The UW–Platteville Continuing Education Department will host the 26th annual Early Childhood Conference Wednesday, March 6 from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This year’s theme is “Food, Fitness and Fun!  Health and Wellness in Early Childhood.”

“The conference is designed for anyone working with young children,” said Chenoa Ruecking, UW–Platteville education and training coordinator. “It’s a place where community members can share their ideas and support quality early childcare.”

New this year is the free family zumbatomic class starting at 2 p.m. Zumbatomic is a high-energy fitness class that makes getting fit a fun family experience. Families can also attend the wellness and book fair with over 20 venders offering a variety of books, toys and other products for early childhood learning.

The conference features 33 workshops focusing on creating healthy foods, active learning, the outdoor learning environment and how to make healthy, nurturing environments for young children. Registered attendees will choose three of these workshops to attend throughout the day.

Keynote speaker for the conference will be Ann Cooper, author, chef and educator, who will present on changing the way children are fed.

Kinza Christenson, professional development expert, will also speak on laughter wellness.

For more information and to register for the conference visit www.uwplatt.edu/cont_ed/.