Yeah Baby! is a specialist conference concerned with the education and care of our infants from birth to three years of age. This one-day conference runs from 9am-3pm on a Saturday and includes trade fair, and great seminar and workshops style presentations. The format for the day ensures delegates will return to their early childhood settings affirmed and inspired with up-to-date research as well as practical advice, guidance and solutions all relevant to work and play with children under 3. New information is shared each year and each programme varies according to region.

Hosted by Heritage Early Childhood Centre

Programme: 

9am-10.30am: Toni & Robin Christie - Respectful people, places, and things

The New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum, Te Whāriki, refers to “people, places and things” as the learning context for young children. How do people show respect for children and their families? What kind of places are respectful spaces for children? What things are available to children within the environment, where have they come from, and who made them? How do they demonstrate respect for diversity, culture and the child? This opening address will inspire participants with practical ideas, and prompt us to examine our own ideas about what respect looks and feels like for our youngest and most vulnerable citizens.

10.30-11am: morning tea

11.30am-12.30pm: Toni Christie - Moving freely and without restriction

When we trust a child’s natural motor-development to unfold without intervention, we offer them agency over their body and in their discoveries and movement. Human beings develop naturally and do not require intervention to learn to roll over, sit up, crawl, or walk. Furthermore, when we “help” children with this essential learning, we are in fact hindering their natural motivation and confidence in their own developing capabilities. Essentially, infants and toddlers should never be put into any position they cannot get into or out of by themselves. For this reason, we have removed all movement restricting devices from our environment at Childspace including swings, jolly jumpers, and high-chairs. Children were not meant to be containerised and this session will share some of our practices and thinking that support ‘Freedom of Movement’.

12.30-1.15pm: lunch and a chance to check out the trade fair

1.15-2.45pm: Robin Christie - Freak Out!

Loose parts and risk play in toddlerhood Adult-supported and developmentally appropriate risky play is vital to children’s physical, emotional, social and cognitive development. Research from across the globe points to the long term benefits for very young children, especially in the long-term development of resilience. Loose parts play involves open-ended and easily manipulated materials that children can use to construct, deconstruct and transport to develop their working theories of the physical world, and to augment their social and imaginative play. This presentation will examine practical instances of loose parts play that encourage symbolic and imaginative play, provide for adult-supported risky play, are environmentally responsible, encourage cooperation and problem-solving, and are cheap as chips.

2.45pm: Bonus Centre tour of Heritage Early Childhood Centre for all delegates

General admission price: $330

Subscriber's price: $290

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