Event: ECDA's Start With Play Fall Conference 2026

Exp 04 PM: Caring for the Caregiver: The Importance of Self-Care & The Art of Seeing: Making the Invisible Visible: Documentation as a Tool for Visibility and Advocacy

Morning Session: Working in early childhood development requires a tremendous amount of energy, patience, compassion, and care for others—but it can be easy to forget to extend that same care to ourselves. This interactive session will explore why self-care is essential, not selfish, and how prioritizing our own well-being can help prevent burnout, manage stress, and allow us to show up more fully in both our personal and professional lives. Participants will leave with practical, realistic strategies for creating sustainable self-care habits that fit into even the busiest of days.

Afternoon Session: Documentation is often viewed as a chore, but it is actually our most powerful tool for advocacy. This session focuses on the Art of Seeing, learning to ignore the surface-level fun to find the profound cognitive leaps happening in the messy middle of play. Educators will walk away with a framework for pedagogical storytelling that resonates with families, colleagues, and policymakers.

Date: November 5, 2026
Time: 1:00 PM
Location: PM: Confederation Centre: Studio #1