Playing and Nurturing: Building Emotional Resilience Through Love and Play

Are you witnessing the alarming rise in children’s mental health challenges? Struggling to support children who seem overwhelmed, withdrawn, or unable to regulate their emotions? Feeling uncertain about how to create truly nurturing environments that help children thrive?

You’re facing one of the most critical challenges in early childhood education today. With 1 in 6 children experiencing mental health problems and 50% of all mental health issues beginning by age 14, the need for nurturing, play-based approaches has never been more urgent.

Playing and Nurturing is a comprehensive professional development course that equips you with the essential knowledge and practical strategies to create emotionally supportive environments where children flourish. Through expert guidance from renowned early years consultant Tamsin Grimmer, you’ll discover how the powerful combination of intentional play and nurturing approaches can transform children’s emotional wellbeing and learning outcomes.

Evidence-Based Strategies for Child Wellbeing

• The 6 principles of nurture that create secure, emotionally safe environments
• How to recognise and respond to children’s communication through behaviour
• Practical techniques for supporting children through transitions and emotional challenges
• Understanding developmental trauma and adverse childhood experiences

Creating Attachment-Aware Practice

• Building secure relationships that act as a foundation for learning
• Implementing the key person approach to support emotional security
• Strategies for co-regulation and helping children develop self-regulation skills
• Professional boundaries within loving, nurturing relationships

Transforming Play into Powerful Learning

• Why play thrives when children feel emotionally secure and valued
• How to become a skilled co-player who extends and enriches children’s play
• Environmental design that invites exploration and emotional expression
• Supporting different types of play including loose parts and superhero play

Whole-Setting Approaches to Mental Health

• Creating policies and practices that prioritise emotional wellbeing
• Working with families to support children’s emotional development
• Building staff confidence in recognising and responding to emotional needs
• Measuring and monitoring children’s wellbeing effectively

Course Format:

• 60 minutes of expert video instruction
• Certificate for 90 minutes of professional development (including reflection activities)
• Lifetime access to all course materials
• Downloadable resources and practical tools
• Mobile-friendly format for learning on any device

Meet Your Course Instructor: Tamsin Grimmer

Tamsin Grimmer is a highly respected early years consultant, author and trainer specialising in children’s emotional wellbeing and play-based learning. As Principal Lecturer at the world-renowned Norland College and Education Director of Linden Learning, Tamsin combines cutting-edge research with practical, implementable strategies.

Her research-based yet deeply practical approach makes complex concepts accessible and immediately applicable in any early years setting.

Course Overview: What You’ll Discover

This transformative course (60 minutes of video plus reflection activities) will revolutionise your approach to supporting children’s emotional development:

Module 1: Introduction

• Welcome to evidence-based nurturing practice that transforms children’s lives
• Why the early years are critical for establishing emotional foundations
• How play and nurture work together to create optimal learning conditions

Module 2: Context for Playing and Nurturing

• The shocking statistics: understanding the current crisis in children’s mental health
• Identifying factors that impact emotional development and wellbeing
• Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and why basic emotional needs must be met first
• Your crucial role in creating emotionally supportive environments
• Using wellbeing scales to measure and monitor children’s emotional health

Module 3: Defining Playing and Nurturing

• What nurture really means: moving beyond care to intentional emotional support
• Understanding play through children’s eyes: spontaneous, intrinsically motivated learning
• The compelling benefits of play for physical, cognitive, social and emotional development
• Why play and nurture are inseparable in quality early childhood practice

Module 4: Principles of Nurture

• The groundbreaking work of Marjorie Boxall and the foundation of nurture groups
• How nurturing approaches build resilience and raise self-esteem
• The 6 core principles that underpin all effective nurturing practice
• Transforming your setting into a place of emotional safety and growth

Module 5: Principle 1 – Children’s Learning is Understood Developmentally

• Why developmentally appropriate practice is crucial for emotional wellbeing
• Age-appropriate expectations that support rather than pressure children
• Practical calming techniques: breathing exercises, sensory experiences, mindfulness
• Creating safe spaces and teaching emotional literacy
• The importance of active play and movement for positive wellbeing

Module 6: Principle 2 – The Setting Offers a Safe Base

• Understanding attachment theory and its application in group care settings
• Creating secure base behaviours: proximity maintenance, safe haven responses
• Building secondary attachments that support children’s emotional security
• Recognising separation distress and supporting children through transitions

Module 7: Principle 3 – The Importance of Nurture for Wellbeing

• Creating emotionally responsive environments that validate all feelings
• Using emotion coaching techniques to support children’s emotional development
• The key person system and building authentic relationships
• Practitioner self-care: you cannot pour from an empty cup

Module 8: Principle 4 – Language as Vital Communication

• Understanding that communication goes far beyond words
• Listening to children through observation of behaviour, body language, and play choices
• Supporting children who find verbal communication challenging
• How children’s behaviour is always communicating something important

Module 9: Principle 5 – All Behaviour is Communication

• Becoming a ‘behaviour detective’ to understand underlying needs
• Key questions for understanding what children are trying to tell us
• Distinguishing between attention-seeking and genuine attachment needs
• Supporting children who have experienced trauma or adverse experiences

Module 10: Principle 6 – The Importance of Transitions

• Why transitions can be traumatic for young children
• Supporting horizontal transitions (within the day) and vertical transitions (between settings)
• Practical strategies: visual timetables, objects of reference, transition stories
• Understanding that small events can feel huge to children

Module 11: Playing and Nurturing in Practice

• How play thrives when children feel emotionally secure
• Your role as co-player, enabler, and gateway opener to learning
• Creating environments that invite exploration and sustained engagement
• Supporting different play types: loose parts, mud kitchens, superhero play
• The hundred languages of children and how play expresses them all

Module 12: In Conclusion

• Becoming a detective of children’s play communications
• The fundamental right of children to play and be nurtured
• Reflective questions to transform your practice
• Using the Love and Nurture Rating Scale for professional development
• Your ongoing journey in nurturing children’s emotional wellbeing

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How long do I have access to the course materials?
A: You have unlimited lifetime access to all course content, allowing you to revisit the materials whenever needed and share with colleagues over time.

Q: Can I pause and resume the course as needed?
A: Absolutely! The course is designed for busy early years professionals. You can pause, rewind, and revisit sections as often as you like to fit your schedule.

Q: Do I need any special materials or equipment?
A: Just a notebook and pen for the reflection activities. The course is accessible on any device with internet access.

Q: Our setting already has a nurturing approach. Will I learn anything new?
A: Yes! This course provides the latest research and evidence-based strategies. Even experienced practitioners discover new techniques and gain deeper understanding of why certain approaches work.

Q: I work with children who have experienced trauma. Is this course suitable?
A: Absolutely! The course specifically addresses supporting children with adverse childhood experiences and provides trauma-informed approaches to nurturing practice.

Q: How quickly can I implement what I learn?
A: The strategies taught can be implemented immediately in your setting. Each module includes practical examples and clear guidance for immediate application.

Q: Will this help with Ofsted requirements around personal, social and emotional development?
A: Yes! The course directly supports EYFS requirements for PSED and provides evidence-based approaches that demonstrate high-quality practice to inspectors.

Q: Can I share this course with my team?
A: Your course access is for individual use only. However, we offer group discounts if you’d like to enroll multiple team members. Contact us for details.

Q: I’m new to early years work. Is this course too advanced?
A: Not at all! The course is designed for practitioners at all experience levels, providing fundamental understanding alongside advanced strategies.

Q: Will I receive a certificate upon completion?
A: Yes, you’ll receive a certificate for 90 minutes of professional development upon course completion. This includes the 60 minutes of video instruction plus time allocated for reflection and implementation activities.

Transform Your Practice Today

Invest in the most crucial skill for early years professionals: creating emotionally nurturing environments where every child can thrive. This isn’t just professional development—it’s an opportunity to make a profound difference in children’s lives when they need it most.

• Just £48
• 60 minutes of expert video instruction
• Certificate for 90 minutes of professional development
• Lifetime access to all materials
• Immediate implementation strategies
• Evidence-based approaches that transform practice

Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your professional toolkit with essential skills that create lasting positive impact on children’s emotional wellbeing and learning outcomes.

In a world where children’s mental health is increasingly fragile, your role in providing loving, nurturing environments has never been more vital. Equip yourself with the knowledge and confidence to make that difference.