Center for Creative Play | Play. Learn. Grow Together.

CFCP has created the following workshops and trainings (the full description of each workshop is below); CFCP can also create custom workshops to better meet the specific needs of your organization.

Play Environments for Everyone : Through the incorporation of Universal Design, every play environment can be accessible and engaging for every child and their family
Play is "Fun-damental" : A workshop that helps participants understand the importance of play and provides them with ideas and suggestions for enhancing and improving play opportunities for the children they serve
"Sense-ational" World : An introduction to Sensory Integration in everyday life; learn how to support children and families during the many sensory experiences they encounter
Create Your Own Sensory Adventure Camp: Creating an opportunity for families to explore sensory experiences together
Warm and Welcoming Customer Service for everyone: The information and training to help your organization make every individual feel welcomed and included

Making "Senses" of the World: Attention, Learning and the Senses

Custom Workshops: CFCP will tailor any of the above workshops to meet your needs, or can create a workshop to address specific topic areas including but not limited to: outdoor playspaces, respite care, playspace programming, playspace operations, universal design, and supporting specific types of play.

Play Environments for Everyone

Inclusive environments and the impact on play (design; room arrangement; furnishings, materials, and equipment selection)

Great for teachers (Pre-K - third grade), recreational specialists, architects, interior designers, exhibit designers

Play is important for EVERY child, and children should not be deprived of play opportunities because of barriers in the built environment. Play environments should support and encourage the development of every child. This hands-on and interactive workshop will teach participants how to modify and enhance their environment to encourage inclusion. Participants will learn about Universal Design, as well as the importance of considering hidden disabilities (e.g. autism) in the planning and development of play environments.

Great for teachers, museum educators, after-school & summer program staff, and therapists.

Play is an important part of childhood, but is also a life-long activity and the foundation for all formal education. It is through play that children develop a love of learning, as well as the emotional, physical, cognitive, and social skills necessary to be successful in the classroom, the workplace, and as human beings. This workshop will teach participants why it is important to integrate a variety of play experiences into their curriculums and will offer suggestions for enhancing play for children of all abilities. Participants will walk away with ideas that can be immediately implemented with minimal cost.

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"Sense-ational" World - Let's Play!

An introduction to Sensory Integration in everyday life.

Great for teachers, recreation specialists, therapists, museum educators, parents.

Many young children struggle with the sensory information in everyday situations. This workshop discusses the seven senses, builds on the basics of sensory integration theory, and gives participants a multitude of ideas for using this knowledge to help children in day care, preschool, home, or in therapy settings to better manage sensory input on a daily basis. Participants will learn how to support the children and families they work with through the many everyday experiences that may overwhelm their children.

Great for schools, camps, museums, city recreation departments.

Sensory Adventure Camp is a unique opportunity for families to participate in a variety of sensory experiences in a controlled and supportive environment. Children with sensory processing disorders often struggle with sensory input in everyday situations, and the opportunity to create positive play experiences can have an overwhelming positive impact on a child. Workshop participants will learn how to create a multitude of themed sensory experiences, and will begin the process of developing a sensory adventure camp program to meet their specific needs and the families they serve.

Warm and Welcoming Customer Service for Everyone

Enhancing inclusive settings in support of every child and their family.

Great for mall staff, museums, city recreation programs.

Encourage every family to return to your facility again and again. During this interactive workshop, participants will identify the barriers a person with a disability may encounter in their facility, discuss the impact disability has on a family's ability to access services, public spaces, and entertainment options, and have the opportunity to "experience" disability firsthand. The hands-on experiences provided in this workshop will help participants develop a greater appreciation for creating positive experiences for every customer. Participants will walk away with a better understanding of working with visitors of all abilities and the tools necessary to give every visitor the best possible customer service.

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Making "Senses" of the World: Attention, Learning, and the Senses

Understanding how the senses work and impact learning will allow every participant to better faciliate success for the children they work with

Great for educators, parents, and therapy assistants

How do we learn to pay attention so that we can learn the things we need to survive in our world? How do we teach children attention skills so they can be successful in classrooms and at home? The answer lies in our senses - all seven senses - touch, proprioception, vestibular, taste, smell, auditory, and visual sense. Each of these senses plays a vital role in learning and our ability to pay attention. This workshop will examine the seven senses; providing information on how each sense is processed in the brain, and how that sense connects to attention and learning. Brain and neuroscience research for each sense will be shared as they apply to learning. Strategies for using this new information on each of the senses will be included in the workshop with a special focus on how it can be used in the classroom to support learning. Participants will leave with a new understanding of how their children learn about the world and how they use their senses to be successful in every day situations.

Schedule a workshop for your business, school or organization today. For more information and fees for workshops and trainings please call the Center for Creative Play at 412.371.1668 or complete our request information form.

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