Overview
Family time gives parents, family, and foster carers the opportunity to interact with the children in a controlled environment.
These pages aim to help the adults involved in family time to decide what activities to do.
The suggestions have been grouped into categories depending on the type of activity:
Theraplay games
These require very little equipment and can be used across ages. They can help a child to feel nurtured and regulated at an often-stressful interaction for parent and child.
Sensory play
This works well for very little ones, or younger unmet needs, and again can help with regulation.
Getting crafty
This can be fun and give the adult and child something to take home or put into a memory box.
Goodbye for now family time
Goodbyes can be an emotional roller coaster for everyone. Having some familiar games and activities to do that have been enjoyed through family time can be useful. Using a structured plan for the session can help the adults prepare and feel more in control of their emotions which will have a more regulating knock-on effect for the child.
DEALING WITH UPSET
This is unavoidable in family time. Having ‘rules of thumb’ can help, like:
- Everybody’s feelings are ok. We accept others feelings, not ignore or try and change them.
- We name feelings, e.g. “I wonder if you’re feeling…?” Feeling understood helps us calm.
- If feelings are too big/overwhelming, we help each other, e.g. adults may need ‘time out’ to get some fresh air, walk, eat something or get a cold drink to help calm. Children may need…
STOMPING PLACE
Make a mat or multiple mats that can be used to stomp on. You can colour them in and / or jump between them too. Coloured spots can also be bought on amazon and can be a good ‘move on’ activity after stomping – get people walking, marching, or dancing around the room the call out two colours for them to try and jump onto. Remove those colours and repeat – you can try things like ‘autumn colours’ or ‘seaside colours’ ‘colours that may you feel happy’ etc.
CALM CORNER
Have a pop-up sun tent with soft fabrics, cushions, cuddlies, bubble wrap and tactile/ fiddle toys in it. Add some feelings cards – e.g. Todd Parr ‘Feelings’ and books that can help calm like ‘Gorilla Thumps and Bear Hugs’ or make some calm ideas to try cards or visualisations that can be read like ‘Relax Kids’ Aladdin’s Magic Carpet. At the Cranworth Centre we have a calming Zen room.