“COVID & KIDS” Q&A With Australia’s Leading Experts

Learning Team 24 Apr 2024

MoPA™ After Dark is an exciting series of adults-only seminars, classes, functions and events; curated to help parents and educators be the best leaders and mentors we can be. After Dark will see us host world-leading academics and practitioners from a number of fields relating to Early Learning and Social and Emotional Wellbeing.

Watch or listen to the entire seminar here:

Watch the amazing panel discuss the impact that COVID-19 is having on children and families. During the 90-min Q&A the experts explored many of the MoPA Community’s burning questions on how to promote resilience in our kids, ourselves, and our relationships.

Learn about how kids and families are coping during the coronavirus pandemic from the leader of CPAS, a huge Australian study investigating the week-by-week psychological impacts of the pandemic. Our panel of clinical psychologists specialise in child development, and will provide tools, strategies, and resources to promote wellbeing in our children during these uncertain times.

My baby has had very limited exposure to people during her first 12-months – What can/should we do to catch up her social skills?

Meet The Panel

Prof. Peter Enticott

Professor of Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience. Associate Head of School, School of Psychology.

Peter is a cognitive neuroscientist, registered psychologist, and Head of the Cognitive Neuroscience Unit in the School of Psychology at Deakin, Melbourne.

Peter’s work investigates social and emotional brain development in children. He also conducts neuroscience research into developmental disorders, such as autism.

Dr. Elizabeth Westrupp

Senior Lecturer & Clinical Psychologist

Elizabeth is a clinical psychologist, specialising in child and adolescent mental health. Her research focuses on understanding the way in which families and parenting practices shape children’s long term development, and trialing parenting support programs in the community.

Dr Westrupp is a Senior Lecturer at Deakin University and co-leads Intervention and Translation Sciences in the Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development.

Assoc. Prof. Jade Sheen

Clinical Psychologist & Family Therapist

Jade is a Clinical Psychologist who has focused exclusively on the treatment of children and adolescents experiencing anxiety, eating difficulties and behavioural concerns, as well as families.

Jade completed her Doctorate in 2004, Masters of Clinical Family Therapy in 2010, and is registered and endorsed in both Clinical and Health Psychology, with the Psychology Board of Australia.

Dr. Hannah Bereznicki

Lecturer, Cognitive Neuroscience

This event was curated by Dr Hannah Bereznicki, Lecturer in Psychology at Deakin University. Hannah’s research in the Cognitive Neuroscience Unit focuses on the neuroscience of early development, alongside optimising robust, plasticity-inducing non-invasive brain stimulation protocols to improve patient outcomes.

Hannah is committed to the translation of psychological research and theory to community groups, and eagerly brings this session of MoPA: After Dark to parents, carers, and educators.

About “SEED”: Deakin University

Deakin Psychology’s Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development (SEED) conducts world-leading research on social development, and its origins in early emotional life. SEED aims to promote emotional health, from pregnancy through to adulthood and into the next generation.

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The MoPA inspired party cake game has been EPIC lately!! LURVE these incr-edible creations 🎂❤️🌈
GIVEAWAY TIME!! Just 10-minutes of family play each day is oh sOoOoO healthy for our lil' ones (and for us carers too, mind you)! Our gorgeous Museum shop is JAM PACKED with creative inspiration for all kinds of family holiday play. And today we assembled a bunch of our favourite gems from the shop for one MASSIVE once-in-a-holiday giveaway worth more than $500 smackos!!

HOW TO ENTER:

Tag a friend (someone that you'd love to visit MoPA with, perhaps!) and you'll BOTH receive one entry into the draw to win. Enter as many times as you like by tagging all your besties. On Wednesday 2nd OCT 2024 we'll pull ONE lucky winner out of the hat, and that winner will go home with ONE OF EVERY SINGLE ITEM in this post, plus a handful of free tickets to MoPA for every member of BOTH of your families to visit either of our Museums. 

OUR FAVOURITE THINGS (AND EVERYTHING YOU WILL WIN) INCLUDES...
- Temporary Tattoo Pack
- MoPA Sticker Sheet
- @fabercastellaustralia Tr Colour Pencil Pack
- @Resene x MoPA Limited Edition Tote Bag
- Faber-Castell Modelling Dough 
- Oh So Colourful Windmill
- Dress Up Day Book
- Rainbow Dreams Activity Pack
- I ❤️ MoPA Keyring
- Faber Castell Mini Unicorn Garden 
- Wheelie Cars
- Rainbow Cloud Chalksters
- Makedo Cardboard Tools
- Sushi In Tray Play Set
- Construction Zone Sensory Bin
- Sausage Dog Number Junior Puzzle
-  Wooden Icecream Stacking Toy
- Colour Change NeeDoh
- Tubbies Bath Paint Set
- Ingenious Symbols Wooden Piece Set
- Faber-Castell Connector Paint Box
- I love rainbows Book
- Rainbow Bluetooth Karaoke Mic

HAPPY HOLIDAYS - GOOD LUCK!!!!
Comfy capacity limits are in place! We typically recommend that guests plan and book their visit 1-2 days in advance to ensure you don’t miss out on tickets for the session time that suits you best. x MoPA
School Holiday Sessions @ MoPA!! Limited tickets available (to ensure the Museum is never overcrowded). Every session this hol’s is jam packed with new activities, and it’s all included in ticket pricing!! x MoPA
ATTN: CASUAL & PART-TIME JOB SEEKERS!

Melbourne’s brand new Children’s Museum, MoPA Thomastown, will open soon - and we’re excited to start the recruitment process!! Over the coming 6 weeks we will assemble a high performance team brimming with Engaged Early Learning Educators, Excellent Experience Team Members, Joyful Party Hosts, A+ Baristas, Astute Chefs and a big cup full of Tasty Cooks!

Jump over to our JOBS page for information on all the roles available!! x MoPA
Building a Children’s Museum is a BIG but enormously rewarding journey! 

A team of more than 100 incredible designers, architects, engineers, agents, consultants, technicians, carpenters, tilers, plumbers, glaziers, electricians, metalworkers, surveyors, woodworkers, prop makers, artists, craftspeople and painters have all worked in loosely organised chaos for over a year to bring this amazing new Museum to life. 

Whilst we’ve still got a LOT of work to do, we expect the new Museum will be ready for a grand opening in November. And the very thought of all your smiling faces running through the door on day one is keeping us massively energised!

If you’re keen to be among the very first birthday parties, excursions, members or casual guests through the doors at MoPA Thomastown, be sure to pop your name on the “GET MOPA THOMASTOWN UPDATES” mailing list (you’ll find the sign up form at the bottom of the Thomastown page on our website). 

...Annnnnd if you might be interested in joining the amazing team here at MoPA Thomastown, we’ve now up for opened applications for all the casual and part-time roles. Head over the the “JOBS” section of the website to learn more.

See you soon!! x
Today we’re launching our new theme “Happy Hearts, Happy Places” (Showing Sep 2 until Oct 12) and this gorgeous new ART HOUSE activity is a part of this theme. 

But why “Happy Hearts, Happy Places”? Because developing an understanding of COMMUNITY is one of THE most important early learnings. It helps children feel connected and valued. It helps them form a sense of identity and appreciate others’ perspectives. And, in effect, it empowers children to grow into compassionate, engaged adults who care for one another and the world around us. 

The ART HOUSE activity featured in this post is a key part of this new exhibition. Children can make a home, school, coffee shop, library, or any other building or feature of their community that feels important to them.

Seeing this paper bag community come to life is going to be very special…
🥰 WIN 1 of 3 TONIEBOX PRIZE PACKS 🥰

We’re still riding high after the amazing @tonies_anz launch featuring @emmamemmamemma at MoPA last week 🎉 

To keep the celebrations going, the tonies team is giving away 3 x Toniebox prize packs, each with one Emma Memma Creative-Tonie Unicorn, featuring her latest tunes plus Emma Memma’s new song – Coconut Tree 🥥🌴🎶 – exclusive to the Toniebox!

How to enter:
♥️ Follow @tonies_anz
♥️ Like this post
♥️ Tag 3 friends below

Entries close Friday 6th SEP 2024. GOOD LUCK 🤞🏼

Terms & Conditions:
3 winners chosen at random. Each winner receives 1 Red Toniebox and 1 x Emma Memma Creative-Tonie Unicorn. Aus residents only. Winner announced on Monday 9th SEP 2024. One entry per person. Winners will only ever be contacted directly via DMs from THIS account (@museum_of_play_and_art ).
“Hi Hungry. I’m Dad.”

The MoPA Teams’ Dad’s have come up with some brilliant ‘Dad jokes’ here... But we’d love to hear yours?

PS. If you happen to swing past MoPA this week, you’ll be encouraged to join us for a craft session where we’ll be making these cute flags for Dad or a significant other.

We can’t WAIT to hear your best Dad jokes...?

x MoPA