Superhero Play: Empowering Every Hero in Your Setting

Are you struggling with superhero play in your early years setting? Uncertain about how to respond when children play with imaginary weapons? Concerned about balancing fantasy play with appropriate boundaries?

You’re not alone. Many early years professionals feel caught between allowing children to explore their interests and managing potentially challenging play themes. You strive to create inclusive, engaging environments where all children can thrive. But when capes come out and “bang-bang, you’re dead” echoes through your setting, many practitioners feel uncertain:

The reality: Superhero play is a natural part of childhood development. Research shows that when properly supported, it provides crucial opportunities for developing narrative skills, emotional regulation, and understanding moral concepts. Yet 97% of the predominantly female early years workforce may unconsciously discourage play styles that don’t align with their own preferences.

Superhero Play is a focused professional development course that equips you with practical, evidence-based strategies to embrace and channel this powerful play effectively. Through expert content delivered by early years consultant Tamsin Grimmer, you’ll gain:

• The surprising developmental benefits of superhero and weapon play
• Children’s comprehension of fantasy vs. reality from ages 0-7
• The crucial difference between aggressive play and real aggression

• Strategies for valuing all children’s interests without gender bias
• Techniques for channeling weapon play into positive learning experiences
• Frameworks for setting appropriate boundaries while supporting creativity

• Creating superhero-friendly learning environments
• Managing rough and tumble play safely and effectively
• Developing consistent policies that staff and parents can support

• Age-appropriate language for discussing sensitive topics like death
• Effective approaches for addressing parent concerns
• Strategies for achieving staff consensus on controversial play themes

Meet Your Course Instructor: Tamsin Grimmer

Tamsin Grimmer is a respected early years consultant, author and trainer specialising in children’s emotional wellbeing and play-based learning. Her approach combines evidence-based practice with practical strategies you can implement immediately.

As a lecturer at the world-renowned Norland College and Education Director of Linden Learning, Tamsin combines academic expertise with hands-on experience to deliver practical, actionable strategies for early years professionals.

Tamsin’s professional background includes

This comprehensive course (55 minutes of video plus activities) is structured to transform your approach to superhero play:

• Beyond the concerns – uncover the surprising developmental benefits hiding behind superhero play
• The inclusion imperative – how superhero play supports belonging and engages even the shyest children
• Professional challenges – address the most common obstacles to embracing superhero play in your setting

• Developmental timeline – pinpoint exactly when children develop understanding of fantasy versus reality
• The cognitive breakthrough – learn why a 5-year-old knows they can’t really fly but a 20-month-old might not
• Emotional dimensions – discover why children distinguish reality from fantasy differently for scary versus happy concepts

• The weapon dilemma solved – transform your approach to weapon play with evidence-based strategies
• Death concepts decoded – understand the five components of “deadness” and when children comprehend each
• Safety frameworks – practical approaches to setting boundaries while honoring creative expression

• Physical play benefits – why rough and tumble play builds social-emotional skills and self-regulation
• The play fighting detector – 7 evidence-based indicators to distinguish play from real aggression
• Gender considerations – why the predominantly female workforce must consciously support physical play styles

• Character development – using superhero narratives to foster resilience, empathy and inner strength
• Real-life heroes – strategies for expanding “hero” concepts beyond capes to community helpers
• The cheerleader mindset – become the adult who supports rather than limits children’s play exploration

• Environment design – create spaces that support superhero play while maintaining safety
• Provocations and invitations – set up enticing opportunities that channel superhero themes positively
• Resource recommendations – discover the most effective props and materials to support superhero play

• Policy development – create a consistent approach to superhero play across your setting
• Stakeholder engagement – effective strategies for bringing parents and team members on board
• Practical management – day-to-day techniques for supporting play while maintaining boundaries

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.

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

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 has a “no guns” policy. Is this course still relevant?
A: Absolutely! The course addresses the evidence around weapon play and provides frameworks for developing thoughtful policies. You’ll learn how to honor children’s play interests while setting appropriate boundaries, whatever your setting’s approach.

Q: I have limited experience with superhero play. Is this course suitable for me?
A: Absolutely! The course is designed for practitioners at all experience levels, providing fundamental understanding and practical strategies you can implement immediately.

Q: I’ve supported superhero play before. Will I learn anything new?
A: Yes! The course combines current research with practical applications, offering fresh perspectives on children’s play and development, even for experienced practitioners.

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

Q: What technology do I need to access the course?
A: Any device with internet access and audio capability will work—computer, tablet, or smartphone.

Q: Why is the course priced at £40?
A: We’ve purposely kept the price accessible to ensure all early years professionals can benefit from this specialist training, while maintaining high-quality content from an expert instructor.

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 55 minutes of video instruction plus time allocated for the reflection and implementation activities.

Q: Is there any support available if I have questions?
A: Yes, as with all our products you can contact us at any time via email or our chat feature and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can – usually within 24 hours and often much faster.

Q: Can I share the course materials with my colleagues?
A: Your course access is for individual use only. However, we offer group discounts if you’d like to enroll multiple team members. Just contact us via email or the website chat feature.

If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us using the chat feature or email and we’ll get back to you straight away.

Equip yourself with the essential skills to support children’s superhero play with confidence and purpose. This focused professional development opportunity represents more than just training—it’s an investment in creating an inclusive environment where all children’s interests are valued and supported.

For just £40, you’ll gain:

• Expert-led video instruction from Tamsin Grimmer
• Practical, immediately applicable strategies for superhero play
• Clear frameworks for setting appropriate boundaries
• Age-appropriate support techniques for weapon play
• Professional certification for your portfolio

Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your professional toolkit with essential skills that transform challenging play scenarios into valuable learning opportunities.