About the 2026 Early Learning and Child Care Conference
“A Voyage Through the Land and Water Systems”
Date and Time:
Friday, March 6, 2026 | 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM *Optional Social Event
Saturday, March 7, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday, March 8, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Location:
White Oaks Resort and Spa
253 Taylor Rd SS4, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, L0S 1J0
Registration:
The 2026 ELCC Conference has reached capacity. Only registered participants who have received a conference ticket will be permitted to attend the conference events. We hope to see you at next year’s ELCC Conference in February 2027!
To stay informed about conference news, including the 2027 conference registration, download the MNO Education Hub App
Accommodation:
Hotel rooms at White Oaks Resort and Spa are limited. Please book your accommodation at the time of registration. Please note that MNO does not book or cover the cost of accommodations, with the exception of Sponsored Participants.
Certificate of Completion:
Following the closing remarks, Professional Development certifications will be available on Sunday, March 8, 2026.
Agenda:
5:00 – 7:00 pm | Check-in at the Welcome Table (optional)
6:00 – 9:00 pm | Kitchen Party (optional)
Description:
Kick off your conference weekend with a Kitchen Party on Friday, March 6! Join us for an evening of food, fun and connection. Enjoy a buffet while playing table games and mingling with fellow conference participants. Visit the incredible makers at the Vendor Fair in Studio 10, then stop outside the Grand Event Ballroom foyer for s’mores at the firepit. Don’t miss out on games, jigging, music and prize giveaways! Whether you’re here to unwind, meet new people, or hit the dance floor, there’s something for everyone!
7:00 am – 9:00 am | Breakfast
7:30 am – 9:00 am | Check-in at the Welcome Table
9:00 am | Opening Prayer, Senator Jean-Jacques Seguin
9:20 am | Welcoming Remarks
9:30 am | MNO Languages App
9:40 am | “Brining Métis Ways of Being into Learning Spaces”, Sarah Spethmann
10:15 am | Health Break
10:30 am | “Getting Past the Grown-Ups”, Adam Bienenstock
12:00 pm | Lunch
1:00 pm | Breakout Sessions
2:30 pm | Health Break
3:00 pm | Breakout Sessions
4:30 pm – 5:00 pm | Vendor Fair and Networking
About Adam Bienenstock
Adam Bienenstock is an internationally acclaimed designer, builder, researcher, and advocate of nature-based play spaces, and the founder of Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds. For decades, he has been at the forefront of the global movement to authentically connect children to nature–through design, advocacy, and education.
Adam’s resume in the natural playground industry is unparalleled. He has collaborated on projects for the US Army, US Armed Forces, Parks Canada, and the Government of Australia, as well as city projects in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, San Francisco, New York, Austin, Denver, Chicago, and Miami. His work spans everything from natural parks and campuses to outdoor classrooms, always driven by the belief that an authentic connection to nature is essential for healthier children, stronger communities, and a thriving planet.
He sits on numerous advisory committees, including the International Association of Nature Pedagogy, the Parliamentary Commission on Urban Conservation, the Canadian Wildlife Federation, the Green Schools National Network, and as co-author of the Systematic Literature Review on Risky Outdoor Play. His bold, charismatic personality sets the tone for his company, and he’s happiest when pushing executives, educators, and municipal leaders out of their comfort zones to embrace the joy of play.
A sought-after public speaker known for his wit and humour, Adam invites audiences to shed their inhibitions and get muddy. He is the proud husband of Jill Bienenstock and father of two sons, Sam and Leo, and often escapes to northern Ontario–one of the most beautiful places on earth–to immerse himself in nature.
7:30 am – 9:30 am | Breakfast
9:30 am | Welcome Back
9:45 am | “Raising Resilient Métis Children in an Unpredictable World”, Mitch Case, Secretary of Education, Métis Nation of Ontario
10:00 am | “Infrastructure & Partnerships in Action”, Madison Thompson
10:15 am – 10:30 am | Health Break
10:30 am – 12:00 pm | Breakout Sessions
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm | Lunch
1:00 pm | Closing Remarks
1:55 pm | Closing Prayer, Senator Jean-Jacques Seguin
In this keynote address, Mitch Case, Secretary of Education for the Métis Nation of Ontario, will explore what it means to raise resilient Métis children who are firmly grounded in their identity, history, culture, and values. Drawing on Métis teachings, community knowledge, and lived experience, the keynote will reflect on how early learning and childcare spaces can nurture belonging, confidence, and strength in a world marked by rapid change and uncertainty.
Participants will be invited to consider the role of story, language, culture, and relationships in supporting Métis children to know who they are and where they come from, while developing the adaptability and resilience needed to navigate an unpredictable and often destabilizing world. This keynote will offer reflection, inspiration, and practical insight for educators, caregivers, and community members committed to the well-being of Métis children.
Kitchen Party Games
Object of the game – Get rid of all your cards and be the FIRST person to SLAP your hand on the Central Pile of cards when you see a Match or a Special Card appear. If any player slaps incorrectly, or even starts to, but jerks their hand back (“flinches”), they forfeit the round and pick up all the cards in the center.
Set up – Shuffle and then distribute all of the cards evenly amongst players, face down (left over cards are placed back in the box). For a 2, 3, 4, or 5 player game, each player is only dealt 12 cards randomly. Players must not look at their cards while placing them in a draw pile in front of them, face down.
Special Cards – All players must complete the actions below immediately when a special card is revealed, and then SLAP the pile. If a player carries out the wrong action or is the last to SLAP the pile, they must pick up all the cards.
Beaver: Hold up your two fingers like big front teeth.
Paddle: Move your arms like you’re rowing a canoe.
Bear: Hold up your hands like big bear claws.
How to play – The person to the dealer’s left puts a card into the center, face up, saying ‘Bunny’. The player on their left then puts their card face-up on top of the previous card while saying ‘fox’.
Play continues in this way (going ‘bunny’, ‘fox’, ‘moose’, ‘sash’, ‘fiddle’, ‘bunny’, ‘fox’…etc.) until the following happens: The card that has just been put down matches the word spoken by the player (eg. They put down a ‘fox’ while saying ‘fox’). At this point, all the players must SLAP their hands on top of the pile of cards in the center, and the LAST player to do so takes the entire Central Pile and puts the cards on the bottom of their Draw Pile.
Snap (2+ players)
Object of the game – To win all of the cards
Set up – Deal the cards one at a time face down to each player until all cards have been dealt.
How to play – The gameplay starts when the first player flips over their top card, creating a new pile of face-up cards. Going clockwise, each player does the same until all have done so.
When a card is turned over that matches a card already face up on another player’s pile, the first person to notice the matching card yells out “Snap” and wins both piles of cards. Add these cards to the bottom of your face-down pile.
If two players yell “Snap” at the same time, the two piles are combined and placed in the center of the table, face up. These cards are now the Snap Pot.
If at any time, a player sees a card that matches the card on the top of the Snap Pot pile, they call out “Snap Pot” and win all of those cards.
If a player runs out of cards in their face-down pile, the cards in the face-up pile are turned over, and the player continues.
The winner is the person who has all of the cards at the end.
Slapjack (2+ players)
Object of the game – Get all of the cards from the other players.
Set up – Deal the cards one at a time, face down and split evenly amongst all the players in the group. Cards remain face down, without players looking at them.
How to play – The first player places their top card face up into the middle of the group pile. Moving clockwise, the next player does the same. Players continue to do this, moving fairly quickly as they play each card.
When a player puts a Jack card face up into the pile, the first person to slap the pile gets to keep the entire deck of cards underneath it. That player will shuffle the pile and add it to their existing cards. When a person runs out of cards, they are eliminated from the game.
The last person who has all the cards at the end of the game wins!
I Doubt It (3+ players)
Object of the game – Be the first player to play all your cards into the middle.
Set up – Cards are dealt one at a time to each player until all cards are dealt.
How to play – Each player grabs the cards they were dealt and keeps them hidden from the other players. The game starts with Aces.
The first player must say how many Aces they are playing as they put them face down in the middle. For example, “one Ace.”
Moving clockwise, the next player must play the next card (two) and can play as many cards as they want or have, but must play at least one card.
If a player does not have the right cards needed, they “lie” and put a different card face down, but still say the card that is in play. For example, it could be time to play a three, but you don’t have any. You can place a six down and say “one three” as you place your six face down in the pile, with your best poker face.
If someone doesn’t believe a player is actually playing the card named, they can say “I Doubt It” and check the cards that were played. If the cards played are not the correct cards, the player who put them down has to take all of the cards from the middle. If the cards played were the correct cards, the person who called “I Doubt it” has to take all the cards in the middle.
Continue playing until one person runs out of all their cards. The player to get rid of all their cards first is the winner, and probably the best bluffer!
Number Races (2+ players)
Object of the game – Who can roll the chosen number the fastest?
Set up – Each player gets one die. One additional die is placed in the middle.
How to play – Choose someone to roll the extra die, place it in the middle, then say GO! Players roll their dice simultaneously and continuously until they roll the same number as the middle die. The first player to roll the same number as the middle dice throws their hands up and says, “DONE!”
Hockey Time (2+ players)
Object of the game – Who can score the most goals?
Set up – Each player gets one die.
How to play – Players roll their die simultaneously, and the player with the highest score wins! Each score equals 1 point. Keep a tally of goals to see who has the most points.
Challenge – Create a ‘net’ for the winner to take a shot at with their die and decide on a shooting line. To shoot at the net, roll the die from the shooting line. The point is only awarded if they score on the net.
Roll In Order (2+ players)
Object of the game – Who can roll from 1 to 6 the fastest?
Set up – Each player gets one die.
How to play – All players roll simultaneously and continuously until they roll numbers 1 through 6 in order. The first player who rolls each number throws their hands up and says “DONE!”
Breakout Session Descriptions:
Please use these descriptions to inform your top three choices during the registration process. Please note that breakout session selections cannot be changed once registered.
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 mould 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.
This experiential workshop invites participants to explore early literacy through Métis ways of knowing that are grounded in oral storytelling, relational learning, and play-based discovery. Using the latest MNO ELCC Métis Tales children’s book, “I Spy With My Métis Eye”, participants will explore pages through provocations to inspire play experiences.
Together, participants will reflect on how oral storytelling, small-world play, and loose-part exploration support early literacy in culturally responsive ways. To conclude, attendees will create their own “I Spy” sensory bottles to model how simple materials can become meaningful storytelling tools to bring Métis-informed literacy practices into early learning environments. Each participant will take home a Métis Nation of Ontario I Spy With My Métis Eye book.
Below is a list of the target audience for the Annual Early Learning and Child Care Conference. The following Early Years Sector roles include, but are not limited to:
- Registered Early Childhood Educators through the Ontario College of Early Childhood Educators.
- Early Childhood Educators working in other provinces
- Early Childhood assistants working in childcare centres
- Early Childhood Educators working in home childcare centres
- Post-secondary students attending a program focusing on early childhood or child and youth studies.
- Post-grad students with a focus on the early years.
- Staff working in extended-day programming (before and after school)
- Early years staff working for a municipality or District Services Area Administration Board
- Professionals working in CAP-C or Healthy Babies, Healthy Children Programs
- Professionals working in Indigenous-run early learning programs, supporting children 0-6.
- Educators working in EarlyON or Head Start programs
- Professionals working for the Ministry of Education, regulatory colleges (CECE & OCT), and Federal ELCC secretariat who support the early years sector.
- Professionals working in childcare advocacy associations
- Ontario College of Teachers working in the Full-Day Kindergarten Program or Grade 1
- District School Board Early Years Leads
- District School Board Indigenous Leads
- Educational Assistants working with children 0-6
- Childcare Site Supervisors
- Early Years Resource Consultants & OCT resource teachers supporting FDK and grade one
- Early Years Pedagogical specialists
- Paraprofessionals working within the early years sector (speech therapist, developmental services, occupational therapy, etc)
- Post-secondary instructors, professors, and support staff whose primary focus is within the early years.
- Professionals working in early childhood intervention and family support programs.
- Professionals working in early literacy programs
This list is ever-evolving. If you feel we have missed a key role, please email elccevents@metisnation.org, and we will work to update this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
This event is in-person only and is not offered in a virtual format.
No, day-of registrations will not be accepted at this event. Registration will close on December 14, 2025, or when it reaches capacity. Due to limited space, those who are not registered will not be permitted to attend the conference.
Due to limited spacing capacity, participants cannot change sessions once registered. Attendance will be taken during breakout sessions.
Accommodations will be made so the event is accessible. When registering, please let us know if you require accessibility accommodations so we can ensure they are set up and ready for you upon arrival at the conference.
Yes. When registering, please let us know if you have dietary restrictions.
No. If you are not staying at the venue, you must arrange your own travel to and from White Oaks Resort and Spa. Parking at White Oaks is free.
Please email elccevents@metisnation.org if you have any questions about the ELCC Conference.