One Toolkit for every play session, from first observation to the last goodbye
The thinking and the paperwork for purposeful play, organised on the page, so your attention stays on the child.
- What to notice, what to say and what to write, step by step
- A clear next step, even when a session takes an unexpected turn
- 21 ready-to-print templates, so evidence for your SENCo is done as you go
Written for ELSAs, TAs, SENCos, pastoral and early years staff.
Every page shown here is a real page from the Toolkit. Tap any page to read it.
Why this toolkit exists
It’s okay not to know what to say next.
If you’ve ever sat on a small chair in a cupboard with a box of toys, a child who isn’t saying much, and a SENCo waiting for “evidence”, you’re in good company. Most adults who run play sessions in schools and nurseries were shown the activities, but never the thinking underneath them.
So you improvise. You wonder whether to join in or hold back, whether that game means something, and what on earth to write down afterwards. That uncertainty isn’t a lack of care. It’s a lack of structure.
This toolkit gives you that structure: one five-step routine for every session, the words to use, and the sheets to record it, all in one place.
How it works
Open the part you need. The next step is on the page.
one colour per chapterFind your chapter.
Each of the ten chapters has its own colour and edge tab, so in a printed folder you can turn straight to it.
words for the childRead, then adapt.
The words to say to a child sit in quote boxes, and the guidance for you is in plain text. Use them closely or put them in your own words.
the record fills in as you goNote as you go.
Each template has room for what you saw, what you did and what happens next, so the child’s record comes together during the session.
At the heart of it · The SPACE framework
For the sessions where you’re not sure what you’re looking at.
Every child brings something different into the room. SPACE gives you one routine to hold it, before you decide what it means.
- See what actually happened, as a camera would, with no interpretation yet
- Pause on your own reaction: the urge to fix, stop, praise or label
- Ask for context: age and stage, recent changes, whether it repeats
- Choose to follow the child’s lead or guide, on purpose and for a reason
- Evidence: neutral notes a SENCo, parent or DSL can actually use
Each chapter includes worked examples from real-feeling UK classrooms and nurseries, walked through all five steps, plus reflection questions and key points.
For you and the children you work with
What it can give you
In the room
The next step, the right words and the limit script are already in front of you, so you can stay with the child.
Before and after the session
No need to rebuild your paperwork each time. Print the sheets you need and your notes are ready for the SENCo or review meeting.
For families and colleagues
A letter to parents and carers, a consent form and a one-page explainer for staff, so everyone understands what play sessions are for.
Everything you need, chapter by chapter
The Therapeutic Play Toolkit
The Therapeutic Play Toolkit
Rises to $47 on 1 December. This is a real price rise, not a countdown that resets.
- ToolkitThe Therapeutic Play Toolkit
97 pages: 10 colour-tabbed chapters on the SPACE framework with worked examples, plus 21 printable templates for observation, session notes, planning, limits, safeguarding and parents.
- Free bonus 1The SPACE Framework poster
One page to keep on the wall of your room or in the front of your folder.
- Free bonus 2101 Phrase Cards
Natural words for the moments that catch you out, in 12 colour-coded groups, ten cards per page with cut lines.
- Free bonus 3Limits & Feelings Cards
Eight ACT limit-setting script cards and six feelings-word cards by age band (EYFS, KS1, KS2).
The pages
See the pages before you decide.
Open any page and read it up close.
Read before you buy
Read Chapter 1 free. Judge it for yourself.
We’re new, so we won’t show you reviews we don’t have. Instead, read the whole first chapter, “Read Play as Communication”, and decide whether this is the way of thinking you’ve been missing.
We’ll email you occasionally about purposeful play. Unsubscribe any time.
Who it’s for
This toolkit is for you if…
- You run 1:1 or small-group play, nurture or ELSA-style sessions and want a structure you can trust while your confidence grows
- You’ve used play with children for years and would rather use ready, consistent paperwork than build your own
- You lead SEND, pastoral or early years practice and want one shared way of thinking and recording across your team
It’s written for adults already working with children in UK schools and early years settings. It is not a play therapy qualification, is not accredited by BAPT or PTUK, and is not ELSA training: it complements your training, supervision and your setting’s policies, and your professional judgement always comes first.
Dear colleague,
We put this toolkit together for the adults who do the quiet, important work: the corridor corner, the timetable slot, the child the class teacher is worried about. You were trusted with play long before anyone showed you the thinking behind it.
Our hope is simple: that it gives you one less thing to hold in your head, so more of your attention can go to the child in front of you. Take what helps, adapt what doesn’t, and trust your training and your judgement.
– The Purposeful Play team
FAQ
Questions you might have
I’ve done ELSA (or similar) training. Why would I need this too?
Your training teaches the approach. The toolkit is built for using it day to day: one routine for every session, the words to say, and the sheets to record it, all in one place. Keep your training notes for study. Keep the toolkit beside you in sessions.
Is it a qualification, or play therapy training?
No. It’s a practical resource for reflective practice. It doesn’t make anyone a play therapist, isn’t accredited by BAPT or PTUK and isn’t ELSA training. Your training, supervision and your setting’s policies always come first.
Is it a one-time payment?
Yes. You pay once and the files are yours to keep. There’s no subscription and nothing to renew.
What will I receive?
Four PDF files: the 97-page Therapeutic Play Toolkit, the SPACE Framework poster, the 101 Phrase Cards and the Limits & Feelings Cards, all in A4. You’ll receive the download links straight after purchase, by email.
Is it a printed book?
No, it’s a digital download. Print the pages at home or at school, or use them on a tablet.
Can I fill the templates in on screen?
They’re printable PDFs with ruled lines and boxes. You can print them, or write on them in any PDF annotation app. Use initials rather than names, and store completed records as your setting’s data protection policy says.
Can I share it with colleagues?
The licence is for your own professional use, and you can print the templates for the children you work with. If your team would like to use it, the Team Licence (below the offer) covers up to 10 staff in one school or setting and adds the Staff Briefing Pack.
What if it isn’t right for me?
You have 30 days. If the Toolkit doesn’t fit your practice, write to hello@example.co.uk within 30 days of purchase and you’ll receive a full refund.
Something else? Write to hello@example.co.uk
Whenever you’re ready, the next step will be on the page.
- The Therapeutic Play Toolkit: 10 colour-tabbed chapters built on the SPACE framework
- 21 printable templates: observation, session notes, planning, limits, safeguarding, parents
- Worked examples from UK classrooms and nurseries in every chapter
- Bonus: The SPACE Framework poster
- Bonus: 101 Phrase Cards
- Bonus: Limits & Feelings Cards
- Every file in A4, ready to print
Rises to $47 on 1 December. This is a real price rise, not a countdown that resets.
Also from Purposeful Play
Add-ons for your setting
The Parent & Carer Pack
Six conversation scripts for staff and six one-page handouts for families. Instant PDF download.
The Staff Briefing Pack
Run a 45-minute session on purposeful play at your next staff meeting or INSET day: facilitator guide, timings, talking points, a scenario discussion and a one-page staff handout. Digital download (PDF, A4).
Team Licence (up to 10 staff)
Share The Therapeutic Play Toolkit and its three bonuses with up to 10 staff in one school or setting, and get the Staff Briefing Pack to introduce it to your team. Digital download (PDF,...