Trainers: Linda Kinney from Kid Zone, North Carolina Zoo, and Anya Robyak, Tiffany Hagemeyer, and Melissa Wilson from Buncombe Partnership for Children

Location: Eliada PARC Building, 2 Compton Drive, Asheville NC 28806

Date: Friday, August 18, 2023, plus an optional Day 2 on Saturday, August 19th : Putting it into Practice with a community Play Dayz

Time: 9:00am-3:00pm

Cost: $15.00

CHC’s  

Educator Training full day

9:00am-12:00pm: Playful Pedagogy with Linday Kinney from Kid Zone

The N.C. Zoo’s Playful Pedagogy’s workshop explores open-ended creative methods of working with children outdoors, using approaches employed in the playwork profession. Participants “play with” aspects of nature & play, & explore their combined application in outdoor play & learning environments. The training provides strategies for enhancing children’s opportunities for exploration & outside play, & for incorporating nature play into programs, curriculum, and everyday life.

Natural Playwork explores creative ways to support play outside. Participants will investigate the qualities of nature and play and their combined application when engaging with children and youth outdoors.

The training will cover basic playwork approaches for working with children in institutional and public settings where engagement with nature is the primary vehicle for creative enjoyment and healthy child development. Topics covered will include the importance and value of free play; the Impact adults have on children’s play; and strategies for enhancing children’s opportunities for exploration and play outside.

12:00pm-1:00pm: Lunch (provided)

1:00-2:00pm: Choose one of two breakout sessions:

Setting up Invitations to Play (3 years and older) with Linda Kinney

During this session, participants will take to the outside and put play into practice with Loose Part Play. We’ll explore a playwork theory that focuses on setting the stage for play: sometimes even if we want to stimulate free play for children or encourage self-directed learning, we need to provide a solid starting point – the Springboard. This then can be used by the child to take off in any direction.

Topics covered will include connecting springboards, affordances, and loose parts; staying in the present moment; interventions and knowing when not to intervene; and the importance of reflective practice. This session springboards ideas on how adults can be more comfortable supporting the play process operating on the edge of chaos.

Using Loose Parts With Infants and Toddlers, Yes They Can! with Melissa Wilson

In this training, we will explore using loose parts with infants and toddlers. From planning to introduction, then observation and reflection, we will learn about how to set up the play, manage and facilitate exploration, then think about next steps. Open the possibilities for our very young children, and see how capable they are as you explore loose parts play along with them.

2:00pm-3:00pm: Storage & Phasing with Practical Solutions with Anya Robyak and Tiffany Hagemeyer

Come learn to create a phase plan for implementation in your center including: when to procure materials and storage, when to introduce materials and why, developing teacher leadership groups to grow expertise and not feel overwhelmed, constructing community agreements for use of materials and storage, growing family engagement through parts collections, and creating a template for all of these to document your process. You will also learn about how licensing and sanitation will come into consideration for these solutions.

Day 2 (Optional): Putting it into Practice with a Community Play Dayz

10:00am-11:00am Linda Kinney will walk us through Invitations to play in real time as kids arrive and we see how the play unfolds and why it matters.

11:00am-2:00pm The Play Dayz will continue until 2pm with tabling by community organizations, food truck, Adventure Play trailer, and lots of families to connect with.

Participants who attend all sessions will be eligible to receive up to 6 CHCs.

**Please dress comfortably for both learning and play sessions as we will have hands on activities both indoors and out.**