What's On

Childcare Expo 2013 will host a broad range of inspirational feature areas designed to equip you with an array of fresh and exciting ideas for you to take back to your setting! Take a look below at what was on offer at Childcare Expo 2012.

• Inspirational Themes Feature Area
• Seminars
• Make a Lorry
• Language and Communication Workshops
• Play on a Budget Workshops



Inspirational Themes Feature Area


Children have the most vivid imaginations and that’s why TTS have created the Inspirational Themes feature area at Childcare Expo 2012. They have been busy building inspiring learning locations crammed full of practical ideas for you to try. Each location is focused around its own unique theme. Click here to find our more about their innovative area.



Seminars

Childcare Expo 2012 hosted an impressive line up of thought leaders from across the sector. These inspiring sessions discuss the issues that will continue to affect your business in the coming year; ranging from the new EYFS through to childcare for the under 2s. For more details please click here.



Make a Lorry with Community Playthings

A craftsman from the Community Playthings workshop in Sussex helped visitors become one of Santa’s elves as they assembled a solid wooden lorry. The first 100 practitioners that arrived on the Community Playthings stand each day took home a lorry worth over £20.00.



Language and Communication Workshops

Language and communication skills are the foundation for children’s learning and key to their life chances. The revised EYFS 2012 framework recognises communication and language as one of the three prime areas for learning and development.

I CAN early year’s communication advisors Kate Freeman, Jon Gilmartin, Eva March and Operations Director Clare Geldard presented a range of pop-in workshops on children’s language and communication at Childcare Expo 2012.

As communication experts in the Early Years sector; Kate, Jon, Eva and Clare gave handy tips and advice on how practitioners, parents and their workforce can support children’s speech and language.




		Friday 28th September		Saturday 29th September
	10.30am – 11.15am	The Golden Years of Learning to Talk Kate Freeman		The Early Years Language and Communication Toolkit Jon Gilmartin
	11.30am –12.15pm	EYFS 2012 – Spotlight on Language and Communication Clare Geldard		EYFS 2012 – Spotlight on Language and Communication Clare Geldard
	12.30pm – 1.15pm	The Golden Years of Learning to Talk Kate Freeman		The Early Years Language and Communication Toolkit Jon Gilmartin
	1.30pm – 2.15pm	EYFS 2012 – Spotlight on Language and Communication Clare Geldard		EYFS 2012 – Spotlight on Language and Communication Clare Geldard
	2.30pm – 3.15pm	Chatting with Children and Early Talk Launch		The Early Years Language and Communication Toolkit Jon Gilmartin

Play on a Budget Workshops

Back by popular demand our budget focused workshops equipped visitors with tips and tricks of how to create fantastic experiences for the children in their care and left visitors with an array of activities that they could show to their staff and colleagues! These inspiring workshops were free to attend.


Friday 28th September			Saturday 29th September
	10.30am – 12.00pm: 101 Ideas with a Cardboard Box Wendy Whittaker-Large, Elearvation			10.30am – 12.00pm: Quality Play Needn’t Cost the Earth Sue Gascoyne, Play to Z
How can a cardboard box be so versatile? And how can you use it to become a staple part of learning through the prime areas of the revised EYFS? Discover 101 ways to use a cardboard box in this fast-paced and interactive workshop. You'll never throw away a cardboard box again!			Evidence of children’s resourceful approach to play are plentiful. Be inspired to view the freely available resources found all around us as play opportunities, waiting to be harnessed. Have fun exploring the play potential of the simplest of resources and seeing them with child-like eyes.
	12.30pm – 1.30pm: Helicopter Technique of Storytelling and Story Acting Ross Bolwell-Williams, MakeBelieve Arts			12.30pm – 1.30pm: Outdoor Learning in the EYFS Suzi O’Neill, Jofli Bear
This interactive workshop introduces teachers, support staff, play workers and practitioners to The Helicopter Technique of Storytelling and Story Acting based on the work of Vivian Gussin Paley. The Benefits: Develops confidence, curiosity, concentration and communication skills in all children regardless of ability Increases turn taking, attention span and speaking and listening skills Demonstrates measurable gains in spoken narrative and language development skills even for pupils with SEN or EAL			The great outdoors offers a wealth of learning opportunities at little or no cost. See how you can meet many of the requirements of the EYFS framework, and share your experiences of outdoor adventures. The workshop will break down into three 20 minute sections for visitors to drop in and drop out, based around the 3 prime areas of the EYFS framework, and how outdoor activities can be adapted to meet the requirements.
	2.00pm – 3.30pm: S is for Senses and P is for Play Sue Gascoyne & Mary Byrne, Play to Z			2.00pm – 3.30pm: Den Making with Free and Found Materials Wendy Whittaker-Large, Elearvation
This lively session will focus on our vital senses; highlighting their importance for development. It will also look at how best we can nurture babies and young children’s senses as the gateway to all learning.			Active learning in action! A hands-on workshop where participants will have time to create their own den from the free and found materials most of us have lying around. Develop your knowledge and understanding of how to support children in their den building and the importance of this kind of play for promoting creativity and emotional wellbeing. Why is den building important for children’s development (especially boys!)? How does den building support children in risk-taking? Is den making a fair weather activity? How can we ensure all children are involved? Come and find out at this interactive and fun workshop!