Workshops

Gardening with Young Children

Re-opening childcare centres during the COVID-19 pandemic changes the way we think about our indoor and outdoor learning spaces. An herb and vegetable garden could become a vital part of our “outdoor classroom” that helps us foster connections with the natural world and take learning outside. Join us for an experience-based session that will encourage you to grow something, whether you have a green thumb or not.

Woodworking with Young Children

Join us for a 2-hour session that will help you explore the great benefits (and some risks) of introducing various woodworking projects to children in your care. We will use a step-by-step approach to help you fit woodworking into your space and your schedule and share some valuable resources available in our community. We will discuss most child-friendly tools and materials and the importance of creating a culture of trust and respect in your classroom.

Cooking with Young Children

This workshop is cancelled due re-opening regulations around food.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought a lot of limitations to our social and culinary explorations. However, the pandemic will eventually pass, but cooking and eating food will not. When so many things are different, we can have an open discussion about bringing the comfort of home-made meals and delicious smells into our classrooms while keeping everyone safe.

Learning Environments: Embracing Today, Excited for Tomorrow

This workshop is delivered in three online sessions through Google Meet. It will focus on the effects our environments have on children and adults. We will explore how our our learning environments can support (or sometimes hinder) our sense of well-being. We will discuss creating a classroom culture through predictable routines and expectations, with the focus on trust and respect. We will analyze how we can predict and manage behaviours and children’s energy levels throughout the day using a flexible schedule. In addition, we will consider the impact of the overall classroom layout and how it helps maximize opportunities for group and individual play with the focus on creating new learning centres that promote the skill set for the future.

Learning Centres for Capable, Confident and Curious Children

Join us for a two-session workshop that will invite you to examine your classroom environments and set SMART goals for making your learning spaces more functional and beautiful. We will discuss our improvement projects during the second session, and we will look into creative and practical ways to help children build a skill set for the future.

Learning Centres for Capable, Confident and Curious Children: Creating Strong Visual Messages that Reflect Your Values

Imagine functional and beautiful classrooms that invite children to think, create, and explore… Now, let’s not imagine. Let’s make it happen! Join us for a two-session workshop filled with practical tips and support as you work on developing aspects of your learning environment.

Learning Environments That Improve Well-being

This two-session workshop offers practical tools to examine your learning environment through the lens of well-being with the goal of increasing “feel-good” factors and decreasing environmental stress. Participants will be encouraged to implement one or two goal strategies between sessions and share successes and challenges during the second session..

Organized Learning Spaces: Create a Classroom in Your Home

This two-hour workshop is tailored to home-care providers working under the home-care agency umbrella. While there are many benefits in a cozy, home-y environments, there are also some challenges. As home care providers focus more on meeting children’s educational needs, their environments play important role in providing quality care in a home setting.

Learning Environments and Loose Parts Presentation

This short introductory presentation with the focus on using loose parts and natural toys in our learning spaces had a hands-on component: simple yet engaging invitations on each table. The participants could explore those while discussing the important visual messages and play opportunities embedded in our learning spaces.