“Babies don’t need lessons. They just sleep, eat, and poo.”

We hear this often and on the surface, it sounds reasonable. After all, infants cannot talk, read, or follow instructions. Their days seem simple and repetitive. So why would they need a curriculum?

At Little Olive Tree, we believe this assumption overlooks something essential: babies are learning all the time. From birth, infants are actively making sense of the world through their bodies, senses, and most importantly, their relationships with the adults who care for them.

Learning does not begin when a child can sit at a table or hold a pencil. Learning begins with a gaze that lingers, a hand that reaches out, a kick in excitement, a cry for comfort and a caregiver who notices, responds, and stays present.

That is why we do not “teach lessons” to infants in the way older children are taught. Instead, we intentionally craft an infant curriculum that honours how babies truly learn: through movement, sensory exploration, repetition, and secure relationships.

Our infant curriculum, Purposeful Engagement & Active Responses (P.E.A.R.), is built on a simple but firm belief: babies are competent, curious, and worthy of thoughtful engagement. Every moment—during play, caregiving routines, or quiet one-to-one interactions—is an opportunity to support brain development, emotional security, and a growing sense of self.

To us, a curriculum is not a timetable of activities. It is a way of thinking. So what does an infant “lesson” actually look like?

It looks like a caregiver rolling a ball slowly across the mat—and waiting. Waiting for the baby to notice. Waiting for a reach, a kick, a smile, or a pause. It looks like offering different textures, sounds, and movements so infants can explore cause and effect, balance, and coordination at their own pace. These experiences engage not only sight, sound, and touch, but also the vestibular and proprioceptive senses. These are key foundations for physical confidence and later learning.

These moments may appear simple, but they are deeply intentional.

Our curriculum is grounded in well-established developmental understanding. Babies learn through sensorimotor exploration, by doing, repeating, and experimenting with their bodies. They also learn through social interaction. Learning becomes meaningful when a responsive adult observes closely, interprets the baby’s cues, and responds in a way that builds trust and understanding.

This is why, at Little Olive Tree, relationships sit at the heart of our infant programme.

We place strong emphasis on the 3Rs: Respectful, Responsive, and Reciprocal relationships.Respectful interactions recognise each baby as a person, not a task to be managed.Responsive interactions mean slowing down, observing carefully, and responding thoughtfully—rather than rushing or overstimulating.Reciprocal interactions acknowledge that communication is two-way: babies “speak” through movement, expressions, and sounds, and caregivers listen, respond, and build on these cues.

Through these interactions, infants develop secure attachments. And it is from this sense of safety and trust that curiosity, confidence, and learning naturally grow.

Because we believe this so deeply, we invest intentionally in training our infant care educarers.

A thoughtfully designed curriculum only comes alive in the hands of skilled, reflective adults. Our educarers are trained not just in what to do, but in why they do it. They learn the pedagogy behind infant learning—how early brain development works, why repetition matters, how play schemas guide exploration, and how everyday routines like feeding and diapering are powerful learning moments when done with care and intention.

Our infant educarers are engaged in training sessions—not observing children, but reflecting together. These moments matter. This is where educarers pause to deepen their understanding, ask questions, align practices, and think carefully about how their interactions shape a baby’s sense of security and belonging. It is quiet, thoughtful work—but it directly shapes what your child experiences every day.

At Little Olive Tree, we care deeply about infant curriculum because we care deeply about babies.

Not because we want to accelerate them. Not because we want to push outcomes too early.

But because the first years of life form the foundation for how children feel about learning, relationships, and themselves.

When we slow down, plan intentionally, train our educarers well, and centre relationships, we honour the truth, beauty, and goodness of who babies already are and we create a place where they are deeply cared for, understood, and allowed to grow in their own time.