Playgroup help!

[fluffynotebook]

Hey everyone,
Apologies if this is the wrong place to post but I have the very exciting opportunity to set up a playgroup for vulnerable families to help with my play therapy training.
It's been a while since I've visited a play group with my own DC and wondered if anyone could help with any pointers about what works and what doesn't? Any advice appreciated! Thank you

Cool idea op. Good luck

Cup of teas/coffees allowed in flasks
Parking is vital
Bubbles are super popular and light sensory play

Similar set up each week but with different toys/games it some things stay the same like a welcome song and goodbye song

Theme weeks

Quiet den in the corner

Chairs for the parents not all can be comfortable sitting on the floor

Parachute is a crowd favourite

Free play at some point

Encourage the parents to chat with eachother not just with their children

A policy around if a child is hit by another child

No phones or headphones. I'm amazed that it needs to be said...

This sounds more like a structured event like baby sensory or similar. Playgroups are normally letting kids play and parents chat aren’t they?

Definitely no bubbles - slippery! As a hall hirer it would be a no to them too.

You need a song time with action songs, it's the favourite here otherwise free play with different zones eg crafts, wheeled toys, pretend play, a snack corner with squash and kids snacks and hot drinks for adults (we have mugs, it's fine as long as they sit down with them). I have 30 families per session at mine

Don't understand the no phones/headphones and hitting policy comments.

If you mean a playgroup like any church/community playgroup then:

a hall,
lots of toys ranging from baby stage to toddler,
a separate area for mums with young babies to sit in comfort away from boisterous toddlers (soft mats on the floor and baby toys here),
teas/coffees/water/diluting juice and biscuits,
start the group with a song and then leave everyone to it,
Mingle and chat with parents then end the session by playing a clean up song

Good playgroups I've been to also have regular visits from a local health visitor/nurse and someone from child smile team to signpost parents to anything they need. Child smile hand out toothbrushes, toothpaste and sippy cups every few months.

This is a lovely idea. I've been to a lot of baby groups and some things we've appreciated (my DD is 7 months) :
Soft floor (you know, the foam tiles, because tumbles are inevitable)
Parachute with glowing balls etc toys underneath
Foil blanket to whip out during arts and crafts time, the older kids could colour and the younger ones could still get involved! I thought it was a thoughtful idea
Bubble machine, used by the adult so liquid doesn't get everywhere
Puppets - good for older and younger kids
A quiet corner for breastfeeding/ overstimulated kids
Buggy parking area
Scarfs for peepo
Nappy changing area/bins
We like it when there is a mix of structured and free play, so maybe a welcome and good bye song.
Blue tooth speaker would be really helpful
Large books for group story time (so everyone can see the pages)

Some suggestions that might help for younger babies :)

@sassasku
Sorry missed the part where you put some ideas forward?

I was just making some suggestions for a play group.

Definitely an area specifically for non-mobile or just crawling babies - nice soft mats, baby toys, maybe a baby bouncer.

Nice to have a little bit of a sing-song towards the end with all of the favourite nursery rhymes and songs.

Proper baby changing facilities

I help run a drop in style church play group. We are not specifically for vulnerable families, but we do attract a lot.

If you are setting up a group specifically for vulnerable families, have a good think about how to make your group accessible to them. What are the barriers that will stop them walking through the door? Is your venue somewhere they can get to easily (walking or public transport) or is it hard unless you can drive? When they arrive, is it obvious where they should go and what they should do? If they are late, will they still be welcome?

I'm of the opinion that the welcome people get when they walk through the door is one of the biggest factors in running a successful group of this nature. It's a scary thing to walk into a new group where you may not know anyone and are unsure about what to do. So make sure you have someone on the door, greeting people with a smile and a welcome, showing them where they can park their buggy and where to sign in. Make it easy for people!

For a group for vulnerable families to be successful, I think you also need to be mindful of not accidentally creating a "them and us" attitude (- an attitude that you're doing something for them rather than something with them). This is quite a subtle thing, but people respond best when they're not made to feel like charity cases. So talk to people, get to know them and what's going on in their lives. Try to leave your prejudices aside when you internally wince at some things. Don't foster an atmosphere where people feel judged if their child won't sit nicely for the singing or whatever. Making the group free is not necessarily a great idea either, however much you might just want to help people. A small nominal charge per family can help people feel like they have some investment and ownership in the group.

I won't give lots of ideas about set up and activities, because lots of others will do that, but I will say that by far and away our most popular activities are the play dough table and the sand tray!

All the best Fluffynotebook - it sounds like a very exciting opportunity!

Bubbles are great but massively depending on flooring. Our library group tried this and after a few minutes the lino type floor was like an ice rink and everyone was trying to clean it up. Nothing was spilled just from the bubbles bursting.

Visit playgroups in your area to see what works best for your area. You need to have a very loud and commanding voice to lead song sessions at some groups near us as the parents / children don't pay attention and the leaders are like church mice so don't command the room.

Top tip, make sure the toys actually work and CLEAN them. Got fed up of attend groups where batteries always need replacing toys were broken, glues and pens had dried up etc.

I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to be critical. I was just saying that there is usually a bit of a difference between the sort of stay and plays designed for mums to chat and organised events. I tended to favour the latter but they aren’t as good for making friends or getting support.

Hey everyone,
Thanks for all your replies (and apologies for lack of response from me!). This is all really helpful and lots to think about! X