"This is actually unique in New Zealand," Ms Coulton said.
A lot of people do not think that children's learning starts until they go to school, but that is just not the case, she said.
Having teachers engaged in their own development is good for the children too, Ms Coulton said.
"It means that for our tamariki in New Zealand they are getting the best as teachers grow in their knowledge," she said.
Portland Kindergarten attendee Nivana Douglas, 4, said she loves kindy and will always remember her teachers.
"They taught me how to sing, how to do mat time and how to draw my name with lines and circles and sticks," Nivana said.
The focus of this year's conference is the three pillars of sustainability in an educational context: environmental conservation, economic viability and social justice.
The first conference took place in 2006 after early childhood teachers from around Northland found there was no professional development learning in the area.
The speakers this year are Dr Angus Macfarlane and Dr Sonja Macfarlane from Canterbury University, and Dr Leslie Rameka from Victoria University. Having high calibre speakers at every conference is a focus, Ms Coulton said.
"They have access to keynote speakers from around New Zealand who are experts in their field, who they may never get access to otherwise," she said.
There are limited places still available for the conference. For more information visit the site: celebratingnorthlandstamariki.co.nz