Protectors of Play! Voices that Inspire!
We are excited to introduce the keynote speaker for this year’s Illuminate Play Conference: Sally Haughey! – global advocate for the power, purpose, and joy of play.
Sally Haughey
With a passion that is both contagious and deeply rooted in children’s rights, our keynote speaker brings wisdom, heart, and a playful spirit to everything she does. Sally Haughey is not only an advocate for play – she is a champion of joy, curiosity, and the belief that all children deserve environments where they can flourish through meaningful, play-rich experiences.
As the author of Nurturing Brilliance: Using Play-Activated Learning to Awaken Children’s Potential, and through her work with the Wunderled approach (formally Fairydust Teaching), Sally continues to challenge assumptions, inspire change, and reimagine what’s possible when we place play, wonder, and relationships at the heart of learning. Her global perspective invites educators to slow down, listen deeply, and design experiences that honour the image of the child as capable, creative, and full of potential.
Sally’s insights will spark new thinking, ignite meaningful dialogue, and reconnect us to the magic and intention behind play. We can’t wait for you to learn with her, be inspired by her, and leave feeling empowered to continue your own journey as a passionate advocate for play. We can’t wait for you to learn from her, laugh with her, and leave feeling reconnected to your role as a Protector of Play™.
Nurturing Brilliance: Using Play-Activated Learning to Awaken Children’s Potential
Acclaimed educator Sally Haughey distills decades of research and experience to advance our understanding of children’s play and learning so we can best nurture their innate brilliance. Sally’s illuminating Play-Activated Learning model gives educators and families an understanding of a child’s behavior in the classroom during free play, including the growth unfolding in the brain. It also offers a view of your role as the educator in supporting the child’s learning and development. Explaining the incredible unfolding and blossoming that happens during play, Nurturing Brilliance provides a science-based approach to communicating that growth and development to parents, while highlighting the expert you already are and providing you a way to bridge gaps in understanding so that all well-intended parties can support the ultimate goal—children’s growth and learning. To teach. To connect. To calm. To build trust, courage, and the kind of curiosity and wonder that we believe only children have.
Learn more about Sally here
Follow her on Facebook page
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