says their advice is deceptively simple and deeply relational. ‘Make time for the conversation; be curious rather than critical; and look for shared values, because most parents want the same thing: more options for their child, not less.
‘Gender equality isn’t about taking anything away,’ she says. ‘It’s about breaking down stereotypes so all children can explore who they are.’
the turning point: a plastic tub that became an essential kit
In 2019, a small community grant from Yarra Ranges Council seeded a pilot: a ‘gender equity tub’ that services could borrow for a term. Educators told the team what would actually help in classrooms and homes; Level Playground listened.
Demand for the tubs was way higher than they expected and the team quickly realised they needed to rethink the model. The result of that pivot is the Gender Equity Resource Kit: a comprehensive package of resources designed with and for educators, and refined through years of consultation.
‘We only put it on sale last year,’ Jacqueline says. ‘It’s been a long time in the making, and very much shaped by the people who use it.’
What’s inside (and why it matters)
The kit is satisfyingly tangible. ‘Five or six kilos,’ Jacqueline jokes, ‘about the same as my cat.’ But its weight is not the point; its architecture is. Seven posters anchor everyday messages—Emotions are for everyone; Colours are for everyone; Activities are for everyone—so children see inclusion on the walls, not just hear it in a lesson.
A whole‑of‑service handbook helps leaders embed equity across policies, environments and practice, ensuring the work survives timetable changes and staff turnover. A communications plan anticipates parent questions and equips educators to explain the ‘why’ with confidence. And twelve lesson plans—aligned with the Early Years Learning and Development Framework and the National Quality Standard—translate principles into playful, developmentally appropriate activities any educator can run.
Books are the beating heart. The kit includes durable picture books plus a set by Australian author Jayneen Sanders on consent, body safety and equality—titles chosen because stories are a gentle way to talk about fairness, feelings and friendship. There are emotion cards and play cards, too, so children can name what they feel and try what they haven’t yet tried. Every element is designed to slot into a real day in a real room, among glue sticks, sandpits and snack time.
practice, not prescription
Level Playground’s philosophy is pragmatic: make the inclusive choice the easy choice.
A favourite activity asks children to sort toys: ‘Is this for girls? Boys? Or everyone?’
‘At first, many preschool-age kids choose rigidly,’ Jacqueline explains. ‘After discussion—sharing what they enjoy and noticing friends’ choices—the penny drops. All toys are for everyone. It’s a small classroom moment with a big ripple: a new idea goes home in a backpack, retold at dinner and lived in play.’
Libraries have become unexpected allies. With targeted professional development, librarians used the kit to run gender equity‑themed storytimes during the 16 Days of Activism—sessions that some staff say they wouldn’t have felt confident to offer before. The format is simple: a themed book or two, a ‘colours are for everyone’ message, some dancing with bright scarves. The impact? Positive feedback from families—including a grandparent who left with ‘something to think about’. The team has since built a library‑specific version of the kit, because meeting communities where they already gather matters.
a personal lens on possibility
Jacqueline’s own parenting offered a humbling reminder of how environment shapes choice. When her son arrived years after her daughter, many of the ‘traditionally feminine’ dress‑ups and toys lived in his sister’s room—out of reach and out of sight.
‘Simply moving them into a shared space unlocked new play,’ she says.
Today, dress‑ups are a favourite with her son. The story underscores a broader cultural asymmetry: we readily cheer girls into ‘boyish’ pursuits; we still hesitate to nudge boys toward the full palette of colour, care and creativity. The work ahead includes closing that gap—with patience, playfulness, and invitations rather than edicts.
from posters on the wall to patterns in the world
It’s tempting to see the Gender Equity Resource Kit as a box of beautiful things (which it is) and stop there. But the kit’s deeper promise is cultural: to help adults curate daily micro‑moments that widen the world for children—moments that tell them emotions are human, not gendered; that curiosity outruns conformity; that possibility belongs to them.
In Jacqueline’s words, ‘It’s not about taking away—it’s more options, more opportunities. The and, not the or.’
Level Playground started as a list of online links. Today, it’s a living practice across classrooms, libraries and lounge rooms. Equality from the start isn’t just a slogan; it’s a series of choices we make with and for children, every day. And with this kit built by educators, for educators, those choices just got a lot easier.
by John Holton
