Facilitated by: Cara Caudle MEd, RECE, FNP • Founder and Owner of Childhood Connect This workshop explores nature as a living pedagogy where relationships, curiosity, and changing environments come together to shape children’s learning. Educators will consider how seasonal change, risk, movement, and sensory experiences create meaningful opportunities for connection and inquiry. Through observation and reflective practice, we’ll look at how loose parts and natural materials can extend children’s thinking, benefit group relationships and grow with them. Learning Outcomes: - Deep understanding of nature as a relational pedagogy, identifying opportunities for building on play, integrating interests and promoting exploration. - Explain how risk, movement, and sensory experiences support children’s curiosity, wellbeing, and learning in outdoor spaces. - Plan and respond to risks across a variety of outdoor environments and terrains to optimize learning and exploration while honouring the wellbeing of ecosystems. Take Home Resource: Risk Assessment & Promoting Exploration Across Outdoor Environments – Created by Cara Caudle Childhood Connect is deeply committed to building relational learning opportunities for educators, families and children that emphasize inner and external relationships, transferable learning, holistic well-being, and empowerment. Cara Caudle is the lead professional learning facilitator, sharing her passion and grounded pedagogical perspective on the possibilities for children’s education and care. Cara walks with over a decade of experience across Childcare, EarlyON, Pedagogical Leadership and Post-Secondary Instruction, however her favourite learning space is the land, and she greatly enjoys returning to it each summer when facilitating her nature-based summer camp. From harvesting clay from the bottom of rivers to supporting children who have a tendency to run, to exploring various terrains with younger and older children alike, Cara has experienced firsthand the depth of risk and immense benefits that embracing nature as pedagogy can bring. She knows the powerful impact nature has in creating a sense of belonging by honouring children gifts, skill level, and interests. Cara continues to blend practical experience with research based perspectives as she embarks on her PhD in Education and Curriculum Studies this fall to continue her focus on the relationships children hold with nature, sensory-wellbeing and how holistic perspectives on nature-based pedagogy and education benefit all Pedagogical Focuses: Belonging - Well-Being - Engagement Standards of Practice: Standard I - Standard II Registration closes: December 6 at noon *Ticket types are based on the county you WORK in. Elgin and Oxford professionals, use your access key to reveal your ticket type While we welcome participation from outside of the Early Years sector, please note these learning opportunities are intended for early years professionals and the early years lens will be emphasized.