Addressing Challenging Behaviour in Young Children – The Leaders Role in Supporting Teams & Supporting Families
With Canadian Author Barbara Kaiser – Back by Popular Demand

As the head of a team, leaders play a crucial role in making it possible for children with challenging behaviour to remain in child care/school, develop positive relationships with their peers and adults, learn appropriate ways to express their needs, and be ready to learn. However, these goals can only be met when leaders believe in them and have the skills to develop and lead a team that supports them. Possessing good leadership skills is just the beginning. Acting as an advocate for children, staff, and families pulls you in all directions at once and requires you to understand and respect everyone’s needs and challenges.

*It is recommended that participants attend the Coping with Challenging Behaviour Series prior to attending this session.

No charge for Niagara educators (sponsored through funding provided by Niagara Region Children’s Services).

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You may not be able to control everything that is happening in your early years setting, but you can control how you respond to a child's behaviour. When challenging behaviour occurs, educators need to be powerfully present, emotionally responsive, and role models of healthy social and emotional behaviours. Personal resilience is the capacity to prevent, tolerate, overcome, and be enhanced by adverse events and experiences. Strengthening your resilience allows you to moderate your feelings and behaviours - keys to self-regulation which enables you to respond effectively to any challenge, especially a child's challenging behaviour.

Session One: Putting Positive Supports in Place to Support Children with Challenging Behaviour; Tuesday April 23, 2024; 6:30 - 8:30pm
Prevention is the best intervention “Just as behavior can affect all aspects of a learning environment, all the aspects of a learning environment can be structured to promote positive behavior” (NAEYC). This session will cover the continuum that involves universal supports for all children that include building strong relationships and providing a high-quality environment that encourages positive behaviour from learning activities to transitions and materials and opportunities available during free play.

Session Two: The Importance of Family in Challenging Behaviours; Tuesday May 21, 2024; 6:30 - 8:30pm
Communicating with families about concerns about their child’s behaviour is one of the hardest things you need to do. You might worry that you will damage your relationship with parent(s), put an extra burden on a struggling family, or put the child at risk for excessive punishment or harm. These are often valid concerns; nevertheless, you have an obligation to keep families informed about their child’s progress and well-being. Communication is key to creating family partnerships. Family members must feel comfortable asking questions, seeking information, and raising concerns about their child’s care, well-being, and development. Families may need support as much as their child does.

Beyond Survival – Building Your Resilience - The Key to Self-Regulation; Tuesday June 11, 2024; 6:30 - 8:30pm
Regulating our emotions requires filtering sensory stimulation, coping effectively with stress, maintaining focus, and relating well to others. When we look at self-regulation as it relates to resilience, it is important to self-reflect on how we control our emotions and behaviours. This session will cover the 4 phases of resilience and help you to understand the connection between resilience and self-regulation.

This registration includes all 3 webinars in the series.
All 3 sessions must be attended to receive certificate.

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ECCDC’s organizational support team would like to invite Niagara’s educators to join their colleagues for discussion and reflection through community of practice networks in a peer to peer setting. The Networks will be exploring concepts and ideas related to current trends and research in the early learning field. During the networks, educators will be provided an opportunity to connect, listen, and consider next steps for their daily practice.

*For Niagara Educators Only

**To be held at Althorp Montessori School. Address will be in your confirmation of registration email.

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Back by popular demand! With Victoria Armstrong.

Pedagogical documentation is a process that invites us into a great story; a place where we get the privilege of capturing, reflecting upon, sharing, and celebrating the incredible brilliance of children. As we strive to be great storytellers, keen observers, and thoughtful listeners, we are given the opportunity of exploring more of who we are as we notice more of who children really are.

Session 1: Participants will have the opportunity to dig into what pedagogical documentation is and how to engage in the process, as well as learn more about what and how to document. Participants will also engage in a writing exercise to discover more about what to include in a piece of written documentation.
Thursday April 25, 2024; 6:30 - 8:00pm

Session 2: Participants will be invited to engage in an essential component of pedagogical documentation; studying to make meaning. Participants will be introduced to a few ‘protocols’ that can be used to guide the process of study as they are engaged in facilitated studies of written documentation and photos. Participants will also learn more about the difference between written documentation and display and how effective displays can be created that invite readers to study and reflect on children’s thinking and ideas.
Thursday May 23, 2024; 6:30 - 8:00pm

This registration includes the both sessions in the series. Both must be attended to receive certificate.

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Please note: No transportation is being provided for this tour. Participants are invited to drive themselves to each location at the following prearranged times.

Agenda:
9:00 to 9:15 am - Welcome and Arrival at Fort Erie Cooperative Preschool
9:15 to 10:15 am - Tour of Fort Erie Cooperative Preschool
10:15 to 10:45 am - Travel and Welcome to Under the Rainbow Child Care
10:45 to 11:45 am - Tour of Under the Rainbow Child Care
11:45 am to 12:45 pm - Lunch at Under the Rainbow Child Care
12:45 to 1:45 pm - Travel and Welcome to Althorp Montessori School
1:45 to 2:45 pm - Tour of Althorp Montessori School
2:45 to 3:30 pm - Travel and Welcome to Nelephant Montessori School
3:30 to 4:30 pm - Tour of Nelephant Montessori School and Closing

Registration fee includes lunch (sponsored through funding provided by Niagara Region Children’s Services).

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During the meeting participants will also be encouraged to share what they are looking forward to exploring in nature as well as ideas to explore at upcoming community of practice meetings. Resources will be sent ahead of time for participants to review for the meeting.

*For Niagara Educators and Administrators only.
** Network will be held at Greenbelt Academy. Address will be in your registration confirmation email.

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With the ECCDC Training Team

In this engaging training series, we delve into the topic of risky play and its significance in children’s development. With growing concerns around safety regulations and their impact on children’s play, it’s crucial for educators to understand the history, benefits, challenges, and practices related to risk taking and foster open dialogue that support opportunities for adventurous play.

Session Three: Conversations about Risk and Challenge; Tuesday April 30, 2024, 6:30 - 8:00pm
Risk taking in play gives children the opportunity to extend their limits and learn life skills. How we reflect on our approaches to risk assessment and play with families and colleagues has an impact on the practices within our programs and how we plan for adventurous play. Join us as we look at how we include the voices of the families and colleagues in our programs, how we can reconcile our knowledge of the benefits of risk taking in play with families’ views, and how we can support the risk-averse view of others while also creating opportunities for conversation and open dialogue.

This registration is for Session 3 in the series only.

No Charge for Niagara Educators (sponsored through funding provided by Niagara Region Children’s Services).

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Presented by the Learning Disabilities Association of Niagara.

Session 3: Strategies for the Classroom Teacher: Supporting School-Age Students with Learning Disabilities; Thursday May 2, 2024, 6:30 - 8:00pm
One in ten young learners live with a learning disability, though most of these students will remain undiagnosed. Classroom teachers require strategies and tools to support the unique needs and strengths of these learners in their school community. Join Program Coordinators from the Learning Disabilities Association of Niagara Region, to learn about strategies to support students with diagnosed, suspected, or identified Learning Disabilities in the classroom.

Sponsored by Learning Disabilities Association of Niagara.

This registration is for Session 3 in the series only.

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2-Day Learning Institute with Internationally Respected Researcher and Author, Susan MacDonald

Are you ready to re-ignite your passion, thrive as a leader, and discover new and empowering ways to sustain and recruit an engaged workforce? It’s time to reduce the feelings of isolation and stress so that you can reconnect with your hopes and dreams and establish a more professional and positive work culture.

Participating in this leadership institute will inspire you to rethink and refocus your work to re-energize and strengthen your learning community.
Topics include:
1. Creating a Vision for a Thriving Growth Culture
2. Professional Development Plans
3. Leadership Skills to Empower Professional Growth
4. Conversations that Matter - Strengths-Based Communication Skills
5. Supporting Positive Teams
6. Managing Your Time to Enhance Your Leadership
7. Running Effective Staff Meetings
8. Designing and Developing a Professional Development Project
9. Cultivating Professional Collaboration
10. Leading Transformational Change

Susan will use her signature three-pillar methodology - Passion, Intentionality, and Engagement (PIE), to empower you to create a customized leadership portfolio that will enhance your professional growth and enable you to make lasting changes in the areas you care about most.

Your portfolio will include:
Vision: A clear and concise vision statement focused on supporting the professional growth of the educators in your program
Plan: A year-long goal focused professional development plan for your staff meetings and professional days
Design: The design, development, and delivery of a professional development workshop
Communicate: A positive communication action plan to guide you in facilitating effective dialogues
Resources: A cultivated list of current and relevant resources to inspire your ongoing professional growth

Presented In Person at the ECCDC, 3550 Schmon Parkway, Thorold ON (*location changed Apr 2024)

(*Please note this event was originally scheduled for January 19 & 20, 2024 at an alternate location.)

This registration includes the following 2 dates:
Friday May 3, 2024, 6:30-9:00pm and
Saturday May 4, 2024, 9:00am-3:00pm

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Session two in the Flourishing in the Early Years: Strategies for Promoting an Equitable and Discrimination-Free Early Learning Environment Series.

This series is being offered by Dane Marco Di Cesare, PhD, Assistant Professor, Brock University, Faculty of Education. Dane will offer strategies to support early childhood educators in providing an environment free of gender identity and gender expression discrimination through creating gender-inclusive and gender-affirming spaces.

Session Two: Representation in the Early Learning Environment – Strategies for Inclusion and its Impact on Identity; Tuesday May 7, 2024; 6:30-8:30pm

Sponsored by Brock University – Faculty of Education.

This registration is for Session 2 in the series only.

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*This network session was rescheduled from April 10

ECCDC’s organizational support team would like to invite Niagara’s new graduate educators to join their colleagues for discussion and reflection through community of practice networks in a peer to peer setting. The Networks will be exploring concepts and ideas related to current trends and research in the early learning field. During the networks, educators will be provided an opportunity to connect, listen, and consider next steps for their daily practice.

*For Niagara Graduates/New Educators Only
**After meeting at the ECCDC for this network, participants will walk to the Glenridge Quarry Naturalization Site. You may wish to bring a chair to sit on.

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Presenter: The ECCDC Training Team

How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years highlights the importance of providing children with interesting opportunities for a reasonable degree of risk taking, and as educators we have become familiar and confident with supporting children’s risk taking in play. However, much risk taking for children tends to take place in our early learning and child care program during active outdoor play and often focuses on physical risk taking. This session will explore all forms of risk-taking during children’s play - physical, emotional, and social risk - and how educators can facilitate experiences during indoor play for all age groups.

(sponsored through funding provided by Niagara Region Children’s Services)

Please note this session is intended for Supervisors; there is an alternate session on May 14 for Educators.

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ECCDC’s organizational support team would like to invite Niagara’s educators to join their colleagues for discussion and reflection through community of practice networks in a peer to peer setting. The Networks will be exploring concepts and ideas related to current trends and research in the early learning field. During the networks, educators will be provided an opportunity to connect, listen, and consider next steps for their daily practice.

*For Niagara Educators Only
*Network session will take place at Fort Erie Cooperative Nursery School. Address will be in your registration confirmation email.
**Please note this network session was previously online scheduled for May 1.

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Back by popular demand!

This series was created to help educators navigate the outdoors and offering opportunities to engage with loose parts, explore in all weathers, and encourage opportunities for children to challenge themselves to take a risk. Throughout this series, participants will have an opportunity to reflect and share experiences, brainstorm and engage in group discussions, immerse themselves in hands-on experiences, identify connections to Ontario’s Early Learning Frameworks, and strategize how to weave their learning into their daily practice through action planning.

Session 1: Innovative Ways to Use Natural Loose Parts; Thursday May 9, 2024; 6:30-9:00pm
Loose parts can be found in our early learning environments and have grown in popularity over the last several years. Participants will develop an understanding of what natural loose parts are and learn about the importance of them in relation to children’s development and play experiences. As a group, participants will explore innovative ways to introduce and use natural loose parts in their environment in low cost/no cost ways.
*Presented in Person in Niagara (Meeting at ECCDC Conference Room, 3550 Schmon Parkway, Thorold and Walking to Glenridge Quarry Naturalization Site)

Session 2: Outdoor Play Throughout the Year; Thursday May 30, 2024; 6:30-9:00pm
As Canadians, we are fortunate to have four distinct seasons in which to incorporate outdoor play throughout the year. In this session we will develop an understanding of outdoor play that can be shared with families and colleagues as well as highlight the benefits of outdoor play while using low cost/no cost strategies and materials that can be implemented into your program to support daily outdoor play. We will also look at global outdoor play trends as well as other related concepts that we can transition into our outdoor programs. Finally, we’ll review ECCDC’s Naturalized Play Space Project where the learning highlighted the importance of outdoor play in relation to children’s development and the play experiences offered throughout the seasons.
*Presented in Person in Niagara (Meeting at ECCDC Conference Room, 3550 Schmon Parkway, Thorold and Walking to Glenridge Quarry Naturalization Site)

Session 3: Risky Play Throughout the Day; Thursday June 20, 2024; 6:30-9:00pm
Children’s play contains an element of risk, and this session looks at opportunities for risky play being woven into a child’s day. Participants will explore what risk is and develop an understanding of risky play. What would be the implications of risk-averse attitudes towards play? Participants will be encouraged to have an open dialogue to brainstorm the ‘why’ behind offering elements of risk and challenge for children. As a group, we’ll review and learn about the importance of risky play in relation to children’s development and play experiences using up-to-date theories, research documents, and frameworks as a way to increase educator knowledge and confidence.
*Presented in Person in Niagara (Meeting at ECCDC Conference Room, 3550 Schmon Parkway, Thorold and Walking to Glenridge Quarry Naturalization Site)

Registration fee for Niagara Educators is subsidized through funding provided by Niagara Region Children's Services.

This registration includes all 3 in-person sessions.

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Back by popular demand!

This series was created to help educators navigate the outdoors and offering opportunities to engage with loose parts, explore in all weathers, and encourage opportunities for children to challenge themselves to take a risk. Throughout this series, participants will have an opportunity to reflect and share experiences, brainstorm and engage in group discussions, immerse themselves in hands-on experiences, identify connections to Ontario’s Early Learning Frameworks, and strategize how to weave their learning into their daily practice through action planning.

Session 1: Innovative Ways to Use Natural Loose Parts; Thursday May 9, 2024; 6:30-9:00pm
Loose parts can be found in our early learning environments and have grown in popularity over the last several years. Participants will develop an understanding of what natural loose parts are and learn about the importance of them in relation to children’s development and play experiences. As a group, participants will explore innovative ways to introduce and use natural loose parts in their environment in low cost/no cost ways.
*Presented in Person in Niagara (Meeting at ECCDC Conference Room, 3550 Schmon Parkway, Thorold and Walking to Glenridge Quarry Naturalization Site)

Registration fee for Niagara Educators is subsidized through funding provided by Niagara Region Children's Services.

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Back by popular demand. Presented by: The Crisis and Trauma Resource Institute
(Originally scheduled for Nov 4 2023 as webinar.)

Trauma is prevalent in our world and has an impact on many of the people we interact with, including our clients and colleagues. Compassionate and trauma-informed care is essential to providing effective support and building sustainable services. This workshop explores how to build a trauma-informed culture in a workplace setting that integrates knowledge throughout the organization. Participants will develop an understanding of the pervasive impact of trauma on individual health and relationships. Guiding principles will be explored for increasing emotional and physical safety, culturally sensitive empowerment, and creating greater resilience for all parts of an organization. Becoming trauma-informed creates a sustainable foundation in any work setting to promote strength, engagement, and recovery.

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With Heidi Smith
*Please not this session was originally scheduled for May 6 2024

This interactive workshop series will focus on supporting children’s well-being and development through promoting positive experiences with food. This three-part series will include sessions that provide strategies for nurturing children’s healthy development, mindful eating practices, as well as bringing joy back to the table.

Session 2: Mindful Meals; Monday May 6, 2024, 6:30-8:00pm
Mealtimes with children present us with both challenges and opportunities – challenges to not impart unhealthy practices or relationships with food onto the children in our care; and opportunities to infuse gratitude, joy, and intention into mealtimes. Eating is something we do several times a day, often without much thought or awareness of the impacts to our health, our planet, and our emotional well-being. Guided by the practice of mindfulness, eating can become an experience filled with joy and gratitude, which, when shared with children, can foster empowerment, good health, and sustainable practices. Through an introduction to mindfulness, a mindful eating experience, and a new understanding of the power of the plate, participants will develop strategies to incorporate mindfulness practices into mealtimes with children.

Sponsored through funding provided by Niagara Region Children’s Services.

This registration is for Session 2 in the series only.

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ECCDC’s organizational support team would like to invite Niagara’s educators to join their colleagues for discussion and reflection through community of practice networks in a peer to peer setting. The Networks will be exploring concepts and ideas related to current trends and research in the early learning field. During the networks, educators will be provided an opportunity to connect, listen, and consider next steps for their daily practice.

*Niagara Educators Only
**This network will take place at Niagara Nursery School. Address will be in your registration confirmation email.

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Presenter: The ECCDC Training Team

How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years highlights the importance of providing children with interesting opportunities for a reasonable degree of risk taking and as educators we have become familiar and confident with supporting children’s risk taking in play. However, much risk taking for children tends to take place in our early learning and child care program during active outdoor play and often focuses on physical risk taking. This session will explore all forms of risk-taking during children’s play - physical, emotional and social risk - and how educators can facilitate experiences during indoor play for all age groups.

(sponsored through funding provided by Niagara Region Children’s Services)

Please note this session is intended for Educators; there is an alternate session on May 8 for Supervisors.

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Presenter: Christine Brown, At Last Forest Schools

Session 2: Exploring the Connection Between Mental Health and Nature; Thursday May 16, 2024, 6:30 - 8:00pm
We will dive deeper into the connection of mental health and nature when it comes to young minds. This will include discussions on anxiety, depression, nature deficit disorder, and more. We will discuss how nature can foster a deeper attachment for students with staff which in turn supports the child's learning elsewhere in the classroom.

This registration is for Session 2 in this series only.

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*This network session has been rescheduled from April 18

Niagara’s Licensed Child Care Cooks are invited to join together for a meeting to consider how they support their organization with budgeting, seasonal menu review and creation, incorporating seasonal foods and various allergies, and volume cooking. Participants are invited to bring a favourite recipe with them to share with the group. Resources will be sent ahead of time for participants to review for the meeting.

*For Niagara Educators/Cooks Only
**Participants are asked to meet at the ECCDC and will walk together to the Glenridge Quarry Naturalization Site; you may wish to bring a chair.

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ECCDC’s organizational support team would like to invite Niagara’s child care supervisors to join their colleagues for discussion and reflection through community of practice networks in a peer to peer setting. The Networks will be exploring concepts and ideas related to current trends and research in the early learning field. During the networks, educators will be provided an opportunity to connect, listen, and consider next steps for their daily practice.

Supervisors are invited to join the Fundamentals of Building a Strong Collective Team Session 3 from 2:30 to 4:00 pm taking place before the Supervisor network meeting. Please register for that session separately.

*For Niagara Licensed Child Care Supervisors Only
Please note this session was previously advertised from 4:30 - 6pm.

This network session will take place at St. Catharines Regional Child Care Centre. Address will be in your registration confirmation email.

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Presenter: Dr. Debra Harwood

Wild play is a distinct and beneficial form of play rooted in real experiences, processes, and explorations where nature acts as the co-player. Wild play within untamed outdoor natural environments affords opportunities for complexity, spontaneity, curiosity, creativity, and entanglement. This presentation will focus on insights drawn from research focused on wild play programs where children are immersed within untamed natural areas repeatedly and over extended periods of time. By redefining what we mean by wild play in early childhood education fundamental shifts in the profession can be achieved and the experiences afforded to young children can be broadened. Supporting wild play within centre-based spaces will be showcased.

no charge - session is sponsored by Brock University – Faculty of Education

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Back by popular demand!

This series was created to help educators navigate the outdoors and offering opportunities to engage with loose parts, explore in all weathers, and encourage opportunities for children to challenge themselves to take a risk. Throughout this series, participants will have an opportunity to reflect and share experiences, brainstorm and engage in group discussions, immerse themselves in hands-on experiences, identify connections to Ontario’s Early Learning Frameworks, and strategize how to weave their learning into their daily practice through action planning.

Session 2: Outdoor Play Throughout the Year; Thursday May 30, 2024; 6:30-9:00pm
As Canadians, we are fortunate to have four distinct seasons in which to incorporate outdoor play throughout the year. In this session we will develop an understanding of outdoor play that can be shared with families and colleagues as well as highlight the benefits of outdoor play while using low cost/no cost strategies and materials that can be implemented into your program to support daily outdoor play. We will also look at global outdoor play trends as well as other related concepts that we can transition into our outdoor programs. Finally, we’ll review ECCDC’s Naturalized Play Space Project where the learning highlighted the importance of outdoor play in relation to children’s development and the play experiences offered throughout the seasons.

*Presented in Person in Niagara (Meeting at ECCDC Conference Room, 3550 Schmon Parkway, Thorold and Walking to Glenridge Quarry Naturalization Site)

Registration fee for Niagara Educators is subsidized through funding provided by Niagara Region Children's Services.

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with Author Jacob Rodenburg

The average child spends more than 7.5 hours in front of a glowing screen and less than 20 minutes per day in unstructured outdoor play. They are more likely to remember the names of dozens of corporate logos than to be able to recognize even just a few local plants, birds, and mammals. In this interactive workshop, award-winning educator and author Jacob Rodenburg will offer up examples of fun, hands-on strategies for reconnecting children to nature. We’ll dance like bees, follow scent trails, design micro-trails, sing like frogs, create beautiful nature art, learn how to become a bird “whisperer”, and more! Jacob will offer up creative ideas on how to nurture stewards – children who care for each other and the Earth we all share.

(sponsored through funding provided by Niagara Region Children’s Services)

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With Janet Nezon.

This interactive workshop series will focus on supporting children’s well-being and development through promoting positive experiences with food. This three-part series will include sessions that provide strategies for nurturing children’s healthy development, mindful eating practices, as well as bringing joy back to the table.

Session 3: Peas and Harmony: Bringing Joy Back to the Table; Monday June 3, 2024
Did you know that how you feed children is just as important as what you feed them? Helping children cultivate a relaxed and positive relationship with food and eating makes mealtimes less stressful for everyone. Kids who are comfortable at the table are much more likely to try, eat, and ENJOY a variety of foods. Early childhood is the ideal time to help children establish food preferences and eating behaviours that will last throughout adulthood.
Join Janet Nezon, the founder of Rainbow Plate, for an informal and interactive workshop that will give you a clear picture of how to make this happen. You’ll learn the principles behind this approach and simple, practical strategies for making mealtimes more comfortable for everyone at the table.

Sponsored through funding provided by Niagara Region Children’s Services.

This registration is for Session 3 in the series only.

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Session three in the Flourishing in the Early Years: Strategies for Promoting an Equitable and Discrimination-Free Early Learning Environment Series.

This series is being offered by Dane Marco Di Cesare, PhD, Assistant Professor, Brock University, Faculty of Education. Dane will offer strategies to support early childhood educators in providing an environment free of gender identity and gender expression discrimination through creating gender-inclusive and gender-affirming spaces.

Session Three: Supporting Diverse Family Dynamics in the Early Learning Environment; Tuesday June 4, 2024; 6:30-8:30pm

Sponsored by Brock University – Faculty of Education.

This registration is for Session 3 in the series only.

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Presenter: Marg Van Herk-Paradis, President, Senior Consultant, Credence and Co.

Leadership can be demanding – especially when navigating the realities of trauma that may be impacting oneself, one’s colleagues, and one’s clients. This session defines trauma, explores how trauma impacts interpersonal interactions, and proposes strategies for engaging others thoughtfully, including during trauma-impacted interactions.

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Presenter: Christine Brown, At Last Forest Schools

Session 3: Not Just Child’s Play – The Benefits of Nature for Educator Wellbeing; Thursday June 13, 2024, 6:30 - 8:00pm
We as educators can benefit from going into nature on a regular basis, but this can be a difficult task. This is particularly true when we can do it in our workplace to alleviate daily stressors and increase our mental wellbeing. Learn ways to better our minds while in nature and with our students.

This registration is for Session 3 in this series only.

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Back by popular demand!

This series was created to help educators navigate the outdoors and offering opportunities to engage with loose parts, explore in all weathers, and encourage opportunities for children to challenge themselves to take a risk. Throughout this series, participants will have an opportunity to reflect and share experiences, brainstorm and engage in group discussions, immerse themselves in hands-on experiences, identify connections to Ontario’s Early Learning Frameworks, and strategize how to weave their learning into their daily practice through action planning.

Session 3: Risky Play Throughout the Day; Thursday June 20, 2024; 6:30-9:00pm
Children’s play contains an element of risk, and this session looks at opportunities for risky play being woven into a child’s day. Participants will explore what risk is and develop an understanding of risky play. What would be the implications of risk-averse attitudes towards play? Participants will be encouraged to have an open dialogue to brainstorm the ‘why’ behind offering elements of risk and challenge for children. As a group, we’ll review and learn about the importance of risky play in relation to children’s development and play experiences using up-to-date theories, research documents, and frameworks as a way to increase educator knowledge and confidence.

*Presented in Person in Niagara (Meeting at ECCDC Conference Room, 3550 Schmon Parkway, Thorold and Walking to Glenridge Quarry Naturalization Site)

Registration fee for Niagara Educators is subsidized through funding provided by Niagara Region Children's Services.

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