ARTPAD Multiplier event – Rogers Foundation
24th and 25th March 2018
On 24th March we organised an ARTPAD multiplier event on the topic of play. There were nine participants, and two trainers. Two of the participants were from Gdansk, Poland.
Participants were different stakeholders: kindergarten teachers, parents, university students, special education teachers.
We started the day with the introduction of the ARTPAD project, the principles and other related materials. Then we made different activities about the essence of play to give first hand experience for attendees on what playwork is, why children like to play, and what the obstacles of freely chosen play are. In the next session we studied the importance of play according to the SPICE model: the Social, Physical, Intellectual, Creative and Emotional aspects of play. To maintain the activity of the group we used experiential education tools between the intellectual training parts, such as a rainbow parachute.
After the lunch break we dived into the topic and discussed how it is possible to ensure the possibility to free play to each and every child, examined the stereotypes and prejudices which playworker may have to face and had a nice conversation about the special needs of the disabled.
ARTPAD principles were found to be a very useful help: a good summary of the main aspects of the topic – participants referred them regularly during the whole day.
