Week 7 PPC Agenda

Thoughtful, caring adults who prioritize play in their settings and deeply consider the experiences of the children in their setting, the adults they work with and the parents they interact with can be prone to.... burn out. We can't let this happen! Reflective Practice is key to deepening your work and growing in your skills, responses and teamwork. It's also important to understand how the work is effecting you as a human who comes to this work from your own unique background. We've got speakers lined up for this week taking you through all these aspects and more as we finish our conference experience focusing inward and making plans for how to keep checking in with ourselves, holding space for our colleagues and showing up for children. And of course-- as we make plans to keep playing for ourselves!

Relating to Play as Deeply Personal to the Practitioner:

Case Study with Kelsey Langley of KOOP Adventure Play:

Using my love language of story sharing, I'll open each week's content with a short story of play from my playwork experience that highlights the work we're about to dive into and sets the tone for where we're headed during the week.

Dr. Robyn Gobin, PhD, author of The Self Care Prescription

Taking care of ourselves allows us to show up more fully and do the work we love with integrity and joy. This talk will explore the benefits of adult play and provide practical self-care tips for service-oriented individuals working with traumatized populations.

Ali Wood, Meriden Adventure Playground, Trustee at The Playwork Foundation, trainer, co-author of Reflective Playwork

Ali comes to us with a wealth of information and experience as a playworker for over 35 years and a heart of gold. Ali Wood co-authored Reflective Playwork-- a book Kelsey recommends over and over again and uses with her own staff team. Ali takes us through thinking about how the play we're bearing witness to can impact each of us as practitioners.

Morgan Leichter- Saxby, Pop-Up Adventure Play

Whole Self Reflection: Together, we'll make space to acknowledge how our own experiences as children, professionals, parents and people inform our playwork, and playwork's influence upon each of these over time.

Yoni Kallai- Lead playworker at play:ground NYC

Reflection is a key part of playwork and also something human beings do naturally, but how can we develop that practice to move the hard places, the ones where we seem to be stuck? Come learn the basics of peer counseling, of deep listening and sharing. This approach can help grease up your brain like stretching can do for your body.