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september Masterclass
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Live ONLINE
A 60-minute Masterclass for educators specializing in early years and kindergarten environments, or working with children from 3 - 8 years old.
Join Dr Jo Fahey in this interactive Masterclass to learn more about how neuroscience has unequivocally shown us that play is essential for human brain development, and to consolidate practical ways to facilitate and advocate for children's play.
September 17, 2025, 10:00 - 11:00 UTC
with Dr Jo Fahey
Anything Can Be Anything & Anybody Can Be Anybody:
Transformation in Children's Play
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- Experiencing top-down pressure to teach more formally than you would like to
- Working with a crowded curriculum and a perceived lack of time to include play in your timetable?
- Facing challenges in accessing play for culturally and linguistically diverse children?
Children’s innate desire to play may have been stifled or the environment may not be conducive to children feeling that they have the freedom to play, the freedom to be themselves and tap into their inner desires.
Are you:
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With her colleagues at the University of California, Berkeley, Professor Marion Diamond demonstrated the profound effect of rich play environments on brain growth and development – and conversely the detrimental effects of a deprived environment.
According to renowned Neuroscientist, Dr Stuart Brown, in conducive environments children discover their preference for particular types of play such as nature play, rough-and-tumble play and socio-dramatic play.
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Neuroscience has shown that play is essential for human brain development and that the motivation to play is hard-wired.
Join us to DISCOVER:
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Inquiring through play helps children tap into their ‘play nature’ – the preferences they have for particular types of play
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To be able to transform anything into anything and become anybody they imagine, children need the freedom and opportunity to innovate and improvise.
Meet your Presenter,
Dr Jo Fahey
Your Masterclass Presenters
Dr. Jo Fahey is based in Australia, but her career has taken her across the globe. She taught in international schools in Germany and continues to return to Europe to lead workshops and presentations. Rachel French first connected with Jo after the publication of her book Ways to Learn through Inquiry: Guiding Children to Deeper Understanding, inviting her to deliver workshops on inquiry in the early years.
That connection began a long association with Professional Learning International, leading to numerous workshops worldwide, regular Masterclasses, and online courses.
Jo brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from her work with children aged 0–8 in schools and preschools, her teaching in universities, and her professional development work with educators in national and international schools.
Her work challenges us to re-examine children’s right to play and the role of playful learning, reigniting our passion for early childhood education that meets the needs of today’s world.
That connection began a long association with Professional Learning International, leading to numerous workshops worldwide, regular Masterclasses, and online courses.
Jo brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from her work with children aged 0–8 in schools and preschools, her teaching in universities, and her professional development work with educators in national and international schools.
Her work challenges us to re-examine children’s right to play and the role of playful learning, reigniting our passion for early childhood education that meets the needs of today’s world.
In this Masterclass for early childhood educators, you’ll explore the neuroscience of play—gaining inspiration to enrich children’s opportunities to innovate and improvise, along with evidence to share with stakeholders who may see play as frivolous.
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As screens take over, play is disappearing. It’s up to us to champion play as essential for children’s growth—and to show families the power of rich, varied play environments.
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