☕Introducing the ECE Play Café – Playful, Play-Based, PLAY: What Do These Words Really Mean? Take a 30-minute pause in your day to reconnect, reflect, and spark new ideas in your practice. Join us 12:30–1:00 PM (MST) on the second Tuesday of each month for bite-sized sessions designed to fuel your passion for play and professionalism. […]
Unlocking the Magic of Emergent Curriculum: An Introduction to the Emergent Curriculum Step into the magical world of emergent planning – where children are the key! The way we plan activities for children is changing as we focus on the interests and abilities of the children as the core concept behind planning classroom activities and […]
Fostering Autonomy, Agency and Independence in the Early Years! Empowering Young Children Through Choice, Voice, and Confident Action This dynamic and thought-provoking workshop explores how early childhood educators can intentionally nurture autonomy, agency, and independence in young children. Grounded in the principles of rights-based, responsive pedagogy, participants are invited to reflect deeply on their current […]
Cultivating Safety in Early Childhood Programs: Responsive & Reflective Active Supervision Active supervision is more than watching children—it is an intentional, relational, and reflective practice that honours the image of the child as capable, resourceful, and worthy of safety, trust, and belonging. In this workshop, safety is explored through a three-fold lens: physical, mental, and […]
Curiosity and Wonder of Treasure Baskets: Infant and Toddler Play Explorations Infants and Toddlers explore the world around them with awe and wonder. They explore with a zest for curiosity and exploration. They deserve an environment that supports this natural process of learning. They deserve Play! Creating responsive environments for infants and toddlers is slightly […]
☕Introducing the ECE Play Café – Sound Explorations: Listening, Creating & Discovering Take a 30-minute pause in your day to reconnect, reflect, and spark new ideas in your practice. Join us 12:30–1:00 PM (MST) on the second Tuesday of each month for bite-sized sessions designed to fuel your passion for play and professionalism. Each mini-workshop […]
Observing Play with Intention: Enriching your Skills in Observations with the Emergent Curriculum Approach Ever take the time to sit back and simply observe children playing? The conversations they have, even by themselves. They show curiosity when they are exploring something new. The expressions of satisfaction when they are deep in thought in play and […]
Nurturing Self-Regulation in Early Childhood: Co-Regulation, Connection and Calming Practices for Big Emotions Young children experience big emotions, rapid transitions, and stressors they cannot yet name or manage on their own. This interactive workshop—rooted in Stuart Shanker’s self-regulation approach—helps educators understand the roots of stress behaviour, the difference between misbehaviour and stress responses, and the […]
March Pop Up Play Workshop: Elevating Sensory Play: Designing Multidimensional and Immersive Sensory Play Experiences Inspired Minds ECC Pop-Up Play Workshops are in-person, intentionally designed professional-learning experiences offered four times a year in communities around Edmonton. These workshops are hands-on, interactive, and reflective, inviting educators to actively engage in play, explore materials, and participate in […]
No Waiting! Get Them Shaking! Exploring and Extending Engaging Transitions I can picture it as clearly as if it were happening right now—children wiggling, climbing, and weaving around one another as we navigate snow pants, jackets, and boots. The scene feels chaotic, overwhelming… and all too familiar. Transitions are hard. Whether it’s the legendary “clean-up […]