It Might Get Messy–Supporting Creativity and Creative Thinking in Children and the Adults Who Serve Them Through Play

We know that children learn best through play and experience and access to the creative self in their early years, more so than at any other time in their lives. Helping children to recognize and become acquainted with the many facets of creative expression can be an amazing experience for the early childhood educator as well.

 

In this workshop participants will learn to adapt early childhood environments to support play and creativity. Educators will become familiar with creative behaviors and biases we may have about those behaviors as they gain skills to support creativity, creative thinking, and creative problem solving in their practice. 

 

Workshop participants will be invited to provide open-ended and engaging activities for young children that foster creativity and creative thinking. Participants will also be challenged to explore their own creativity and deepen their creative processes.

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Play it Forward

It is widely accepted that play is critical for healthy development. Children learn best through play, yet many programs struggle with defending this practice. Increasing pressure for academics to be introduced at younger and younger ages, has many educators feeling the tension to compromise best practices. Understanding current research, having skills for communicating its importance, and the conviction to implement is key. Participants will leave with tools to communicate the importance of keeping play in early learning environments while being encouraged to make learning and development that happens through play visible and understandable. Participants will gain strategies for promoting play in their practice.

 

Save the Gingerbread Man

In this workshop, participants will be exposed to Design Thinking and its use in ECE. I provide hands-on experience solving design challenges, engaging participants in brainstorming, ideation, prototyping, testing prototypes, and reviewing the learning outcomes. Participants will be given ideas to foster and spark their own creativity and inspiration.

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Making Learning Visible

It is widely accepted in the Early Childhood Education field that children learn best through play, yet many programs struggle with defending this practice. Understanding current research, having skills for communicating it’s importance, as well as the conviction to implement is key. This interactive workshop will help participants discover how to communicate the valuable outcomes that happen when children are allowed the freedom to direct their own learning through play. Participants will learn how to make documentation and displays that will make learning visible to children, parents, visitors and other educators. 

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Play-Based Emergent Curriculum

Research supports that children learn best through self directed play. In this workshop participants will become reacquainted with the values of play, and play-based early childhood education. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the emergent curriculum approach by practicing observation and learning strategies for scaffolding or supporting children’s emerging interests in the classroom. Discover how emergent curriculum is meaningful and encouraging to the children and the adults in your school community.

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The Positive Approach

Many educators struggle to find effective tools to address difficult behaviors in the classroom. In this workshop, participants will be introduced to a positive approach that can change the way an adult thinks about a child’s challenging behaviors, while learning effective tools to use right away.

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Participants will be exposed to Adlerian Theory and how it may be applied in our work with young children. Participants will gain an understanding how our perceptions and actions invite behaviors from others.

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Participants will learn why social emotional learning is crucial for children (and adults) in ECE settings, and will be encouraged to provide an environment for children that recognizes, supports, and fosters social emotional development.