Therapeutic Play in Education

Course introduction

Therapeutic Play in Education: Creating Healing and Supportive Learning Environments

Transform your classroom into a space where learning, safety and emotional healing go hand in hand.

Children learn best when they feel seen, safe and supported yet today’s classrooms are filled with learners managing stress, trauma, or unmet emotional needs. This highly practical professional development course helps educators use therapeutic play to build stronger connections, calm classrooms and resilient learners.

Grounded in child development theory, trauma-informed practice and play therapy principles, this session gives you the knowledge, tools, and confidence to bring emotional wellbeing into everyday teaching. Through interactive activities, real-life examples and reflection, you’ll discover how to use play to nurture emotional regulation, foster belonging and strengthen relationships across your setting.

You’ll leave with a toolkit of low-cost, easy-to-use strategies that can be embedded straight into your classroom plus ideas for designing play-informed environments that promote inclusion and healing for all children.

There will also be opportunities to discuss your own challenges, share good practice, and network with others committed to creating emotionally supportive schools.

What we will cover throughout the day

Explain the core principles of therapeutic play and its relevance within educational settings.
Identify how play supports children’s emotional, social, and developmental wellbeing across different ages and abilities.
Recognise signs of stress, trauma, and unmet emotional needs, and respond using therapeutic play approaches.
Implement practical low-cost therapeutic play strategies to foster emotional expression, regulation, and resilience in the classroom.
Design and maintain play-informed, inclusive classroom environments that promote safety, healing, and wellbeing for all learners.

Target audience

Headteachers, Education Welfare Officers, Attendance Officers, Teachers, Deputy =Headteachers, SENCo/ALNCo, Pastoral Leads, Classroom Assistants, Support Staff, Family Liaison Officers, Mental Health Leads, Safeguarding Leads, Family Support Workers

Trainers for this course

Kelly Hannaghan

Kelly puts wellbeing at the heart of education. She is an award-winning motivational speaker and school improvement advisor, published author and founder of ‘Family Matters’ empower...ment programme.

Kelly has worked systemically with some of the most challenging communities, helping families thrive in difficult circumstances. She advises in the development of staff wellbeing to improve teacher retention and embeds purposeful strategies to support School Leader’s emotional health. Kelly is an advocate for Senior Mental Health Leads and helps drive school development processes forward, whilst creating outstanding outcomes and awards for many organisations. She is a trailblazer within the Wellbeing Lead Network for supporting pastoral teams. Her work is recognised by the DfE, NCB, The Anna Freud Centre and The Education Support Partnership as a lead influencer of mental health and wellbeing in education.

Kelly is currently leading on the DFE Wellbeing for Education Return Programme within Kent County Council.

See what others have to say about us

Don’t just take our word for it, visit our social media pages for live feedback.

"Excellent course, lots of practical strategies to implement therapeutic play into our school".

"A thoughtfully designed course balanced with both the theory of therapeutic play and a toolkit full of play therapy activities".

"A very insightful course with lots of ideas to embed in our nurture room".

"Kelly is a fantastic trainer with so many take-aways to use in our school to support our vulnerable students"

About the venue

Stay at home, get comfortable and enjoy our live interactive course via Zoom! You’ll receive the link a few days before the course date so you can get prepared (and excited) ahead of time.

Handy course logistics

The course will run via Zoom from 9:30 am – 3:00 pm, however, the trainer will be available 15 minutes before and after the course times to answer any questions.
You’ll receive mid-morning, lunch and afternoon breaks to re-energise.
This course is designed to be interactive and inclusive. We welcome questions and discussions throughout and we want you to be comfortable and stress-free no matter where you join us from!
Your course handouts will be emailed to you on the morning of the course.
Additional links and information will be emailed to you before and during the course.
This course is also available as an in-house / INSET training session at your school. Contact us for details.
Please note – the cost is per person
Please note – the early bird rate of £185+ VAT ends 28 days prior to the course date, after this the standard rate of £215+VAT will be charged.