For ELSAs, TAs, SENCos & early years practitioners
The Therapeutic Play Framework is a practical, UK-written course that shows you how to use play with purpose: what to notice, how to respond, and what to write down afterwards. Ten chapters, 21 printable templates, and one way of thinking you’ll use in every session.
Sound familiar?
“The session felt lovely. If you asked me what actually changed, I couldn’t tell you.”
“He lined the cars up again for twenty minutes. Do I join in, or gently move him on?”
“The SENCo wants evidence for the review. All I’ve written is ‘engaged well’.”
“She said something odd right at the end of the session, and my mind went completely blank.”
“I was given a box of toys and a slot on the timetable. That was the training.”
None of this means you’re doing it wrong. It means nobody showed you the reasoning underneath.
The missing piece
The method
Every chapter is built around one five-step routine. You can run it in your head in the middle of a session, and on paper afterwards.
It slows down the moment where most of us jump to a conclusion (“she’s attention-seeking”, “he’s being silly”) and replaces it with a few calm questions. That’s where the confidence comes from.
Same toys. Same child. A completely different session.Describe what actually happened, like a camera would.
Notice your own reaction, and the assumption forming.
Check the context: age, recent changes, repetition, the role you’ve been given.
Follow or guide, on purpose, for a reason you can explain.
Write it in neutral words a SENCo, parent or DSL can use.
See it in action · from Chapter 4
Kai, Year 1, age 6. His parents separated just before October half-term. Every session he builds a block house, puts a mum, a dad and a child inside, says “Earthquake”, and sweeps it all down.
It looks destructive. Or heartbreaking. So you either steer him towards something calmer, or you ask, gently, “Is that like your house?” Either way, he goes quiet.
Your note afterwards:
Kai was unsettled and knocked things over.
SeeFive knock-downs in 20 minutes. Twice he says, “Nobody can fix it.” When you pick up a block: “No. Leave it.”
PauseA lump in your throat, and a ready-made story: the house is his family. You notice it’s your story, not yet his.
AskCrashing towers is normal at six. What stands out is the family inside, the repetition, and being told not to help.
ChooseFollow, without linking it to home: “It’s all falling down. You don’t want anyone to fix it.”
Evidence“Knocked down block house (3 figures) ×5. Said ‘Nobody can fix it’ ×2. Same play sessions 1–3. Possible theme: things falling apart. Continue child-led; update class teacher.”
Same child. Same blocks. But now you know what you saw, why you responded the way you did, and what to tell the adults around him. In session 5, Kai built two houses side by side, and neither fell down. That’s the whole course in one example.
Use SPACE in your next session. From £27, instant download.
Get the frameworkWhat’s inside
Read it on your phone on the bus. Print the templates in the staffroom. No logins, no apps, no fixed dates.
The course itself: 10 chapters and 80+ pages, taking you from “what am I looking at?” to planning, running and ending a block of sessions. Worked examples, reflection prompts and key points in every chapter.
21 printable A4 templates: SPACE observation records, neutral session notes, a 6-week planner, progress summaries for SENCos, limit-setting cards, a disclosure response card, parent letters and more.
101 things to say in a play session: when they want you to be the baddie, when they cheat, when they go quiet, when it’s time to stop.
6 conversation scripts and 6 parent handouts, for the conversations nobody prepares you for.
Run a 45-minute staff meeting on purposeful play: timings, talking points, a scenario discussion and a one-page handout.
Contents
Each chapter builds on the one before, so nothing is introduced before the reasoning that supports it. Tap any chapter to see what it covers.
After this chapter you can explain what makes a session therapeutic, and where your limits sit.
After this chapter you can say why you’re following or guiding, not just that you are.
After this chapter you can check any observation against what’s typical for this child.
After this chapter you can describe what happened without overclaiming what it means.
After this chapter you can explain to a sceptical colleague why the sessions matter.
After this chapter you can set up a safe, consistent space with what your school already has.
After this chapter you can choose child-led or structured work on purpose.
After this chapter you can set limits calmly and respond to a disclosure correctly.
After this chapter you can get the adults around a child pulling in the same direction.
After this chapter you can plan, run, record and end a block of sessions with confidence.
Who it’s for
Straight talk
A structured, self-paced course in the reasoning behind therapeutic play, written for UK schools and early years settings. Practical from the first chapter. Designed to sit alongside ELSA training, nurture work and your setting’s own policies.
A play therapy qualification. It isn’t accredited by BAPT or PTUK, doesn’t count towards play therapy training, and doesn’t make anyone a therapist. When a child needs more than you can offer, it helps you spot that and refer on.
We’d rather you knew this before you buy than after.
Worth comparing
Scattered, no sequence, and rarely written with UK safeguarding or SEND processes in mind.
Plus supply cover, travel, a fixed date, and notes you may never look at again.
Two or more years of study. The right route to becoming a therapist, and a big commitment.
10 chapters and 21 templates, yours to keep, reread and print whenever you need them.
See the bundlesThis isn’t a replacement for professional training. It’s the practical foundation most people are missing, whether or not they go on to train further.
Not sure yet?
The whole of Chapter 1, “Read Play as Communication”. If it doesn’t change how you look at your next session, don’t buy the rest.
Check your inbox in a minute or two. Can’t wait? Download Chapter 1 now.
Built on established practice
We make practical training for the adults who use play with children every day: in classrooms, nurture rooms, nurseries, and corridors with a beanbag in them.
Everything is written in plain English for UK settings, and checked against current UK guidance. Questions before you buy? Email hello@example.co.uk.
Choose your bundle
Instant download. One payment. Yours to keep.
The complete course, for reading and reflecting on your own.
Total today: £27
The course plus everything you need to use it in real sessions.
Total today: £47
For up to 10 staff in one school or setting.
Need an invoice? Email us
If the framework doesn’t make your sessions clearer, email us within 30 days of buying and we’ll refund you in full. No forms, no awkward questions.
That’s on top of your legal rights. You’re taking no risk at all.
FAQ
No. It’s practical training in the reasoning behind therapeutic play for people who already work with children. It isn’t accredited by BAPT or PTUK, and it doesn’t qualify anyone as a play therapist. If you want to become one, this is a useful foundation before you start that route.
No, and it doesn’t replace it. Many ELSAs use play in their sessions without much guidance on what to notice or how to respond. This course fills that gap and works alongside your ELSA training and supervision.
You can log it as self-directed CPD. The Practitioner Bundle includes a CPD record and a certificate of completion you fill in yourself. It isn’t accredited by a professional body, so check what your own body or employer requires.
Yes. The School Licence covers up to 10 staff in one setting. You can pay by card, or email us for an invoice or to send a purchase order.
Everything is a PDF. Read the chapters on your phone, tablet or computer, or print them. The templates are A4 and print well in black and white.
About two to three hours of reading, plus the reflection prompts. Most people read a chapter or two a week alongside their sessions and try one thing at a time.
No. It’s written for people working with children who have never been taught the theory. If you have had training, it gives you a framework to hang it all on.
Children aged roughly 3 to 11: early years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Many of the ideas carry over to older pupils, but the examples are written for that age range.
Yes. The principles are the same. Safeguarding guidance differs between the four nations, and the course references guidance for England, so always follow your own setting’s policy and local procedures.
You get an email straight away with your download links. You can download everything as often as you like.
Because it’s a written course with no venues, trainers’ days or fixed dates to pay for. The launch price runs until Monday 30 November. After that, prices go up to £47, £79 and £249.
Email us within 30 days of buying and we’ll refund you in full. That’s on top of your legal rights.
Ten chapters, 21 templates and the Phrase Bank, from £27. Instant download, 30-day guarantee.
Choose your bundle