Recently we were contacted by Penny, a highly respected and experienced child, youth and family worker, about the various ways she is using Innovative Resources’ cards and tactile resources with children in a school setting during COVID-19. She generously agreed to share some of …Read more
If you ask people to describe the role that children play in the world, you will get a range of responses, which may include things like, ‘They are the future’, ‘They are the reason we get up and go to work in the morning’, …Read more
Pandemics have a shape. At the beginning, everything is unknown and we often feel fearful and overwhelmed by the thought of what might unfold. Then we start to become familiar with the features of the beast, how it works, who is at risk, and …Read more
Around the world, koalas are universally loved. They are furry balls of sleepy cuteness (if you ignore their sharp claws and the eerie grunting sounds they make at night—holy Manuka, that is one scary noise)! But they are also more than that. They are …Read more
Everywhere we look these days, we see mindfulness touted as one of the wonders of the wellbeing world. Bookshops are overflowing with books on all aspects of mindfulness. There are books and blogs on mindfulness and running, learning mindfulness from your dog and mindful …Read more
It’s been over two years in the making but after countless hours of review, consultation and revision, Tell A Trusted Adult is now at the press and being printed as we speak! This vibrant new resource is perfect for having conversations with children about …Read more
I was talking to a few members of my team this morning via ZOOM, with my hot water bottle on my lap, my coffee on the window sill, and the chickens pecking at my feet in my makeshift office (baby chicks–it’s cold outside) when …Read more
When we are trying to make a change in our lives or we are supporting someone else to make changes, it can be easy to forget how far we’ve come. It can also be hard to measure progress when it is slow or non-linear. …Read more
Social change comes about for a range of reasons. It happens when people become enraged, emboldened, when they feel they have nothing left to lose, or when something happens that they can no longer ignore. It also happens when they feel inspired or moved. …Read more
Ian McBurney partnered with Innovative Resources to create the Talking ecoLogical cards in 2013. A lot has changed in the world since then. We asked Ian to spend some time reflecting on the last 20 years. Can you tell us a bit about the …Read more
A survey of over one thousand primary teachers done by Melbourne Graduate School of Education at the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak found that teachers faced significant challenges in moving to remote learning. The majority of teachers were working longer hours, sometimes up to …Read more
Often in human service work, we are focussed on supporting people to find solutions and answers. After all, that’s what we are paid the big bucks to do! But there is a lot that can be said for taking a step back and spending …Read more
Have you ever noticed that when we are nervous, stressed, unsure or anxious, we tend to fiddle? We may scratch our head, pull on our earlobe, pick and unpick the sleeve of our jumper, play with our phone, pen or keys. When we …Read more
Over the weekend I read Austin Kleon’s book, Steal like an artist, in which he says that creative people are excellent burglars. He reckons they steal everything—ideas, structures, techniques and inspiration. This is not plagiarism because they take the ideas of others and remix …Read more
As we continue on this COVID-19 journey, many stories are emerging about the increased rates, and changing face, of family violence. We are also hearing many stories about the creative and innovative ways people are finding to connect with adult survivors and their …Read more
With many kids in Australia (and around the world) starting to return to school after the lockdown, we thought it was a good time to do a quick roundup of the resources we have available for supporting kids to build their social and emotional …Read more
A few years ago I was involved in a project that asked people from various non-Aboriginal organisations (including my own) to self-rate how safe they believed Aboriginal people felt either working in or accessing their service. We then asked Aboriginal colleagues and staff from …Read more
So often in the work we do, we are looking for innovative and creative ways to include the voices of the people we work alongside. This can be particularly challenging if we are working with children. Dr. Lisa Stafford and her team at the …Read more
Recently, Reverend Susan Pickering from the Uniting Church let us know about some YouTube clips she’d created of her reading a series of children’s books. The list of books she read included two Innovative Resources classics, Captain Grumpy (written by Russell Deal and illustrated …Read more
When you are already managing a mental health issue, the additional stress of social isolation can be particularly tricky to navigate. As we launch the new digital version of the Eating Disorders & Other Shadowy Companions, we thought it was worth spending some time …Read more
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