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Welcoming Our Little Ones: Sharing stories from 3 to 5 years old

Nunkuwarrin Yunti & Emerging Minds, Australia, September 2025

Related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional wellbeing, Parenting

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Our journeys of learning

Lots of us are still learning about our cultures and where we come from. That is OK. We hope you might find an idea or two in this guide to help you on your cultural journey.

‘When I came to the realisation that I had grown up without my culture, it made me feel displaced. By taking the time needed to acknowledge it, I was able to talk to others about it.’ – Geneva, mum

We are all learning, one small step at a time. Lots of people are on this journey.

Why ages 3 to 5 years matter

Relationships and connections with family and kin let children know that they are loved and their world is safe (Healing Foundation, n.d.).

What ways might work for me?

Practice through play

‘What I love about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, and especially with kids, is the way older ones look after the younger ones.’

- Bec, mum

Children learn many skills at this age. They practice by playing, pretending and copying others. They learn from family and other children. They are given some freedoms and trust to take care of each other, solve problems, and begin to understand their own strengths and limits.

Children often want to try new things on their own, but sometimes they find it frustrating. When they explore, adults and family members like parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and siblings watch over them. These family members help, teach and support the children. This is an important stage of grassroots learning before they go to school to begin their formal education.

We all encourage children to be curious and excited, and we comfort them when they feel frustrated or worried while learning new things. How can you play with your children to help them grow their strengths, gently meet challenges and become stronger in their culture and connections?

‘I am always telling the older ones that you are the ones teaching the younger ones, because they follow you every day – you are the teachers.’

- Carrie, mum

Learning from Elders

An Elder is a respected person in Community who is known as someone who holds cultural knowledge and has permission to share it.

Connecting little ones with Elders can be a valuable way to support wellbeing, development and pass knowledge on.

Lots of families have missed out on cultural learning so Elders can teach children about Country, helping them connect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity.

‘When there has been disconnection, families might need to find a sense of belonging and connection through Elders in the community they live in. They might not be able to connect back with their own mob and Country.’

- Bec, mum

Think about when you were young and some of the things you learned or heard from your Elders. What older people can you sit with, involve your child in a yarn with or be on Country to learn about culture from?

Shared food

Collecting and preparing traditional bush foods is a group activity that all children can enjoy and look forward to. This activity involves people of various ages working together. Children practice the skills needed for this as part of their daily life.2 Some kids might need encouragement to join in.

‘For me this looks like taking my little one shopping and he gets to choose some foods. In one supermarket we even found a bush foods section. Another thing we do is find traditional recipes – for me it’s Torres Strait Islander recipes – and then buying the things to cook it.’

- Geneva, mum

‘For our family, we try to find bush foods that we can grow where we live. We have gone to nurseries and found out what will grow best where we live. And we have tried different plants. Some have worked and some haven’t.’

- Bec, mum

‘Hunting and gathering is seasonal. This knowledge has been passed down from our grandparents, parents, aunties and uncles for years. I live off Country, but during the different seasons, family back home usually go hunting and gather what’s in season. Then they will send it to us and other family members that have moved away from home. It’s our way of keeping connected to our family and Land.’

- Carrie, mum

What can you do to get your children involved in collecting, preparing or sharing food at gatherings or for the family dinner?

Sharing is our way of life

In Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, young children are valued members who join Community activities. Relationships between children and adults can be more equal than they might be in other cultures. Children are free to explore and are taught to be independent and responsible, especially for each other. They learn values like independence and caring for others.

From early childhood, children learn to respect Elders, family, Community and Country. They learn about their cultural stories and practices through adults. This can be an important part of who they are and sets them up with good values for life.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children grow up surrounded by love, curiosity, and harmony in a rich and safe cultural world. This keeps our living cultures strong and gives kids a strong foundation to grow from.

‘With our babies and our children, we like to encourage them to look after one another and our mob, and it’s about sharing, teaching sharing and looking after one another and that helps them belong in whichever groups they go in. And I think with the babies, we like to encourage that from a very early age that, when a new person comes in, they’re our families.’3

How can we spend time with our children alongside good people who can share their knowledge, wisdom and skills?

For the dads

Nature play

Dads can do nature and sensory play with their kids. Maybe throwing and catching natural materials, or touching plants and animals together. This is good for children, and good for the relationships between parent, child and Country.

Teaching values

Dads can pass on important cultural values to children. This may include yarns about roles and responsibilities, such as respect for Elders and caring for Country. Children might be interested in languages, what place names mean, and personal or family stories that start with, ‘When I was a kid …’

‘The biggest thing you learned from fathers and uncles was about caring. Going out hunting, the food was divided up. Another thing was understanding your own family tree. How you behave and speak to each other with dignity and respect.’4

- Darryl Kickett

Dads being there for kids

At ages 3 to 5 years, kids will be starting preschool or kindy soon. Dads can help teachers encourage their child’s identity by telling them it is important and sharing some cultural knowledge.

You can show an interest in what your kids are learning, and help them with counting and reading. And you can let them know you are always there for them.

‘Take the time to understand your child’s views. It is hard to find the time when we are busy, but ask how they are and help them manage their difficulties. Your kids need to know they can ask you as a father for help when they need it.’

- Jamie, dad

Make time to talk about how life is going. Eating food together at least once a day is good for kids. Making time to sit and yarn together at breakfast or dinnertime is an easy way to switch off distractions and tune in together as a family.

‘Don’t teach it – show it. Be loving and nurturing. Always say you love them.’

- Harley, dad

Cultural events

Dads can take children to local cultural events. This might help the whole family connect and feel a sense of belonging.

If living off Country, trying to connect with local mob is important. While this isn’t always possible, showing up to local community events or school cultural days is a good way to meet the local mob. Once your child is at school, arrange a yarn with any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teachers or support staff. Get to know other members of the community at sporting events, arts exhibitions or other public gatherings. It’s often the informal yarns you have with mob that create the best opportunities to share culture and the benefits of Community with your child.

Going to local NAIDOC Week and other Community events that celebrate culture is a great way for your kids to meet other young ones. Take along a picnic blanket and a feed, and join in as much as you can. Even going to the local park to play on the swings, or ride scooters or bikes, can be a great way to meet other young families.

Ideas for cooking

More information for parents

The Living Story: 3–5 years

You might be interested in the following video (2 minutes, 4 seconds) which shows families and children from 3–5 years old. What do you notice?

The Living Story: 3–5 years

Deciding what to do

It is OK if you don’t know where to start. Other families have shared some ideas they found helpful.

    1. Healing Foundation (n.d.). Child development stages [Web page]. Healing Foundation and Emerging Minds.
    2. Byers, L., Kulitja, S., Lowell, A., & Kruske, S. (2012). ‘Hear our stories’: Child-rearing practices of a remote Australian Aboriginal community. The Australian Journal of Rural Health, 20(6), 293–297.
    3. Harrison, L. J., Sumsion, J., Bradley, B., Letsch, K., & Salamon, A. (2017). Flourishing on the margins: A study of babies and belonging in an Australian Aboriginal community childcare centre. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 25(2), 189–205.
    4. Collard, L., Adams, M., Palmer, D., & McMullan, J. (2016). Quop Maaman: Aboriginal Fathering Project. The Fathering Project.

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