2026 Workshops

It’s Time for Rhyme is a playful, interactive session that celebrates rhythm, language, and creativity. Through rhymes, repetition, and sound play, participants build confidence and connection while having fun with words.

We will spark imagination, active involvement and make the learning memorable.

In this energising and immersive 45-minute session, we’ll explore The Magic of Outdoor Learning, a joyful, simple, and impactful approach to early childhood education. This workshop will inspire pract ...

AI is already influencing how we work but in Early Years, it needs to be approached with care, clarity and purpose. In this practical, reassuring session, Richard Waite (Waite.EYTS) will demonstrate how AI tools can support practitioners in everyday tasks such as improving the clarity of observations, generating reflective questions and identifying next steps without replacing professional judgement. The session will also highlight simple, realistic guardrails to keep practice safe, ethical and aligned with Early Years values.

During this session we will explore the concept of storytelling and its history alongside looking at local folklore stories and legends. There will group activities to engage the adults into the conce ...

The aim of this class is to provide a vibrant morning yoga routine to awaken the body and mind. Gentle stretches, mindful movement, simple yoga postures and breath work will help boost energy, clarity of mind, balance and co-ordination. Bringing a positive start to your day, leaving you feeling refreshed and inspired.

This dynamic and thought-provoking  session led by Jan Dubiel and Helen Battelley (two leading voices in early childhood education and development) is designed to challenge assumptions and interrogate ...

In this workshop we will discuss and explore how children develop the characteristics of effective learning through a range of technology and the importance of practitioners doing this alongside them

Join us for your own personalized hands-on sessions suitable for anyone and everyone involved in educational innovation, child-centred learning, imaginative play and exploration! Discover the joy of learning through a dedicated interactive session facilitated by guides and specialists ready to help you enhance and refresh your understanding of engaging Montessori and Montessori-inspired educational practice. This interactive carousel of sessions will offer Montessori insight into use of innovative materials, equipment and resources available for delegates to explore and investigate.

Long before we can read or write stories, we can listen to them and tell them. Oral storytelling with simple props enables even the youngest children to access stories in a multi-sensory way, supporting their developing language and literacy skills, and beginning a love of stories and reading that will last a lifetime. This workshop will suggest simple ways of developing practitioners’ skills and embedding storytelling into the culture of the setting. 

Inclusion goes beyond the classroom; it’s about building genuine partnerships with all families. This interactive workshop explores strategies for communicating with diverse families and engaging them in meaningful ways. Participants will learn how to develop inclusive policies, foster collaboration, and overcome barriers so that every child’s home life is valued and celebrated in the setting.

Are you or those on your team feeling overwhelmed and undervalued? Is stress, sickness and retention an issue in your setting? Join Rowena Hicks to explore three powerful ways to reduce stress and exhaustion, and create a happier and more stable team. Discover simple, research-informed strategies that can help you and your team to be more productive, creative, energetic and even to thrive.

We know and live the reality of the Early Years Alliance (2021) research that states “More than eight in ten (81%) were regularly stressed about a work-related issue during the month prior to the survey.” Something needs to change, and this starts with us, and becomes a culture change.

This engaging workshop explores a creative form of art-play that combines music, movement, and multi-sensory elements to support communication, language development, and inclusion. Participants will d ...

There’s increasing evidence that observations are changing in settings. They have evolved a great deal since settings needed to do multiple observations of the same child in a week, and technology has been an important factor. In this advice-focused session, Ben Case will look at how technology is supporting settings to create more dynamic observations, often collaboratively with colleagues, and provide practice advice to attendees which they can apply in their own roles.

Join neurodiversity and inclusion author Sukhy Kaur for an engaging, sensory workshop that brings the Paras and Pete series to life. Through a puppet show, storytelling, and hands-on exploration of headwear from around the world, we will celebrate diversity, learn about different cultures, and discover the beauty of inclusion and neurodiversity in a fun and interactive way.

What counts as “technology” in Early Years and how do we choose resources that genuinely enhance learning through play? This fast-paced workshop will showcase a range of EdTech and “tech toy” examples (digital and non-digital) that support STEAM learning in a developmentally appropriate way. Richard will share practical ideas for implementation, what to look for when selecting resources, and how to avoid making technology an end in itself, thus keeping learning purposeful, playful and inclusive. Technology for demonstration: TTS "Oti-Bot", Advance Built In AI, Controlled and Operated by a tablet; Oxford Educational Robotics "Cubetto" Early Years Coding; and Mantra Lingua "Language Pen and Bilingual Books and Key Phrases Poster".  

This hands-on workshop explores how recycled and natural materials can become powerful tools for continuous provision. Participants will discover how to create sensory-rich, schema-responsive environm ...

Participants will:

• learn practical ways to focus on language development while sharing storybooks with children in the Early Years.
• practise reading a storybook with a clear language target in mind.
• discuss and share ideas for activities linked to a book and key language target.

How do we move from teaching social-emotional skills to living and modelling them alongside children?

A workshop showcasing the joy of bringing PSED skills to life for 3–5-year-olds using mini meditations, British Sign Language and inside weather signs for feelings, special animal toys, songs and stories. We will model fun and predictable evidence-backed routines that children and practitioners can use to build social and emotional learning skills side by side.

We believe in planting SEED skills from the earliest age:

SEED:

Slowing down to notice each other and practise mini meditations

Exploring and naming emotions and values

Enabling everyone to access the routines over time

Doing and growing together as practitioners and children