Kidsafe WA held the Pushing the Boundaries in Play Symposium at the Bendat Centre in Wembley on August 10th. It has become evident that as a society that there has been a shift in recent years and many organisations are again becoming risk averse. Not allowing children to have the opportunity to access risks and manage situations is detrimental to their development. With this in mind, how then can we manage the delicate balancing act of keeping children safe and providing outdoor spaces that are engaging and challenging? Guest speakers discussed how they manage risk and safety in their organisations, all the while keeping children free from serious harm.
Ninety delegates from a wide range of sectors including, education and care, family day care, local government and schools attended the day and enjoyed a wide range of speakers including:
- Trudi Bennett, Educated by Nature – Empowering Children: Saying Yes to Risk
- Wendy Harmon & Veronica Dorman, Goodstart Early Learning – Learning Through Change Case Studies: Outdoor Upgrades
- Andrew Ready, Play Check – Managing Risk in Play
- Sonya Aylmore, Elite Family Day Care – Finding Your Voice in the Playground
- Michael Smith, Nikki Rooke, Jane Hide & Mel Waters, East Manjimup PS – Outdoor Play and Educations at East Manjimup PS: A Case Study
Whadjuk Elder Freda Ogilvie was a highlight with her Welcome to Country and reading of “Nyingarn Koorda Djinanginy – Echidna Looks for a Friend “ in both traditional Noongar Language and English.
All delegates enjoyed the day and participated in some great discussions and networking throughout the day.
