Inclusive play skills training & creative empowerment workshops for complex additional needs
We deliver inclusive play skills training ranging from one-day workshops to weekly programmes of classes. These are for parents and carers and groups such as teachers and foster carers. We will be returning in early 2024 with our very popular online and face-to-face inclusive play skills and creative engagement courses.
Thank you so much to The Brian Murtagh Foundation and The Souter Charitable Trust for their generous support and for enabling us to help more families.
For details and more information see below.
In person Online & in person courses in February, March & April 2024:
Inclusive Play Skills Training - once a week for four weeks
Dates: tbc
We will be running online and in person courses for parents and professionals. Participants will gain ideas, explore new play structures and types of play that will suit their children or young person. During these courses, the interactive workshops will be themed and are designed to take the needs of your child into account. We will share experiences, explore possibilities for inclusive play, experiment, reflect, and have fun!
Week 1 Inclusive Play Skills for Children & Young People with Complex Needs
Week 2 Sensory Play and Music and Sound
Week 3 Sensory Storytelling
Week 4 Making Multisensory Spaces
Time: 10 am-12 pm Cost: £20
Inclusive Sensory Storytelling Training-once a week for four weeks
Dates: tbc
We will also be running online and face-to-face sensory storytelling courses for parents, carers and professionals. An ideal short course for those wishing to develop their inclusive & interactive and sensory storytelling skills.
Over the 4 weeks, we will explore ideas and techniques for multimedia sensory storytelling together. Each participant will have the opportunity to develop a story from scratch and practice with the group sharing ideas and building on experience. We will be able to look at ways of tailoring stories to your own children's needs and there will also be a chance to develop sensory stories that the whole family can enjoy and participate in together. We will share experiences, explore possibilities for inclusive play, experiment, reflect, and have fun!
All Online courses will be accompanied by one to one telephone/ zoom sessions for all participating parents, carers and professionals so that we can fully tailor the courses to the needs of the participants.
Time: 10am-12pm Cost: 20.00
To book a place or find out more about the courses please contact ariane@differentplanetarts.org.uk or ring 07711 717634.
The hands on courses explore why we play, the benefits of play for a child, new techniques and play structures.
The courses include reflection and discussion and are open to all parents and carers of children with moderate and complex additional needs.
We explore sensory play, music, multisensory storytelling, and movement and have fun!
We will develop the potential for inclusive play together in a supportive and nurturing environment.
Techniques and approaches are adaptable to fit the age and needs of a child. There are discussions and opportunities to try out new structures and types of play.
While the courses are suitable for those with limited experience of play, the courses are also designed to build on the knowledge that participants already have as parents and carers.
Courses are participatory and build over several weeks. All students receive one to one telephone support during the training in addition to the workshops.
The Sense Public Play Inquiry, ‘A Case for Play 2016,’ found the following: 81% of families nationally with children with disabilities reported difficulties accessing mainstream or local play opportunities; 51% said their child had been intentionally excluded from play in their community; 42% of families surveyed faced challenges accessing specialist play provision in their area.
Examples of play skills projects we have delivered:
Online Inclusive Play & Creative Engagement Support Courses for families throughout Sussex and The South East
February, March & April 2023
We returned with our popular programme and ran month long courses for parents, carers, and professionals in inclusive play skills training and sensory storytelling benefitting over 600 people.
Online Inclusive Play & Creative Engagement Support Initiative for families throughout Sussex and The South East
March, April, and May 2021
We worked widely with families and peer professionals reaching communities around Britain delivering inclusive play skills training and supporting them in developing inclusive creative engagement skills ( please see the inclusive play resource pages on this website). All courses were supported by one to one tuition and support through our telephone support sessions.
Online Inclusive Play & Creative Engagement Support Initiative for families throughout Sussex and The South East
June, July and August 2020
With the generous support of The Sussex Community Foundation, we devised and delivered an online emergency support initiative for families with children and young people with complex additional needs. We provided online inclusive play skills training and support for parents and carers through zoom workshops, a play skills Facebook support group and extensive online inclusive play resource pack pages ( please see the inclusive play resource pages on this website).
May, June & July 2019 in Brighton & Eastbourne
With the generous support of The Chalk Cliff Trust, The Sussex Community Foundation and Awards for All we were pleased to be able to deliver a four weekly session inclusive play skills training course. The course was available to parents, carers of children and young people with complex additional needs. We were also very excited to work with Brighton based arts group Carousel and welcome some of their artists into our team as co-facilitators. Expanding our team to include neurodiverse team members was an exciting step for Different Planet Arts.
November 2019 in Hastings
We were excited to work with East Sussex Looked After Children's Service when we delivered a two-week inclusive play skills course for foster carers in Hastings at the Robsack Centre.
“I learnt more than I thought I would. Really brilliant, I enjoyed it” - Participant
“A really fun, interesting and thought provoking course. Just the sort, of course, I’ve been waiting for. Thank you” - Participant
The following is an example of the content on one of our courses:
Week 1 An Introduction to the different Types of Inclusive Play
Focusing on our relationship to play, the different possibilities within inclusive play, the benefits of play and why we play. Also beginning to explore the potential of sound and music within improvised and structured play. Discussion and reflection on what we are learning together.
Week 2 Sensory Play and Attunement
Building on the previous week exploring sensory play and different ways of attuning to children in relation to different opportunities for play. Continuing to learn and experiment with ways of using sound and simple musical techniques. Discussing and reflecting on what we are learning together.
Week 3 Multisensory Storytelling and Role
Building on the previous week exploring multisensory storytelling that is easy for all the family to take part in together. Experimenting with simple, accessible role play. Continuing to learn and experiment with ways of using sound and simple musical techniques. Discussion and reflection on what we are learning together.
Week 4 Movement and Embodiment
Building on the previous week exploring different ways of using movement for play that is easily adapted and attuned to the needs of your child. Learning about the potential of embodiment within play and creativity. Continuing to learn and experiment with ways of using sound and simple musical techniques. Beginning to draw together some of the different strands from the previous weeks to see what participants might want to develop further. Discussion and reflection on what we are learning together.
For more information please contact Ariane at ariane@differentplanetarts.org.uk or 07711 717634.
Please contact us for more details or to plan additional trainings to suit you.
We are a registered charity no. 1180547
