Event: ECDA's Start With Play Fall Conference 2026

Exp 14 PM: More Than Just Play! & From Curious to Confident: The Joy of Discovering New Foods with Basil Bunny

Morning Session: Language learning doesn't need fancy materials or extra time. It can happen while stacking blocks, feeding dolls, cleaning up, or getting ready to head outside. In this hands-on session, we'll discover how to turn everyday moments into opportunities for communication and connection. Come ready to participate, share ideas, and leave with practical strategies that make language learning feel natural, fun, and easy to embed throughout the day.

Afternoon Session: Basil Bunny is a gentle, playful story about the joy of discovering new foods. Inspired by themes from the CELEBRATE Feeding Project—an ongoing research initiative focused on encouraging responsive feeding practices in early learning and child care programs—the book is designed for all children, especially cautious eaters, and for anyone who loves stories filled with curiosity, connection, and warmth.

With playful songs and a sweet guessing game, Basil Bunny invites children to explore foods that are new or unfamiliar in a fun, low-pressure way. Repeated exposure gives children many opportunities to become familiar with new foods by seeing, touching, smelling, and, eventually, tasting them at their own pace.

Each gentle exposure and positive experience can help a food feel more familiar and comfortable, supporting children as they develop confidence and a willingness to explore. The goal is not to pressure children to eat, but to create positive experiences that nurture curiosity and support healthy relationships with food over the long term.

This interactive session combines evidence-based best practices around food exploration, curiosity, and “learning to like” principles with playful, practical approaches for early learning professionals.

Date: November 5, 2026
Time: 1:00 PM
Location: PM: The Arts Hotel: Tivoli Cinema