Event: ECDA's Start With Play Fall Conference 2026

Exp 02 AM: The Curious Environment: Invitations vs. Intentions: Designing for Exploration and Discovery & Fairy Hut Building

Morning Session: How do we move from a classroom that looks busy to one that invites deep inquiry? This session deconstructs the environment as the third teacher. We will analyze the difference between doing an activity and cultivating a culture of curiosity. Participants will learn to look at their current materials through a lens of potential and complexity, learning how to design spaces that don’t just occupy children but challenge them to hypothesize and discover.

Afternoon Session: The most fun hands-on workshops ever! Learn to support children’s playful connections to nature and loose parts by playing with natural materials yourself! What a blast! Build fairy huts and gnome homes, invent tiny worlds, create sculpture, make forts and dens and more. Ideas and activities you can take back to your children right away. Release your inner child and play! 

Date: November 5, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM
Location: AM: Confederation Centre Memorial Hall