Keynote-Diane Craft

Bringing Joy to Young Children with Physical Activity 

Children are built to move! Watch young children run, jump, slide, and twirl and see the joy they experience through moving. All this physical activity helps develop their muscles and bones, and brains as well as encourages them to learn to get along with others. When the physical activities you lead are developmentally appropriate, children have the best opportunities to enjoy these many benefits. Come to this keynote to learn what goes into making easy-to-lead, developmentally appropriate activities you can do right away. Let’s get children up and moving with smiles on their faces! 

Workshop 1-Diane Craft

More Fun Physical Activities for Young Children

Building on the ideas in the keynote, learn more fun, inclusive, developmentally appropriate physical activities. These activities use only inexpensive supplies and work well in family child care playrooms and back yards as well as center classrooms and playgrounds. Also learn simple ways to enhance infants’ movement and brain development. View videos of children playing these activities and try a few yourself!

Workshop 2-Donna Flayhan

Yogapalooza Magic: Move, Breathe, Calm, Repeat

Imagine a childcare setting or classroom where kids can wiggle, move, sing, breathe, and calm down — all through the day. That’s Yogapalooza! With joyful music, simple movement and yoga, playful transitions, calming breaths, and a little help from Puppy Palooza, caregivers discover easy ways to help young children move from silly to calm while building self-regulation through everyday routines. Simple practices like Candle Breath, Butterfly Breath, and Silly to Calm help children (and teachers) relax anytime, anywhere, and to make transition times a joy.

Yogapalooza has trained over 100,000 teachers, reached half a billion YouTube views, and partnered with Discovery Source, Sesame Street, and most recently Dr. Seuss!  With original music, Bari’s guiding voice, and research-backed techniques developed over decades, this program is fun, effective, and easy for caregivers to use. You and Puppy Palooza will leave with practical tools that support physical development and empower children to manage their own emotions — while giving childcare providers permission to slow down and relax, too.

Workshop 3-Kaity Altu

Breath-Body-Mind for Young Children: Adapting Coherent Breathing for Children of All Abilities

Building on the introductory Breath-Body-Mind (BBM) training, this interactive session focuses on adapting coherent breathing practices for use with young children, including children with developmental differences and other special needs. Participants will explore developmentally appropriate techniques and vocabulary, playful engagement strategies, and practical modifications that support self-regulation, attention, emotional well-being, and co-regulation across a variety of childcare settings. Through demonstrations and discussion, providers will leave with ready-to-use tools for incorporating BBM into daily routines, transitions, and calming activities to create more inclusive and responsive learning environments. 

OCFS Topics covered:

Principles of Childhood Development

Nutrition and Health Needs

Child Day Care Program Development

Safety and Security