“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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FINALLY - The big (well, GIANT) reveal is less than 3 weeks away!

And after almost a full year in design and construction, we just can’t WAIT to show you all of what’s on offer at Melbourne’s new Children’s Museum.

Whilst we haven’t put tickets on sale yet, we HAVE opened bookings for Birthday Parties 🥳 Note: If you ARE keen to book a party, we recommend that you book at least 8-12 weeks in advance, because all our party availability does sell out. 

x MoPA
What does red sound like? Yellow smell like? Pink feel like? MoPA’s all-senses colour wheel is a beautiful introduction to abstract thinking for lil’ cuties. It’s a wondrous experience to share with your children (you can almost SEE their brains ticking away) and that’s why it’s 100% our fav… ONE of… our favourite exhibits. 😜🎨♥️
Massive progress on the new Museum build this week. Just 4 weeks to go northsiders!! CAN’T WAIT!!
Get ya spook on, baby!! 🎃👻 Halloween hits both MoPA Geelong AND MoPA Sandringham TOMORROW. 

We’re counting down to “trick-or-treat” with a ssssuper sssspooky sssstorytimes and THE cutest creepy critter craft you’ve ever seen. 👁️ 

ALL Halloween activities are included with ALL bookings and operating through ALL sessions from tomorrow (THU 24) right up ‘til Halloween (THU 31)! x 🕷️
As of right… NOW, we have opened up bookings for Birthday Parties @ MoPA Thomastown. This means you can book a party for ANY date on or after Monday, the 2nd of December, 2024!! 

Sooo… If you’re hoping to secure a party booking at MoPA Thomastown, all you need to do is head over to mopa.com.au to lock it in. Please don’t worry if you don’t know EXACTLY how many guests you’re expecting to invite to the party; to secure the date, all you need to do is place a booking for the minimum number of guests (10) and we will confirm all the details later.

Annnd… We’re expecting all party time slots for DEC 2024 and early 2025 will sell out pretty quickly, so if you have a specific date in mind, we recommend that you secure that date early, before it gets snapped 🐊 up!

WE CAN’T WAIT TO PARTY WITH YOU, NORTHSIDERS! 🥳🕺🌈♥️
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