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: Neil Stuart and Thecla Moffat – Let’s play with autistic tamariki

The signs of Autism can be reliably seen by 1 year. Often the diagnosis can come many years later. But the need to start interacting and engaging should begin immediately as the earlier the start, the better the developmental outcomes.

This talk will outline the importance of identifying autism and the signs to look for. The talk will also identify specific strategies that support playing joyfully with young autistic tamariki through serve and return. Using the successful strategies from Way to Play, such as Pattern, Memory and Variation, participants will learn how to play, engage and interact. This talk will be explained with video and practical examples.

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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