Fiona Holiday

Connection! All animals respond to a bit of play… Part of the way I build trust with the alpaca herd is to play - it’s meant that nervous alpacas like Amber here are getting brave! #play #safety #connection

These are tough times. We need to tell our stories so we feel less alone & make space to listen to others’ stories. The tougher the times, the more we need ways to work through them and make sense of what’s going on. We all have stories to tell. Listen #story #play #playtherapy

It's easy to forget that co-regulation isn't all about what we do, more often it is about how we are. Are we calm, open, curious and interested? Can we communicate that we understand the intensity of the emotion without feeling it intensely?

"What are you doing?" Simple question which often interrupts. And can mean a lot... stop it, you should be doing homework, come here. Questions are so rarely simple! Try getting alongside without saying anything, watch and wait, notice, accept... no interruptions #play #connect

The games we play teach us lessons for life. Hide and seek is one we play over and over again in different ways. We practice emotional regulation, managing big feelings of fear, anticipation, excitement, loss and joy. We inhibit our impulse to shout “here I am!” - eventually!

I will keep highlighting the value of play in learning… it is intrinsic to how we have evolved and how we grow. We don’t learn self-regulation by being told what to do… we find ways to regulate…

How does #play help #selfregulation Sensory play soothes. Water cools. Resistance in sand, clay shows where we stop and world begins. Drumming for rhythm, sounds say ‘here we are’ We feel effect of swinging, pulling, pushing. Can we choose what we need? #earlyyears

Self-regulation develops in relationship with others and the world. Play is a key way to support this development because it exercises our nervous system in a context of safety #selfreg #play #connection

How does #play help #selfregulation ? When we play, we can try out different ways of being in the world. We learn flexibility and adaptability. If we don’t have something we need for a game, we can improvise, pretend. Play pushes boundaries. #earlychildhood #EYFS

How does play help self-regulation? In play we can safely feel scared of the monster chasing us, fear at never being found in a game of hide and seek. These intense feelings are less so in a play space. Playful connection exercises our up and down regulation. #play

There is a contradiction in thinking we can teach children to self-regulate by telling them what to do. #selfreg #earlyeducation #earlyyears #play #connection

Playing helps us regulate - we can do what we need physically, using our senses and movement, we can try expressions of emotion, explore different reactions and responses. Social play helps us to regulate ourselves and others… More play! #play #playtherapy #wellbeing