Edinburgh Froebel Network Conference: Gifts for Our Future 10: Perspectives on Play

Saturday 22nd September 2018, 10am-4pm

We are excited to announce details of our tenth conference which will take place at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh’s George Street.

Perspectives on Play

‘At this age play is never trivial; it is serious and deeply significant.It needs to be cherished and encouraged by the parents for in his free choice of play a child reveals the future life of his mind to anyone who has insight into human nature’ Froebel in Lilley 1967:84

Conference welcome from Professor Tina Bruce CBE, Author and Early Years Specialist

Keynote speakers;

Creativity and Creative Thinking – Dr Sue Robson, Honorary Research Fellow, University of Roehampton Play

Play Culture in a Changing World re-visited – Marjatta Kalliala, Professor, University of Helsinki, Finland

Locating Play Today – Suzanne Flannery Quinn, Senior Lecturer of Early Childhood Studies, University of Roehampton, Froebel College

The Edinburgh Froebel Network

The Edinburgh Froebel Network was set up in 2009 by a group of five Edinburgh Nursery Heads, in order to promote the Froebelian Approach in Edinburgh.

The group began by organising an annual conference, were instrumental in the development and delivery of the Froebel and Early Childhood Practice Course at Edinburgh University, tutoring on the course, and in 2012 published the book, Early Childhood Practice: Froebel Today.

The Froebel and Early Childhood Practice Course has gone from strength to strength with 1000+ graduates working with young children in a variety of sectors.

It has been recognised nationally as an example of excellent professional learning and the University of Edinburgh is now running courses in Edinburgh, The West Partnership, Falkirk, West Lothian, West Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire, Dumfries, Orkney & Shetland and an additional Edinburgh Summer School, with a current cohort of more than 520 students.

Members of the Network are currently working with the University of Edinburgh to deliver the MSc Education (Early Childhood Practice and Froebel Pathway).

A number of graduates of the first three course cohorts, formed the Edinburgh Froebel Network Masterclass group.

Members of the Masterclass meet regularly and have been involved in a practitioner research project, ‘Players and Storytellers,’ which explored the development of narrative through storytelling and play. This work has been shared at a number of conferences and will be published in late Spring 2020.

Network members have also taken part in a series of Seminars including Woodwork, Clay and Paper Folding, which provide ongoing professional development for Froebelian practitioners.

The Network is currently working in partnership with Edinburgh University, Education Scotland and City of Edinburgh Council on a STEM Block Play project across 20 early years settings.

The research projects and Seminars are supported by a grant from the Froebel Trust.

The group recently organised their 11th Conference which took place in October 2019.

Edinburgh Froebel Network Conference: Gifts for Our Future 10: Perspectives on Play

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