Community of Practice: In the World of Fantasy Play

Suitable for child care providers and child care workforce.

Presenter: Karla Gaygay (CCRR Consultant)

• Thursday, April 11th, 6:30-8:30PM

• Saturday, April 27th, 9:30-11:30AM

• Thursday, May 16th, 6:30-8:30PM

• Saturday, May 25th, 9:30-11:30AM

• Thursday, June 6th, 6:30-8:30PM

• Saturday, June 15th, 9:30-11:30AM

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.

12 hours of professional development!

Participants are to attend all sessions.

Refreshments will be served at each session.

Karla currently works as a consultant for YMCA Child Care Resource and Referral. She is an Early Childhood Educator with experience working with infants to school-age children in both child care and outdoor settings. Her love for the outdoors developed when she visited a nature school in Richmond. Since then, she has volunteered for outdoor preschool programs to gain insights and connect with educators in that field. She also worked as a Lead Outdoor Educator for an all-outdoor program. Her experiences allowed her to explore urban parks and trails in Vancouver, Burnaby and Richmond.