Course description
Are you troubled by the rough and sometimes aggressive way children play and interact? Do you worry about injuries and bullying when children are fighting? Is it challenging to try and restrict physical play? You may be surprised to learn that experts believe that educator attempts to limit big body and rough and tumble play may be jeopardizing children’s development and well-being in many ways. Children don’t just want to play rough and tumble, they NEED to play fight to learn very important skills to read social cues and self-regulate in order to become socially competent. How can educators support this important play while also assuring fairness and safety? Learn the difference between play and real fighting and the skills children need to learn to participate successfully in big body play.

Jan has 30 years of teaching Early Childhood Education courses at Fanshawe College, London, Ontario and Conestoga College, Kitchener, Ontario. While "retired" Jan researches and provides on-line professional learning opportunities for Dominion Learning Institute of Canada and for interactive professional learning and consultation to Early Years professionals. Jan served as a member of Ontario's Expert Panel on an Early Learning Framework, Ministry of Education. She works with the Psychology Foundation of Canada, promoting children's emotional wellness, and is a trainer for their Kids Have Stress Too! programs. Jan has co-authored an ECE textbook, Children at the Centre: Principles of Early Childhood Education in Canada