Community of Practice: In the World of Fantasy Play

Suitable for child care providers and child care workforce.

Presenter: Connie Gauthier (CCRR Consultant)

In this Community of Practice, we will immerse ourselves in the insights offered by Vivian Paley, a renowned pioneer in early childhood education, through her book “A Child’s Work: The Importance of Fantasy Play”. Paley drew on her experiences as a kindergarten teacher to examine the role of fantasy and storytelling in children’s development. She deemed the value of play as a tool for children to make sense of the world, express themselves, and develop important social skills.

In every session, the hope is to recognize the benefits of imaginative or dramatic play and to advocate for an environment that nurtures and supports children’s natural inclination towards storytelling and imagination.

This is a 12 hour Community of Practice professional development and participants will need to be available for all 6 days and will receive a certificate at the end of last session.

A 12-hour professional certificate will be given at the end of the last session.

Light refreshments will be provided.

Connie is currently working as a consultant for YMCA Childcare Resource and Referral. She is an Early Childhood Educator with her Infant Toddler certificate and spent many years working in and supervising Infant Toddler programs in the Lower Mainland. She enjoys creating and maintaining engaging and fun resources for our YMCA CCRR Lending Library. Connie is passionate about supporting families and childcare providers to find and provide quality childcare programs within the community.