Creating Meaningful Experiences for Infants and Toddlers

Suitable for child care providers and child care workforce, and parents.

Presenter: Andrea Dawson

Providing unique, sensory-based learning experiences for infants and toddlers enhances their overall development. When exposed to experiences that engage all their senses, infants and toddlers develop cognitively, creatively, emotionally and socially. In addition, when responsive caregivers interact with them and scaffold this learning, we strengthen the caregiver-infant/toddler relationship. This workshop will provide insight into infants/toddlers’ unique sensory learning needs. Caregivers will learn why sensory exploration is so vital to infant and toddler development and they will learn fun, creative ways to provide rich experiences for infants and toddlers.

Andrea has worked with young children and their families for the past 25 years working in non-profit early childhood centres as well as Vancouver Coastal Health’s Early Childhood Mental Health team. Andrea is the department chair of the Early Childhood Education programs at Vancouver's Langara College.