Workshop Menu

About the Workshops

All workshops can be adapted to meet the needs of difference target audiences
Workshops can be offered as a ‘taster’ (1 hour) session or longer
All workshop leaders will take a playful, participative approach
All workshops will model and develop understanding of the social model of disability
The workshop overview gives an indication of the target audience for each workshop. This is only a guide - we can adapt workshops for most target audiences so if you would like to do teambuilding with senior managers through environmental play or preparing a carnival, we can make it work!

Workshop Descriptions

Adapting what you have - Inclusive games
A very ‘hand's on’ session, playing games and exploring how they can be adapted to ensure that all children can be included. This workshop offers new games as well as the opportunity to share and adapt commonly known games.

Anti-Discriminatory Practice in Playwork
Do children from a different race or culture feel welcomed and included in your setting? Learn how to effectively offer a welcome to children from all backgrounds, to challenge discriminatory behaviour and foster positive attitudes to racial and cultural difference. Practical ideas for celebrating diversity and promoting tolerance.

Behaviour that challenges
This workshop offers strategies for promoting positive behaviour. It explores what we mean by the term ‘challenging behaviour’ and some of the negative assumptions that can be made about children who are given that label. It goes on to suggest ideas for preventative strategies, identifying the triggers for behaviour, ways of remaining child centred, ways of talking with children about their behaviour and useful strategies for de-escalating incidents.

Carnival
A creative workshop exploring how simple music and basic craft materials can be used to create a carnival experience. There is an option to offer participants in this workshop the chance to prepare a carnival procession to finish off the conference day. No musical skill required.

Circus
Juggling, balancing, acrobatics, plate spinning and a variety of other circus skills provide the perfect arena for children of all ages and abilities to develop confidence and learn new skills. This workshop gives a taste of some skills whilst showing how circus can be offered as an inclusive activity in settings.

Communication Skills
One key to running an inclusive setting is ensuring effective communication between all parties: children, parents, playworkers and managers so that understanding grows. This workshop looks at the structures underpinning good lines of communication, the routines and record keeping as well as strategies for better listening. It also identifies barriers to good communication, particularly around people who communicate in different ways and ways to overcome them.

Communication, Cooperation and Creative Problem Solving
A good inclusive play setting can accommodate and appreciate differences of opinion. It will have built in opportunities for these differences to be explored before they become a problem. When problems do occur, strategies will be in place for complaints to be heard and for everyone to feel valued and supported. Through this workshop participants will be offered a range of practical strategies for building constructive relationships and dealing positively with resolving differences.

Consulting with children
A practical session offering fun, practical tools for engaging and consulting with Disabled and Non-Disabled children and ensuring that consultation is effective and meaningful for all concerned.

Co-operative Games
Co-operative games are those in which the relationship between the players is supportive rather than competitive. The players generally work together to achieve goals and any competitive elements are minimised. This workshop will teach new games (requiring little or no equipment) and offer opportunities for participants to exchange games ideas.

Den Building
Creative play at its best! Use fabric, rope and a bag of pegs to explore opportunities for creating colourful, sensory and fantastical play environments.

Drama
Drama activities offer children opportunities for creative problem solving learning communication skills, working together and coming to understand each other in different ways. It can provide children with an outlet for emotions and thoughts that they might not otherwise express. It can also challenge their perceptions about the world and themselves. This can happen in ways that are non confrontational and which allow issues to be talked about safely. This workshop offers ideas on how drama activities can be a support to the process of fostering inclusion. It is very participatory!

Environmental Play
Environmental play involves ‘opportunities for children to play freely with, in and around natural environments’ (Wild About Play, Playwork Partnerships). This workshop will explore the basics of Environmental play and its potential for offering good inclusive play experiences. It will also look at risk and how it can be effectively managed.

Gluing and sticking
Simple activities with tips for making them accessible.

Inclusion & Every Child Matters
The five outcomes relate to all children. This workshop explores how the Every Child Matters framework can be used to support and develop the inclusion of Disabled Children.

Labels are for jars not children
This workshop will challenge the concept of ‘PC’ (Political Correctness) and look at the impact of language on Disabled Children, their parents and the professionals working with them. It explores the medical and social models of disability and the language associated with them. The workshop will ask participants to reflect on the language used in relation to Disabled Children, as well as the power of the direct and indirect messages contained in it. It will focus on developing the confidence, knowledge and communication skills to make the move towards using more appropriate language and encouraging others to do the same.

Making Sense Of Legislation
The Human Rights Act, the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child, The Disability Discrimination Act, The SEN and Disability Act, The Special Educational Needs Act, The Children Act, The Care Standards Act and Equal Opportunities. How is this legislation relevant to play and childcare practitioners and what are their responsibilities? It looks heavy but this workshop will be playful in approach and will attempt to show how the law can be used to push for change in services for Disabled Children.

Making The Case For Inclusion
There is now plenty of evidence which demonstrates that inclusive provision is best for ALL children, that it is less expensive than segregated provision and that it leads to stronger and more tolerant communities. But the reality is that some people still need convincing. This workshop will support participants in being advocates for inclusivity and give them practice in convincing colleagues, parents, managers and politicians of the case for inclusion.

Outdoor Play
The great outdoors offers children a huge variety of opportunities for self directed play, including taking risks and getting dirty. Through a well meant, but often unnecessary desire to protect, Disabled Children are often prevented from enjoying the full range of outdoor play experiences. This workshop will offer some examples of good inclusive, outdoor play and encourage the sharing of good practice. It will also look at risk and how it can be effectively managed. This workshop can be held indoors and focus on promoting outdoor play, OR, even more exciting, it can be held outdoors!

Planning For Inclusion
The responsibilities of play and childcare providers under the Disability Discrimination Act are ‘anticipatory’. This workshop takes a strategic view on the different types of barriers that prevent the development of more inclusive service for Disabled Children. Planning for the inclusion of Disabled Children is the responsibility of all settings even though some people are still not convinced that inclusion IS best practice for ALL children. This workshop offers strategies for identifying the barriers and practicable ideas for overcoming them. It shows the benefits of having inclusive policies and strategies and how to strengthen links to the daily practice of the play and childcare workforce. A good workshop for sharing and promoting good practice.

Play Strategies
A successful play strategy is one that takes account of the right of all children to have access to the same play opportunities. Planning to include Disabled Children is often overlooked at a strategic level or only addressed in a token way. This workshop offers some examples of good practice in both the process and content of forming an inclusive play strategy.

Play Theory And The Playwork Principles
This workshop explores how the playwork principles can be used to underpin good practice and inclusion when working with ALL children. It will investigate what the theory might look like in practice for Disabled Children in an ordinary play setting.

Playful Puppets
Using puppets can be a fun way to interact with children, to develop their imaginary skills, discuss difficult issues and develop their communication skills. This workshop offers participants opportunities to try out ways of working with puppets.

Playing To Learn
Children learn through play. This is a workshop for those who would like a reminder of what it is like to be a child and the value of play, sometimes structured and sometimes ‘freely chosen and motivated from within’ (National Occupational Standards in Playwork). It will explore the role of play workers in making play opportunities available and ensuring that all children are able to take part.

Dressing Up And Pretend play
Pretend play offers children unlimited opportunities for exploring the world of people and relationships. Participants will explore a variety of activities involving dressing up and pretend play and how they can be used to encourage children to explore and experience difference.

Silly songs for kids
A workshop about playing with language and sound. No musical or singing ability required but be prepared to have a go.

Storytelling
There are many ways into a story, not just through the spoken or written word. This workshop will explore a variety of techniques for telling and retelling stories. No experience or required and we won’t put you on the spot, but be prepared to join in!

Sustainability and Inclusion – Business planning
Inclusion is now not only good practice, it is the law. The responsibilities of settings under the Disability Discrimination Act are ‘anticipatory’ and therefore require planning. Is it possible to be inclusive of Disabled Children and sustainable? We say yes! This workshop will explore business planning strategies which sustain inclusion and will also encourage the sharing of good practice by people who are actually doing it.

Team building
The quality of the relationships you have with and between your staff will be the foundation for high quality inclusive play experiences for Disabled Children. This workshop will teach the basic structures for a healthy team and give some practice in developing the key skills of a good team player.

The Disability Discrimination Act (Goods & Services)
A workshop offering an overview of the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) and the responsibilities of Settings as service providers.

The Disability Discrimination Act & Special Educational Needs (SENDA)
A workshop offering an overview of the responsibilities of Early Years Providers under the Disability Discrimination Act (1995).

Who CAN'T you consult with?
Is the ability to communicate verbally a pre-requisite for successful consultation? This workshop will explore the issues around consulting with Disabled Children, particularly those who have communication impairments and learning difficulties. It will make the case for excluding NO ONE from the consultation process.