All Workshops
*New and Trending Workshops*
Online or in-person
Embrace the Process:
Creative Experiences for Curious Minds
This workshop explores the concept of actively engaging children through process-based experiences. While teacher-led learning has played a large role in past practices, research shows that learning is deeper and longer-lasting when children lead their own learning. The development of creativity and problem-solving requires hands-on exploration, investigation, and trial and error.
Participants will investigate strategies for implementing processed-based experiences in all curriculum areas. They will learn why this is important in today’s society to prevent social and emotional challenges and to promote holistic development for all ages.
Warning: Using these strategies may lead to more engaged educators and children, reducing burnout and behaviour challenges!
Communication & Collaboration in Your Early Learning Program
Effective communication and collaboration between colleagues are critical to creating a respectful work environment. In this workshop, we’ll address topics such as professional communication skills, conflict resolution strategies, gossip, having courageous conversations, and maintaining professionalism in the workplace.
Participants will explore generational and other implicit bias, emotional literacy, and self-awareness. Hands-on activities to encourage team-building and belly laughs are included!
The Road to Self-Regulation – Children in the 2020’s have experienced the world with limited social and emotional skills due to the pandemic and other societal stressors. This sets the stage for increased mental wellness challenges, including anxiety and depression. As educators, it’s our role to create a safe environment for children to re-learn these skills, and the foundation for this is self-regulation. Participants will explore ways to assist children as they develop self-regulation skills in order to manage their emotions. As adults and co-regulators, we must also practice these tools ourselves.
Navigating Challenging Behaviors This workshop is one of our most asked for resources. It has been specifically designed to provide basic information to those new to the field, or those who’d like to refresh their guiding skills. It can be difficult to deal with challenging behavior, and this workshop provides each participant with a variety of tools to use.
Put Your Mask on First Are you feeling stressed? Depressed? Feeling burned out? Tired of all the new regulations and rules? This workshop will encourage you to put your own “oxygen mask” on first. We will provide you with tools to help re-ignite your passion when working with young children. You will take away strategies to spark your creativity and revisit the skills and abilities that light your fire. Staff who feel motivated, encouraged, and engaged are better able to provide positive experiences and connections within their workplace setting. What do you need to jump start your motivation?
*In-Person Workshops
Mash, Bash, and Crash: Incorporating Vestibular and Proprioception Needs of Children
This workshop focuses on big body, messy play experiences that encourage children to develop proprioception skills, body awareness, gross motor skills, and imagination. Participants will prepare a risk/benefit analysis to support developmentally appropriate ways to encourage and support children in adventurous play.
In the Grand ‘Schema’ Things Schemas are repeated patterns of behavior or ‘urges’ that children use to express developing interests. Recognizing schemas helps us understand why children choose the behavior they do, such as throwing, dumping and hiding. This workshop is a ‘cheat’ sheet as you guide infant and toddler behavior and enhance learning experiences.
Loose Parts: The What, Why, and How Are you curious about loose parts and how they can play a role in your program? In this workshop, we’ll explore the types of loose parts and how to incorporate them in your practices. We’ll discuss how to introduce them in an interesting and functional manner, manage, and store them.
Participants will explore and manipulate a variety of loose parts and loose parts props suitable for infant – school-age programs. We’ll also investigate schemas and the stages of loose parts play.
Invitations-- In and Out The popular workshop series continues with a huge array of innovative invitations for young children. Learn how to capture children’s attention with eye catching designs that will enhance their development in all domains. What can we create indoors and out that will promote sensory investigation and wonder?
Emotional Wellness in Your Outdoor Space Emotional self-regulation and resiliency are characteristics of mental wellness in adults and children, and let’s be real, who doesn’t need that? How can we encourage children to develop these skills in our outdoor spaces? We’ll rely on our sensory input to create outdoor experiences that calm and relax or energize and invigorate our minds and bodies. Participants will create areas to influence a love and respect for nature while encouraging emotional awareness in children and educators alike.
The Playground is my Palette An outdoor exploration of paint to engage curious minds and bodies. Participants will investigate a variety of mediums in order to provide creative, process-based experiences for children in your outdoor setting.
Busy Boards This is a hands-on workshop where each participant will build a busy board to take home with them. Supplies can be provided at an extra cost, or a supply list will be provided so participants can choose the elements they would like to include. 8 weeks notice needed.
Block Party Hands on workshops are our specialty! Join Janet and Holly to create unique and specialized blocks for your centre. All supplies are provided. While creating, learn about the importance of block play and how it impacts child development. 8 weeks notice is required. There is a supply cost to this workshop.
Back by Popular Demand
In-person or Online
Emergent Curriculum 101 Emergent curriculum is a method of planning curriculum based on the children’s interests and passions at a certain point in time. Children learn best when their interests are built upon naturally. If you’ve been curious about making a transition from a theme-based program to a more emergent approach, this workshop will help walk you through the steps.
Superheroes: Saving the World Superhero and fantasy play are normal ways in which children process the world around them. They often include ‘rough’ play, gun and weapon play, and good guys/bad guys. In this workshop we discuss why this type of play is so important to help children navigate strategies to cope with and prevent anxiety and depression.
The Third Teacher How does the environment affect children’s behavior and learning? This workshop looks at your learning spaces and how you can provide inviting and engaging surroundings without being overstimulating. We’ll work with you in your centre as you practice incorporating elements of design, invitations and open-ended experiences.
School Age Shenanigans Running a school age program can have an adventurous side! Participants will explore ideas for making the most of your space, materials, and how to engage all types of personalities. By providing meaningful experiences, staff can feel confident creating positive relationships with this challenging age group.
Observation in Early Childhood Education This workshop will discuss the reasons observation is a powerful tool in early childhood education. Participants will be introduced to the ABC Method of observation and apply their knowledge to a real-life scenario.
Create Your Own Workshop You provide the topic, we create the workshop. This is the ultimate in professional development. Centre staff will work with Powered by Play and Innovation consultants to design a workshop around a topic of their choice, in the format that best works for them.