Florida Association for the Education of Young Children

10/03/2026

What if the chaos in your classroom is not a behavior problem, but a body problem?

When young children have not had the opportunity to move, regulate, and reset, asking them to simply “sit down and focus” may not be enough.

For more than 25 years, Preston Blackburn has helped educators use purposeful movement as a teaching tool, not just a reward or a break.

Join us at the 2026 FLAEYC Annual Conference and see Preston LIVE on Saturday, October 17, as he shares practical strategies for turning overwhelming classroom moments into more purposeful ones.

Pivot to Play

📍 Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront
📅 Saturday, October 17
🎤 Preston Blackburn, “Outsmart the Wiggles: The Power of Big Body Play”

Come discover how movement can change the temperature of your classroom.

10/03/2026

🚨 Your FLAEYC Conference to-do list has arrived!
We’re TWO WEEKS away from the 2026 FLAEYC Annual Conference, and we have two very important assignments for you. (Don’t worry, there’s no test. 😉)

#1: Brag a little!
You’re going to FLAEYC! Grab our “I Am Attending” frame, add your photo, and share it with your friends and ECE community. Tell them what you’re most excited to learn, explore, or experience in Jacksonville!

#2: Get your NAEYC Centennial T-shirt!
FLAEYC Board and Staff are wearing ours on Saturday, and we want YOU to join the fun as we celebrate 100 years of NAEYC. And yes, there are lots of colors to choose from! 🙌

👕 Planning to order a shirt? Don’t wait!
We reached out to Carriage House Promotions, the company that prints and ships the shirts. They recommend placing your order by October 7 to receive it by October 14. The sooner you order, the better!

Please note: Shirts are shipped directly to you by Carriage House Promotions. FLAEYC does not print or fulfill the shirts and cannot guarantee that orders will arrive in time for the conference.

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES: Check your email for links to the Canva templates and Tshirt order link.

Who’s ready for The Power of Play: Imagine ~ Explore ~ Discover? 💜
📍 Jacksonville, FL
📅 October 16–18, 2026

09/30/2026

09/30/2026

Conference Q&A: Where do I find the digital program? 👀

If you’re starting to plan your FLAEYC conference weekend, this is one resource you’ll definitely want to know about!

The 2026 FLAEYC Annual Conference digital program has your conference schedule, venue map, important details, sponsor information and more, all in one place.

Swipe through and we’ll show you exactly where to find it. ➡️
Then come back and tell us: Have you started planning your conference schedule yet?

09/30/2026

How could Florida’s Amendment 3 affect early childhood education, children, and families?
That’s what we’re talking about TONIGHT at 6 PM during a special One Voice session.
We’ll take a closer look at the proposed amendment, hear from organizations that could be affected, and explore what these potential changes could mean for the early childhood community across Florida.
You don’t need to be a policy expert to join us. This conversation is about helping ECE professionals stay informed about issues that may affect our field and the families and communities we serve.
🗓️ Tonight, September 30
⏰ 6:00–7:00 PM
💻 Zoom
Visit the FLAEYC Event Calendar to register.
Tag or share this with an early childhood professional who should be part of tonight’s conversation.

09/28/2026

📣 ECE professionals, this is your opportunity to grow your voice and your impact!

You already advocate for young children, families, and the early childhood profession every day. What if you could take those experiences and become an even stronger, more confident advocate?

FLAEYC’s Advocacy Leadership Training Program (ALTP) is designed to help early childhood professionals take that next step in their advocacy journey.

⏰ Applications are due September 30!

Scan the QR code in the graphic or visit FLAEYC's advocacy webpage to apply. (Details in image)

And if someone immediately came to mind while reading this, tag them or share this post with them. They may be exactly who we’re looking for! 💜

09/26/2026

Some people decorate for fall. We decorate for conference. 📦😂

Our living rooms? Conference storage.
Our closets? Also conference storage.
Our excitement to welcome you? Getting harder to contain. 💜

The FLAEYC team is packing up materials, activities, and a whole lot of play for Jacksonville!

700+ early childhood professionals are already joining us. Will we see YOU there?

Jen Latterell

09/25/2026

We probably should have kept these in the drafts… 😂

You’ve seen Wendy and Jen’s conference videos. What you HAVEN’T seen is what happens between takes.

The forgotten lines.
The awkward silence.
The questionable workout.
And whatever was happening outside the Movement Room. 🤣

With 18 DAYS TO GO, we thought it was finally time to release the evidence.

They’re fine. You’re fine. Everything’s fine. 😂

Jacksonville, we’ll see you October 16–18 for The Power of Play: Imagine ~ Explore ~ Discover!

Who else is ready?! 🙋‍♀️

Jen Latterell

09/24/2026

What if one conference gave you an idea you could take back to your classroom and use right away? 💛

That is part of Samantha’s FLAEYC story.

Before her first FLAEYC Conference, Samantha had questions about how effectively she was teaching math and science concepts to her PreK students. She wanted practical ways to make those concepts meaningful for young children.

Then she found ideas she could actually use.

One of them helped her bring a lesson on metamorphosis to life through music, storytelling, and engagement with her students. Samantha said the strategy made the lesson easier to teach and helped her children connect with the story in a new way.

And that is the part we love most.

You should not leave a conference with only notes in a notebook. You should leave with something you cannot wait to try on Monday.

Samantha said it best:

“I didn’t just leave FLAEYC inspired, I left motivated!”

Ready to create your own FLAEYC story?

Come play with us at the 2026 FLAEYC Annual Conference, October 16–18 in Jacksonville.

Samantha P. Barclay