Inspiring Play Spaces: Creating Open-Ended Play Spaces in Early Childhood Settings: 3

Inspiring Play Spaces is designed to encourage educators to create open-ended play spaces that will provide opportunities for children to investigate, explore, discover, practise, try, fail, succeed, observe, imagine, dream, pretend, share, listen and more, thus allowing them to develop a sense of who they are and an understanding of the world in which they live. It shows a variety of ways in which different spaces can be executed and set up and describes how these experiences support educators to meet the requirements of the EYLF and the NQS, respond to children's interests, and understand the benefits of play.

Susie is the owner operator of Holy Trinity Early Learning Centre in Kew, Victoria. She has completed a Master of Education, Diploma of Teaching Early Childhood and a Bachelor of Education Early Childhood and earned the "exemplary" teacher classification with VETASSESS. She has also won the NEiTA ASG Inspirational Teachers State and Territory Award and been nominated for the national award. Susie taught kindergarten for 20 years, lectured at Deakin University, presented at conferences and co-authored five books. Through her consulting business, she has supported the wider community in achieving exceeding in the NQS.

Susie specialises in art and children's artistic development. As owner operator of her own service, Susie is now enjoying the executive role of early learning and supporting her team to create an early learning service with a difference in Melbourne.