Courses
PlayBoard offer a range of services to those working throughout Ireland to enhance the quality of children's lives by increasing their opportunity to play.
The Training Department can tailor and deliver sessions to meet your individual needs and requirements.
Those which are available for booking are listed below. For more information on any of these courses, contact
Half Day Courses
In addition, PlayBoards Training Department offer a wide range of services to those working throughout Ireland to enhance the quality of children's lives by increasing their opportunity to play.
More information on PlayBoards Half Day Courses
Play For All
The aim/purpose of this training programme is -
- To enable playworkers to develop skills, knowledge and confidence to include children with disabilities in play services.
- To accredit playworkers knowledge, skills and experience in including children with disabilities in play provision.
- To facilitate the development of a group of trainers with disabilities.
Duration: 2 days
Devised via a partnership of - PlayBoard, Barnardos, BIFHE and Belfast City Council.
Out 2 Play
The aim/purpose of this training programme is -
- Raise awareness among playworkers of children's needs for physical, outdoor and creative play.
- Increase playworkers ability to meet those needs.
- Increase the confidence of playworkers to.
- Facilitate physical play
- Facilitate outdoor play all year round
- Facilitate creative play
and to integrate them all as part of free play
Duration: 8 Sessions of 2½ hours
Devised via a partnership of - PlayBoard and Community Foundation of Northern Ireland
Games Not Names for All
The aim/purpose of this training programme is -
- To provide Playworkers with the space and time to explore the impact of unfair discrimination and bias on Play and Playwork
- To examine language, myths and stereotypes within the context of antidiscriminatory and anti-bias practice
- To provide an overview of relevant key legislation that underpins quality Playwork and childcare practice
- To explore the different modes of communication and how these inform and influence children's environments
- To highlight the importance of Play to children's holistic development and introduce participants to the language of Playwork
- To engage in practical activities, including programme planning, that embrace and reflect anti-discriminatory and anti-bias practice
- To introduce a framework of an Equity, Diversity and Interdependence framework for policy development
- To evaluate the impact of the programme on registered provision
Duration: 2 days
Food 4 Play
Introduction
Good nutrition and physical activity are essential at all life stages and will help to prevent and reduce the incidence of the public concerns regarding the state of our children's health.
Outdoor and physical play are vital aspects of physical activity for children. For children to be able to immerse themselves in play it is necessary that they are provided with healthy food and drink that meets their nutritional needs. Playworkers therefore have a vital role in providing suitable snacks that will enable children to play. The Food 4 Play programme is our way of bringing the nutritional needs of children aged 4-14 years to the attention of those are involved in play projects.
The aim/purpose of this training programme is -
- To raise awareness of the importance of good nutrition for the general health and wellbeing of children and young people in Northern Ireland.
- To ensure that children attending play projects are provided with healthy snacks and drinks to enable them to play to their full potential.
- To equip playworkers with knowledge and ideas for how children's play opportunities can be extended in relation to food.
Duration: 3 sessions of 2½ hours
Devised via a partnership of - PlayBoard, the Health Promotion Agency, Community Dietitians and Environmental Health Officers.
Play Development Training
The aim/purpose of this training programme is -
This new programme reflects recent developments within the field of Playwork and examines the following practice areas:
- What is Play
- The Role of the Playworker
- Programme Planning
- The role of the Co-ordinator
Duration: 1 day
Addressing Disability in Playwork
The aim/purpose of this training programme is -
- To encourage practitioners to consider the implications of inclusion.
- To raise awareness of relevant legislation.
- To compare and contrast different models of integration and inclusion.
- To engage in practical activities that seek to highlight those barriers that may exist in the development of an inclusive play environment.
- To raise awareness of availability of relevant support networks.
Duration: 2 days
Accredited Courses
Training in Playwork
"Children's play is freely chosen, personally directed behaviour, motivated from within; through play, the child explores the world and her/his relationship with it, elaborating all the while a flexible range of responses to the challenges she/he encounters; by playing, the child learns and develops as an individual".
(Value statement taken from the NVQ standards)
There has never been more demand for high quality Playwork. Increased urbanisation and pollution means that quality play needs to be carefully planned and facilitated. Also the rapid expansion of out of school play and care provision requiring skilled, trained Playworkers is creating new career opportunities. Parents too are demanding safe, quality play for their children.
An NVQ in Playwork provides all of the knowledge and skills required to work with school aged children. The NVQ gives people hands on experience, and an opportunity to develop their skills in providing stimulating play opportunities, all of which will maximise benefits to children.
What are NVQs?
NVQs are National Vocational Qualifications which relate to competency in the workplace therefore enabling candidates to be observed and assessed in their everyday roles.
The sessions attended by candidates provides them with the underpinning knowledge requirements for the course as well as highlighting portfolio building opportunities.
The two different levels i.e. Level 2 and Level 3 reflect the work being carried out by the candidate, e.g. Level 2 is the recommended qualification for assistants and Level 3 is the recommended qualification for supervisors.
How Can I Enrol For an NVQ Course in Playwork?
Due to the low volume of Assessors and Playworkers PlayBoard are not able to offer NVQs at this time. For more information on NVQ's contact Belfast Metropololitan College – www.belfastmet.ac.uk or
Top Play/Active Clubs
Introduction
Physical activity is essential for health and well being for all of us. Children enjoy being physically active, even those who do not enjoy sports. This training supports playworkers in learning more about the basics of fundamental movement skills and how to enable children in their care to be more physically active.
The aim/purpose of this training programme is -
To raise awareness among playworkers of the hour a day of physical activity that children need to stay healthy and provide skills and resources to meet that need.
Duration: 3 hours
PlayBoard delivers this training on behalf of:
Top Play – Youth Sports Trust
Active Clubs – British Heart Foundation & 4Children
Positive PlayGrounds
This training is being delivered in Primary Schools across Northern Ireland.
The Positive PlayGrounds Programme has been designed especially for school grounds and children, teachers, and lunchtime supervisors will be given the opportunity to explore all aspects of their school playground including Play and Play theory, Play Types, Loose Parts, PlayGround Policy, Buddy systems, Zoning, and Wet Playtimes.
Training takes place over 4 X 2 hour sessions and is held in each individual schools premises.
For further information please contact Angela Stallard
Playground Training Menu
Following requests from many primary schools across the province PlayBoard are delighted to offer you a series of workshops to complement our Positive PlayGrounds Programme and which are designed to help you to continue to improve your play environment.
Game Gang
Ever thought about "training up" your older children to play games for sharing in the playground? Let us create a game gang for you who will help to make playtimes fun. A two hour session for children.
Fun, Fun, Fun.
Activities, Games and Song.
A fun interactive session aimed at the adults working with children in school. Come along and learn some street cred games and remember the old traditional games too! Try out your skipping skills, two ball, german jumps, marbles and jacks. A really fun session. A two hour session aimed at teachers, classroom assistants and playtime supervisors.
Join the Squad
Have you ever thought of forming a PlayGround squad or Buddies? Let us come and kick start the process! During these two sessions we will give you a step by step guide that can be used year after year. Two x two hour sessions aimed at teachers and playtime supervisors
Promoting Positive Behaviour in the Playground
How do you promote positive behaviour in the playground environment? An interactive session looking at behaviour within the playground - positive and negative - and coming up with solutions and remedies for everyone. A two hour session aimed at teachers, classroom assistant and playtime supervisors.
Parachute Play
A fun energetic session which can be run for either adults or children. Learn how to use a parachute and skill-up on how to adapt its activities to suit children's various age ranges and various abilities. Can be used indoors or out. A two hour session aimed at teachers, classroom assistants and playtime supervisors or children.
Active Play
Struggling to make Physical Education fun? With children's growing levels of obesity and lack of exercise how do we get our children moving? This session is guaranteed to be fun and physical! Can be adapted to suit individual school needs and can be used as a PE lesson.
Wet Weather Indoors
Do you struggle with wet playtimes? Let us help you develop a variety of play ideas for rainy days indoors. Two and a half hour session aimed at playtime supervisors.
For more information or to book a training session please contact:
Angela Stallard
Project Manager
PlayBoard
028 90803380