Ethical care in early childhood education [ECE] involves practices and principles that guide educators in nurturing young children with respect, empathy, and moral responsibility. As a dynamic field, learning how to care for young children using context-specific approaches in real-life situations can be challenging for pre-service early childhood teachers owing to insufficient training and opportunities for reflective practice that require ongoing adaptation and learning. We propose a practice-based learning approach that combines reflective practice, context-specific training, and collaborative learning designed to foster the practical wisdom needed for pre-service early childhood teachers to respond to ethical care. For navigating complex situations and context-specific decision making, the participants identified the roles and functions of sensing behaviour, empathising with needs, responsive interaction, being present, engaging in equal dialogue, using gentle tone and appropriate body language in different ethical care dilemmas, and effectively combining theoretical knowledge with practical application. This practice-based approach incorporates reflective exercises, mentorship, and peer feedback to promote changes in the learning preferences and professional identity development of pre-service early childhood teachers. It highlights the profound influence of a practice-based learning approach on both professional development and the development of ethical care competencies among pre-service early childhood educators.