The Educator Essentials Family Portraits Toolkit is a complete, ready-to-use programming experience designed to make learning visible and deeply meaningful.
 
Perfect for National Families Week or as part of your ongoing focus on identity, relationships, and diversity, this activity invites children to create a portrait of their family — whoever that may include. With a focus on belonging, empathy, and emotional safety, children use art to represent their world, share their stories, and explore how families can look, feel, and function differently.
 
Invite children to express their sense of identity and connection through this beautifully reflective Family Portraits activity — thoughtfully designed to support National Families Week or any time you're exploring relationships, inclusion, and what it means to belong.
 
The Educator Essentials Activity Toolkits are more than just activity ideas — they are fully developed, professional-grade programming resources that help educators deliver purposeful, high-quality learning experiences.
 
Children are encouraged to draw or paint portraits of their families, using inclusive materials and open-ended prompts that spark deep conversations, cultural awareness, and pride in their unique experiences. Whether representing people they live with or those who hold a special place in their hearts, this activity fosters connection, empathy, and emotional safety.
 
This toolkit supports educators to create a welcoming Drawing Studio space with mirrors, skin-tone pencils, and diverse visual prompts. It includes educator guidance, intentional teaching strategies, and templates for collecting children’s voices — all aligned with the NQF, EYLF V2.0, and MTOP V2.0. 
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Each toolkit is designed to take the guesswork out of programming by providing everything you need in one place: learning outcomes, setup instructions, intentional teaching strategies, family communication, and reflection prompts — all aligned to the National Quality Framework, EYLF V2.0, MTOP V2.0, and your Service's Philosophy.
 
Each Activity Toolkit comes fully prepared and beautifully structured, including:
A complete experience plan aligned with EYLF V2.0 and MTOP V2.0
Learning outcomes, intentional teaching strategies, and clear objectives
Setup instructions, materials list, and educator guidance
Journal entry support and child voice collection prompts
Provocations, extensions, and follow-up experience suggestions
Parent and educator communication blurbs
A dedicated Final Reflection & Intentional Practice page for educators to complete
Links to the National Quality Standard (NQS)
A direct connection to your service philosophy through the 5 Pillars in Practice Framework 
 
What Makes Our Activity Toolkits Different:
The Educator Essentials Activity Toolkits are more than just activity ideas — they are fully developed, high-impact programming tools designed to save you time, support compliance, and enrich your practice.
 
Each toolkit includes everything you need in one place:
Clear links to learning outcomes and service philosophy
Step-by-step setup instructions and intentional teaching strategies
Editable family communication and documentation support
Provocations, extensions, and reflective educator practice prompts
 
Whether you're preparing for Assessment & Rating, building stronger learning documentation, or simply wanting to focus more on the children and less on the paperwork — this toolkit is designed to support and inspire.