tickit Play Professionals October
Welcome to the monthly newsletter for tickit Play Professionals.
Every month, we share ideas, experiences and practical tips on a particular topic. This month, we’re exploring mindful play, and sharing simple ideas you can weave into everyday routines and play to encourage moments of calm, focus and emotional awareness.
In this month's newsletter
5 mindful play ideas to try this week
5 mindful play ideas to try this week
Mindful play doesn’t need special activities or extra planning. Everyday resources can help children pause and focus, and support creativity, sensory awareness and emotional development.
1. Add something tactile: Offer tactile resources for children to touch, hold, squeeze, sort or explore. Open-ended sensory play can provide a calming experience, without rules, pressure or a fixed outcome.
2. Explore colour creatively: Colourful materials give children the freedom to experiment with artistic concepts, combining creative learning with moments of calm and focus.
3. Build without an end goal: Blocks and mirrors can be used to create abstract sculptures, patterns and reflections. Take away the need to build something recognisable and let children simply explore, create and see where their ideas take them.
4. Play with light and reflection: Use lamps and light panels to explore reflections, shadows, and shape. Encourage children to observe what changes, merging learning with sensory awareness.
5. Create an emotion palette: Invite children to choose colours that represent different feelings, then use them to create their own visual mood picture. It’s a simple way to encourage self-expression, emotional literacy and mindful creativity.
Do you have a calm corner?
Do you have a calm corner?
A cosy calm corner can give children a quiet place to reset and take a moment when they need it, and it’s simple to create.
Choose a quiet spot and add a comfortable seat, cushions or blankets, picture books and a few sensory resources to explore. Try boxes of pebbles, shells and feathers, or fidget toys, swapping them regularly to keep the space fresh and inviting.
Show children how they can use the resources - touching and feeling different textures, looking closely at objects or simply sitting quietly. Encourage them to use the space when they need a little calm.
3 brain breaks to try
3 brain breaks to try
A few mindful moments woven into familiar routines can help children pause and refocus, without adding another activity to the day.
- Start the day calmly - try a simple breathing activity during circle time, or introduce a few minutes of gentle stretching and movement.
- Pause after lunch - make the most of a naturally quieter moment with a short, guided visualisation, or a few calming breaths.
- Listen to the world around you - during outdoor play, encourage children to stop for a moment and notice what they can hear. Birds, footsteps, leaves, voices, traffic. How many different sounds can they spot?
Community Voices
Community Voices
This month, Early Childhood Education Leader Emma Davis challenges the idea that mindful play means sitting quietly, and Primary School Teacher Rachel Comfort shares a classroom activity that opened up much bigger conversations about feelings.
Mindful play doesn’t have to mean sitting still
Mindful play can help nurture a sense of calm, connection and focus, supporting children’s holistic development and learning across the EYFS.
Importantly, it can look very different from one child to another. More active children may find calm through movement and exploring outdoors, while quieter children may be drawn to slower sensory experiences. Child-led mindful play can be adapted around individual interests, needs and temperaments.
Take a mindful look at your setting
Sometimes it’s not about adding another activity, but noticing what’s already happening. Observe how children are playing and interacting, and consider the environment around them.
Are children getting enough opportunity for uninterrupted play? Are there parts of the day with lots of stopping and starting? Is the environment calm or overstimulating - could noise, lighting or the amount of stimulation in a space be affecting how deeply children engage?
Small changes can help create more opportunity for children to become absorbed in their play.
2 mindful autumn activities
2 mindful autumn activities
Go on an autumn treasure hunt
Head outdoors and see what children notice and discover. Collect leaves, conkers and other natural treasures, taking time to look closely at colours, shapes and textures. It’s great for observation skills and for really being in the moment.
Make a simple bird feeder
Push sunflower seeds into an apple to create a simple feeder. It’s a peaceful activity that requires focus and can spark lovely conversations about birds, and caring for wildlife.
Visit Emma's Instagram page for more inspiring EYFS ideas.
What to hear more about mindful play? Read our mindfulness blogs here.
Thank you for reading and for being part of our tickit Play Professionals community 💞
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