Dr. Mariana Brussoni is an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics and school population and public health at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. She's a developmental psychologist who spent 15 years investigating child injury prevention and outdoor play.

Dr Brussoni's work and research findings have featured in over 100 media outlets in 14 different countries. Dr Brussoni also researches the importance of outdoor risky play for children's healthy development and how the built outdoor environment affects children's play.

For more information about Dr Brussoni's research, see the Brussoni Lab here.

Sandi Phoenix, founder and company director of Phoenix support for Educators, based in Brisbane, Australia. The Phoenix Cups framework is an approach that helps educators and practitioners to understand and respond positively to children’s differences and conflict.

Sandi is highly regarded nationally and internationally as a speaker, coach, mentor and Professional Development Facilitator for the education and care sector and she is also an Affiliate of the Australian Psychological Society.

Tim Gill is an independent scholar, advocate and consultant on childhood and a global leader for the movement of a balanced, thoughtful approach to risk in childhood. His book, No Fear: Growing Up in a Risk Adverse Society, which was published in 2007 but is really, really still current, has been used in multiple policy documents and publications about risk, risky play, and challenging play provision.

Tim writes and advocates widely on adventurous play, challenge, and the benefits for children.

As a parent, Tim tries hard to practice what he preaches

Chris Phoenix is the Wellbeing specialist for Phoenix Support for Educators (PSFE).

Dr Diane Kashin is a retired early childhood education professor who has taught at both the degree and diploma level. She is also the chair of the York Region Nature Collaborative. Her doctoral thesis was focused on ‘emergent curriculum’. Diane has co-authored three ECE textbooks Playing and Learning in Early Childhood Education 2^nd edition (2019), Outdoor and Nature Play in Early Childhood Education (2019) and Empowering Pedagogy (2016). Diane was also a lead researcher on a Lawson Foundation research project on outdoor play.

Diane writes a blog to support professional learning, which you can find on the Technology Rich Inquiry Based Research site.

Pete Moorhouse is passionate about encouraging creative thinking in Early Years Education. He has over 25 years experience working with schools and works regularly in Early Years settings as an artist educator.

Pete is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Bristol currently researching Creativity and Critical thinking in Early Years Education. As an artist Pete is an acclaimed professional sculptor with an impressive portfolio of sculpture and public art commissions. He is also the author of Learning through Woodwork – Introducing Creative Woodwork in the Early Years.

Find out more about his work with Early Years settings here.

Julie Mountain is qualified in landscape design and specialises in supporting schools and early years settings so that they can make the most of the potential of outdoors for learning and play.

An experienced trainer and facilitator, Julie launched Play Learning Life in 2010 in order to focus on outdoor projects in and with schools, settings and families. She was in Japan recently, carrying out research into risk-taking and resilience in Japanese kindergartens and has come back with a stack of interesting observations, images and video clips.

You can find her website Play Learning Life Outdoors here.

Professor Ellen Sandseter is a professor at Queen Maud University of Early Childhood Education in Trondheim, Norway. She believes that children all over the world have the right to free play and that all childhood education should be based on play as a means for development, learning and wellbeing.

Professor Sandseter's particular interest in children's needs for thrilling and risky play, especially in modern society.

Niki Buchan is an Early Childhood Educational Consultant with Natural Learning Early Childhood Consultancy and has been working with both adults and young children in natural and sensorial environments for 35 years.

Niki is an international conference keynote speaker and nature pedagogue and has developed a reputation as a strong advocate for children’s right to a high-quality childhood, including having regular access to nature and having their voices heard. Her book is called A Practical Guide to Nature-based Practice.

Helen Tovey is a former Principal Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies at the University of Roehampton, UK and previous headteacher of a nursery school in London.  She has published and lectured widely on risk and challenge in play outdoors.

Helen is the author of ‘Bringing the Froebel Approach to your Early Years Practice’ published by Routledge, and is a member of the Froebel Trust, teaching on Froebel related courses

Rachel Buckler has worked in the early years sector for 30 years, predominantly within social care. She has worked for a number of local authorities, both as a practitioner and as service manager for children’s centres and early years provision.

Rachel’s training and consultancy company Early Years Hub, offers support on various themes including lots of training on Safeguarding Children and Designated Safeguarding Lead courses. Their team deliver to the Early Years sector directly and on behalf of a number of Local Safeguarding Children Boards.

You can find the Early Years Hub here.

Sid Mohandas is a Montessori teacher and teacher trainer from the UK. He founded The Male Montessorian, as a platform to grapple with the complexities of gender within early childhood spaces. He completed his Montessori training at Montessori Centre International (MCI), London.

Sid later pursued qualifications in Early Childhood Education with London Metropolitan University and his Master’s in Early Childhood Education at the Institute of Education, UCL. Sid is currently doing his PhD on reconfiguring gender of the Early Years workforce using posthuman theories.

You can find his Facebook group here.

Kathryn Solly has worked across all the phases of education from babies to tertiary including being an Ofsted inspector and was a Head Teacher of Chelsea Open Air Nursery School for 17 years.

She is now a specialist EY consultant, trainer and speaker with a passion for outdoor play, learning and leadership – and she has written a book called ‘Risk, Challenge and Adventure in the Early Years’. She is also a proud parent and grandparent.

Dr Helen Little is a Senior Lecturer and Early Childhood Program Director in the Department of Educational Studies, Macquarie University. She has undertaken extensive research on risk-taking in outdoor play, including promoting risk-taking and physically challenging play in Australian early childhood settings, outdoor environments as places for exploration and discovery and affordances for risk-taking and physical activity.