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.

Programme:

9-10.30am: Toni Christie - Brain Body Balance

The evidence is overwhelming! Quality relationships and learning environments have a massive impact on brain development in the early years. For so many of our youngest citizens growing up in ECE, these relationships and environments will have long-term implications on self-regulation, wellbeing and overall mental health. In this session Toni will share insights and strategies for brain-body balance that will help us to regulate ourselves as Kaiako as we co-regulate with the infants and toddlers we love and learn alongside.

10.30-11am: morning tea

11am-12.30pm: Ali Porteous - Caregiving as curriculum

As infant and toddler kaiako, a lot of our day is taken up with care moments; changing nappies, giving bottles, helping with kai and encouraging tamariki to go to sleep. Often, we rush through these moments to get to the ‘real’ teaching. But what if these moments are the most important parts of our day?

This presentation will allow you to view our teaching practices with our youngest tamariki in a different light and understand that teaching and caring go hand in hand. Through video and discussion, we will explore what quality care moments look like in our Childspace settings and the reasons why care moments are so important in terms of a child’s brain development and forming relationships with others.

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

1.15-2.45pm: Robin Christie - Power and Place: Recent Thoughts on Infant and Toddler Learning Spaces

Our infant and toddler environments reflect who we are as a learning community – curious, functional, and beautiful! This lively presentation will share recent work from the Childspace Workshop in Wellington and explore the rationale behind these designs. From designing outdoor sleep spaces to the importance of indoor/ outdoor transition zones, from the role of physical symbols in emerging literacy to outdoor nappy change units - join teacher and ECE environment designer Robin Christie to find out what’s been keeping him up at night!

General admission price: $240

Space mag subscriber's price: $220

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