About

BIG IDEA:
Playful educators make playful classrooms

PURPOSE OF SESSION:
This workshop offers valuable insights and practical tools to enhance principal practices.
Educators who are supported are more playful!

It is clear that play unlocks the potential for meaningful experiences that foster creativity, problem-solving, and lifelong learning in your classroom. By rethinking the role of facilitation in play and learning, we can.. Let’s start somewhere!

EXPECTATIONS:
Participants can expect interactive discussions, collaborative hands-on activities, and reflective exercises that encourage critical thinking and self-reflection. Together, we will explore key topics such as;

• How playful attitudes contribute to development in children across abilities.

• Play is able to cut across a wide range of needs

• Play as an entry point for educators and parents to see the strengths of their children

• Sharing of Playeum’s learning with our work with children and educators over the last 10 years in the education and social sector

BENEFITS:
By the end of the workshop, participants can expect to:

1. Challenge their current perspectives on teaching and learning, opening up possibilities for more joyful experiences.
2. Acquire practical strategies for integrating play into their school.
3. Explore the role of the educator in facilitating and supporting play-based experiences.
4. Reflect on their own practices and identify areas for growth and improvement.
5. Connect and collaborate with fellow educators, sharing ideas and best practices. Leave inspired and motivated to create a positive learning environment that sparks joy and curiosity in their school.

Obstacles faced by principals

• Do we give educators the freedom to solve their creative problems in playing and making?
  Or do you give them solutions?
• What support /resources do we need?
• How can we as adults create time & space for children’s ideas or voices? What does that mean - to create space and allow voice?
  

“Play is a way of being. Tone, language and how we interact during play have great influence. They have so much depth of knowledge and authenticity of passion in sharing their knowledge and advocating for children." - Melissa, Senior Lecturer, Singapore University of Social Sciences

Target Audience: Centre Directors/Principals 

Organisation

Playeum is an Institution of a Public Character (IPC) charity that focuses on building 21st-century life skills and amplifying the voices and abilities of all children, especially children from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with special needs.

Through play and the arts, we create a safe space and equal opportunities for children to develop life skills and the foundations they need to thrive – confidence, resilience and creativity to lead their lives and make meaningful contributions.

Over the last five years, we have partnered with communities, schools and social service agencies to impact more than 62,000 children and their adults.

Presenter 1

Ms Nur Alisa Taha  

Nur Alisa is the Programmes and Community Engagement at Playeum. In the past 4 years, she manages the planning and development of programmes with a recent focus on the adults in the community. She does outreaches and believes in the importance of building and maintaining relationships with partners.

Alisa’s love and passion for children has made her venture into this sector to learn more about how we can support children in their learning and growth.

Presenter 2

Ms Nur Hafizah Nur Hamidy

Hafizah is a Learning Lead at Playeum with 5 years of experience designing, and leading, inclusive play-based programmes aimed at creating space spaces that develop children's life skills.

Her work focuses on upscaling open-ended play-based learning initiatives through building the capabilities of parents and practitioners.

Hafizah aims to cultivate a culture of play in the wider society.

Presenter 3

Ms Jodi Thiele

Jodi has been the Operations Lead for Playeum for the last 2 years, where she has worked to bring Playeum from a centre-based model to a community outreach and strategic model.

Jodi brings her experience in community development and psychosocial support practices to develop and support programmes that have a deep impact on the communities Playeum works with.