The Learn to Play program for Kindergarten Teachers is designed to support teachers in a deeper understanding of pretend play, how it develops, and why pretend play is important for literacy, narrative understanding, social competence, and self-regulation.

This workshop provides for small group work to design play activities within group settings and to identify how these play activities build foundational skills for children's school readiness.

Alignment to the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework will be explained in reference to the evidence base for the Learn to Play program.

Registration now open

DUE TO THE SITUATION REGARDING COVID-19 THIS WORKSHOP HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO MON 16 - TUES 17 NOV 2020

Learn to Play Therapy aims to develop the capacity in children to self-initiate their own pretend play. Being able to play is essential to children because through play children learn about themselves and their world. Pretend play is complex play and research evidence has shown that children who develop more complex levels of pretend play increase in their abilities in social competence, narrative language, language, self-regulation, creativity, and problem solving.

The workshop uses a mixture of information giving case studies, video analysis and practice of the key skills involved in the process of Learn to Play Therapy.

This workshop would be valuable to therapists, social workers, psychologists and early intervention workers who work with families with children under 8 years of age who have a developmental delay.

Registration now closed

DUE TO THE SITUATION REGARDING COVID-19 THIS WORKSHOP HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO MON 16 - FRI 20 NOV 2020

The Learn to Play 5 Day Workshop cost includes discounted registration for the Learn to Play Therapy: Introductory Course (2 Day Workshop) 6-7 Jul 2020; Parent Learn to Play: Train the Trainer (1 Day Workshop) 8 Jul 2020; Advanced Learn to Play Therapy (2 Day Workshop) 9-10 Jul 2020; pre-workshop refreshments, morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea, all workshop resources and a copy of Parent Learn to Play: Facilitator Manual and Parent Handbook.

Registration now closed

DUE TO THE SITUATION REGARDING COVID-19 THIS WORKSHOP HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO WED 18 NOV 2020

This workshops provides specific information on working with parents using the principles of Learn to Play Therapy. This course builds on the Learn to Play Introduction workshop as knowledge on the development of pretend play and how to assess spontaneous pretend play ability in children is assumed knowledge.

This one day workshop explains how to include parents as part of parent-child dyads in therapy as well as training participants to run the Parent Learn to Play small group course for parents. The workshop uses games and small group activities to help participants think about the development of a child "on the spot". Also covered is what to consider when working with parents/carers, principles in engaging parents, tricky questions.

This workshop would be valuable for professionals, including therapists, social workers, early intervention workers, psychologists, who work with families who have children aged 12 months to 5 years who have a developmental delay.

Registration now open