Get hands on and join in with interactive workshops to get some innovative ideas to take back to your setting. These low or no cost activities will bring together education and play and are free for visitors to attend.
An exciting workshop programme is being put together for Childcare & Education Midlands 2020. In this mean time, why not look at last years seminar programme as a guide to whats in store – watch this space!
Friday 27th September

10.30am – 11:30am: YogaBugs Mindfulness Workshop
Lisa Applebee, Managing Director, YogaBugs
In this interactive workshop, Lisa will look at the benefits of yoga for children and demonstrate some yoga and mindfulness techniques that teachers and practitioners can use to help children focus their minds and feel calm. You can go on wild adventures, roar like a lion, fly like a bird or blast into outer space!

11:45am – 12:15pm: Brain Health with Sid Sloane
Sid Sloane, Actor, CBeebies Presenter & Writer
This workshop will be focused around children’s ‘Brain Health’ and how to improve it! Alongside some interactive games, Sid will discuss the importance of talking about mental health within your setting and will provide ideas for encouraging children to be more aware of it.

12:30pm – 1:30pm: There’s More to Books than Reading
Kathryn Lord, Author, Nanny, More to Books
This workshop will share books and ideas that can be interactive, using drama to really bring learning to life, with sections on maths and screentime.

2:30pm – 3:30pm: Dancing Digits – 5 key areas to Fine Motor Development
Kim Pott, Director, Funky Feet Music
This workshop will arm you with practical ideas using musical activities to support Fine Motor Development to take away and implement in your setting.
We will share with you the building blocks to develop good fine motor development and control using;
- Lovely Lycra
- Sensory Sensations
- Dancing Dinosaurs
- Lottie Ladybird
And much much more. This session will require audience participation
***WARNING*** Be prepared to have fun!
Saturday 28th September

10:30am – 11:30am: Designing, Building & Discovering with LEGO
Lucy Owen, FIRST LEGO League Jr. and Discovery Manager, The IET (Institute of Engineering and Technology)
In this fun and interactive workshop participants will experience the Six Bricks activities used in FIRST LEGO League Jr. Discovery and explore both Jr. and Discovery by coding a LEGO WeDo 2.0 using iPads from the Jr. programme as well as building moon bases, rockets and moon rovers to test using ramps from the Discovery programme.

11:45am – 12:15pm: Entertainment & Sing-a-long Songs
Dave Benson Phillips, Children’s TV Legend & Entertainer
Find Dave in the Interactive Workshop Area where he’ll be getting everyone on their feet and encouraging visitors to join in with some fun action songs.

12:30pm – 1:30pm – An Introduction to Makaton
Rebecca Walker, Regional Makaton Tutor, BB Training
This workshop is an introduction to Makaton, looking at the many benefits of using it in a fun and enjoyable way. You will look at a few concepts of signs and symbols from the Makaton Core Vocabulary and how they can be used to help develop language and communication skills. You will leave inspired wanting to learn more to support the individuals that you care for.

1:45pm – 2:15pm: Entertainment & Sing-a-long Songs
Dave Benson Phillips, Children’s TV Legend & Entertainer

2:30pm – 3:30pm: The Importance of Physical Activity in Early Years
Amanda Frolich, Founder, Amanda’s Action Club
Action Amanda will teach you how to structure a 45 min physical development fun, fitness and music session into your setting! You will leave inspired and energised with lots of ideas on how to educate children to be active and healthy from an early age. Using our modern nursery rhymes and versatile props, learn through play the Action Amanda way!