Annual Early Learning and Child Care Conference

This hands-on workshop shares the Métis fishing knowledge of Tonya’s family, who have lived and dished along Georgian Bay for generations. Blending storytelling, seasonal teachings, and practical fishing skills, this workshop celebrates the Métis relationship to water while introducing participants to fishing as both a cultural tradition and an educational tool. Participants will connect to the land and water through personal stories, learn about seasonal fish patterns, explore fishing rods and casting techniques, and take part in a creative, hands-on activity: DIY fishing lures to take home.

In this interactive session, participants will have the opportunity to engage with authentic items connected to Métis hunting and fishing traditions, including furs, bones, traps, and stone tools. The presenter, who serves as Captain of the Hunt, will share the cultural significance and teachings tied to these items, as well as demonstrate how they were traditionally used.

Educators will be invited to handle and closely examine the materials in a safe and guided way, learning about their parts, preparation, preservation, and proper care. The session will also explore the values embedded in these practices and their importance within the Métis way of life.

In addition, participants will be introduced to birch bark cups, with an opportunity to learn about the process of preparing bark, its traditional uses (including cooking), and how to fold birch bark to create a simple cup themselves. This hands-on session will provide educators with both cultural insights and practical strategies to share with children in their own learning environments.

Métis Jigging is a traditional dance blending Indigenous, Scottish, and French influences, often performed to lively fiddle music. Through this project, participants explore rhythm, movement, and heritage while building a hands-on STEAM creation. Participants will create and personalize their own laser-cut wooden “Red River Jigger” character with moveable joints.

Using the puppet, participants will learn how rhythm, movement, and cultural storytelling connect through music and engineering design.

Making connections to the curriculum, participants can bring their puppet and the knowledge learned during this session to their own learning environments.

Clay has been used by humans for thousands of years, from pottery and dinnerware to roof tiles, musical instruments, and sculpture. In this hands-on session, participants will explore the art of clay, learning techniques for shaping, proportioning, and detailing their creations. We will also explore the use of oil-based clay and introduce the basics of mold making and casting. Come connect with this timeless land-based material and experience the creative possibilities clay has to offer!

Woodworking with young children is a lost art. Many educators cringe at the word and start to visualize cut fingers and flying hammers. Get past your fears and come join this workshop to find out how to make it happen. Come discover how woodworking uses math, problem-solving, fine motor, and social skills while fostering creativity, imagination, and independence. Create an environment where children can be competent and capable of using real tools. In this workshop, we will review the importance of woodworking, understand where to start, the tools to use, safety protocols to implement, and showcase in real-time activities that can be done outside with your cohorts.

This session will showcase the Métis Nation of Ontario’s Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Quality Improvement Project (QIP), which focuses on enhancing care and education standards for Métis children aged 0-6. Further, it will act as a continuation of the work that has been done on defining Métis quality in Ontario ELCC. Attendees will learn about the development of culturally relevant, evidence-based assessment metrics to improve ELCC services, shaped by research and community input. The session will feature a presentation on the development of the QIP’s educator quality assessment tool, its piloting and a review of the early findings from the pilot.

Following the presentation, attendees will engage in an interactive discussion, participating in structured activities to provide feedback, helping refine the tool for practical use in early childhood education and professional development, with a focus placed on how the assessment tool relates to everyday practice for ELCC centres and staff.

As caregivers, it can feel impossible to find a way to extend care back to ourselves. Sometimes, all it takes to build momentum is some fresh, efficient and – most importantly – strategic ideas. This workshop will allow you to clarify what self-care looks like in your own life. You will gain insight into the definition and myths of self-care, guidance for positive self-talk, and how to rely on the “ACE” acronym for self-care activities (Autonomy, Community, and Esteem).

This session will also spark conversation about how we can connect with nature and land-based practices to support our well-being throughout the seasons. This interactive experience will provide an opportunity for you to celebrate your current self-care skills while recognizing that there are always ways to amplify your efforts.

Leaning on your own expertise and lived experiences, collaboration with peers, creative in-session exercises and reflective discussions will help you leave feeling optimistic and informed about how self-care fits in your busy schedule.

Early learning environments play a vital role in shaping the foundation of every child’s educational journey. As educators, you are a key part of each child’s story, helping to nurture their growth and success. This session will share the experiences of Métis learners in Ontario, highlight common misconceptions families may face when seeking supports and resources, and explore how educators can serve as strong advocates and allies. Together, we’ll discuss strategies to ensure all students and families feel empowered to thrive in their learning environments.

Join Developmental Resource Consultants to explore the importance of outdoor education through an early learning lens that incorporates nature and land-based experiences. Discover how to adapt the learning environment for all children across diverse environments. Through hands-on activities, collaborative discussions, and resource sharing, participants will gain practical tools and inspiration to implement nature-based approaches in varied early learning environments.

This session will focus on learning group games, with a key focus on risky play, designed to enhance foundational skills and promote holistic development in the early learning environment. The group games we will share and play will focus on the benefits of playing outdoors versus indoors, and how each environment affects child development.

The games offered will have multi-progressive variations, and will be centred around animals, their natural habitats and the environment. Each participant will have the chance to learn each game first-hand and be given the instructions for each game to take back to their programs.

As a group, participants will have the opportunity to discuss the games, contribute ideas to game alterations for children of all ages and stages, as well as make references to the developmental goals that can be achieved through playing these games, including linking them to emotional and self-regulation benefits for the children.

Please note: This session will begin outdoors. Please come prepared to play in all weather elements.

The Métis Like Me Story Bag, inspired by Tasha Hilderman’s Métis Like Me storybook, is designed to extend learning through small world play, encouraging children to imagine, explore, and create using thoughtfully chosen materials related to Métis heritage and way of life.

This story bag invites children to explore through inquiry-based activities that nurture curiosity, spark creativity, and deepen their appreciation of Métis traditions. Children of all ages can develop curiosity, creativity, and a deeper understanding of Métis culture.

The Métis Like Me Story Bag also supports educators in creating inclusive, play-based learning environments where children feel a sense of belonging, value diversity, and learn to respect different cultures and perspectives.

Each participant will receive a Métis Like Me story bag, valued at approximately $100, to bring these experiences into their own early learning settings.

Join us for an engaging session exploring Métis Languages in Ontario! Discover exciting updates from current research and get a first look at new resources, including an app, archives, and books, all grounded in Métis culture and language. Many of these tools are designed to support early learning language acquisition and are available in English, French, and Michif-Franse.

Participants will leave with practical strategies and high-frequency vocabulary they can use right away to bring Métis language and culture into their learning environments.

Using the new Métis Nation of Ontario I Spy book, educators will learn about environmental literacy, phonetic awareness, and strategies for teaching young children how to print. Participants will gain extension ideas to create literacy learning outdoors by creating their own I-Spy’s from things they see in their outdoor learning environment.

Participants will leave this session with new ideas about how they can utilize classroom items to create literacy provocations that foster environmental literacy and promote printing skills beyond paper and pencil. Each participant will take home a Metis Nation of Ontario I-Spy book and a provocation idea resource.