Roots of Wonder logo — a sage-green seedling with terracotta roots beside the words Roots of Wonder
County Mayo

Live online workshops for Mayo

Mayo sessions run live online; an on-site day for a setting can be discussed only where travel from Wexford and an overnight are covered.

Mayo has landscape most settings would build a curriculum around if they could, and plenty already do — the beaches near Westport, the fields and hedgerows around Claremorris, the weather that teaches risk assessment whether anyone plans it or not. The sessions Mayo teams book most often are the practical, make-something ones, because a well-resourced idea beats a well-explained one when Monday morning arrives.

That is why the nature planning and make-and-take workshops suit here. Rather than talking about open-ended materials, everyone spends the hour actually planning a fortnight of outdoor invitations from what is on their own doorstep, or mixing playdough and sensory materials from store-cupboard ingredients. Castlebar and Ballina services with tight budgets get the most out of these, because nothing in them requires a catalogue order.

Delivery is online, and honestly so: Mayo is across the country from Gorey, Co. Wexford, and Amy will not advertise in-person dates she cannot reliably keep. The online hour is live, the booklet is included, a certificate of attendance follows, and public sessions are €20 per person with private groups from €35. Mayo County Childcare Committee is the county's contact point for funding, registration and provider supports.

For settings

Staff development for crèches, preschools and ECCE rooms across Mayo — setting packages from €399.

For parents

Evening online sessions for Mayo parents — join from home once the children are settled.

Private sessions

One-to-one from €25 for 30 minutes, or a private group around your own schedule.

Most requested by Mayo groups

Towns in Mayo we hear from

Parents and educators book from Castlebar, Westport, Ballina, Claremorris, Belmullet and right across the county. Because these sessions run live online, where you are in the county makes no difference to whether you can take part.

Local support in Mayo

For funding, registration and local early years supports, Mayo County Childcare Committee is the first port of call for settings and childminders in the county. Visit Mayo County Childcare Committee

What attendees say

“Amy made supporting children through child-led activities and emergent interests so much easier to understand. She sat in the room with us completely non-judgmental and offered guidance that in turn sparked our own ideas.”
Chloe · Room leader, early years setting
“Amy's love for children shines through and her passion is contagious. If you want your fire reignited, Amy will most definitely help you light the match.”
Margaret · Parent
“Planning made simple, broken down and fun to discuss.”
Maria · Workshop attendee

Mayo questions

Are the make-and-take sessions any use if we are attending online?
Yes, provided you gather the materials in advance — the list goes out beforehand and it is deliberately made up of things you already have: flour, salt, cardboard, containers, whatever the garden offers. Everyone makes their own version during the session, so a Mayo team finishes with resources rather than notes about resources.
Our budget is tiny. Is there anything here that does not need spending?
Most of it. Budget messy play stations and homemade sensory materials exist precisely because catalogue resources are out of reach for a lot of services. The best invitation in a Belmullet or Claremorris room this week probably costs under five euro.
Would Amy ever come to Mayo?
Only for a setting package where travel and an overnight are covered, and that would be planned well in advance. Regular in-person work in the west is not something a Wexford-based one-person business can offer honestly.
Is there VAT on top of the price?
No. Roots of Wonder is not VAT registered, so the price you see is the price you pay. A public online ticket is €20 per person, in person is €35, and a setting package is €399, €599 or €799 as a flat fee for the whole setting. Nothing is added at checkout.
Are there booking fees?
No booking fees, no card surcharge and no per-person admin charge. You pay the ticket or package price only. An itemised receipt is emailed to you the moment payment goes through, and settings can request a formal invoice before booking so it can go through your own accounts process first.
Do staff get certificates, and do they count towards a Quality Action Plan?
Every participant receives a dated certificate of attendance naming the workshop, the date and the hour completed. Settings routinely file these as evidence of ongoing professional development in a Síolta Quality Action Plan. They are not CPD points, because that requires separate registration with an awarding body.
How long is a workshop and what is included?
One hour, with a take-home booklet for every participant and a dated certificate of attendance for educators. Online sessions are €20 per person and in-person sessions are €35, with €5 off when booked at least two weeks in advance. Private groups and full setting packages are also available.
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