PLAY AND GROW
Play and Grow helps young children recover from trauma through therapeutic play. The project trains educators and creates a multilingual toolkit of activities that foster emotional healing, resilience, and wellbeing in early childhood education.
From January 2025 to March 2026 — 15 months
PROJECT INFORMATION
Project Summary
Play and Grow supports children aged 2–6 who have experienced trauma through structured therapeutic play.
The project empowers educators with trauma-informed training and creates a multilingual toolkit of 20 play-based activities to help young children process emotions, build resilience, and improve social skills in a safe, nurturing environment.
Main Objectives
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Strengthen emotional resilience in young children through therapeutic play.
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Train educators and caregivers in trauma-sensitive practices.
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Develop a multilingual open-access toolkit for educators across Europe.
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Promote inclusion, empathy, and wellbeing in early childhood education.
Partners
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Child’s Play Early Education Company Ltd. (Coordinator – Ireland)
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Escola Sant Josep (Spain)
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Sunay-Gönül-Türkan-Saadet Saygan Kardeşler 5 Anaokulu (Türkiye)
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Şehit Teğmen Ayfer Gök Anaokulu (Türkiye)
Activities
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International Training Workshop in Spain (for 20 educators and caregivers) on trauma-sensitive play and emotional regulation.
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Development of the Play-Based Therapeutic Toolkit with 20 structured, culturally adaptable activities.
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School-based therapeutic play programs benefiting over 300 children in partner schools.
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Dissemination campaign including seminars for teachers, newsletters, and online sharing through Erasmus+ platforms.
Results
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Multilingual Therapeutic Play Toolkit (English, Spanish, Turkish).
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20 educators trained directly; 100 more reached through local seminars.
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Over 300 children supported through structured play sessions.
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Increased awareness of trauma-sensitive care in early childhood education.
Impact
Play and Grow creates healing spaces for children and equips teachers with practical strategies to foster resilience and emotional wellbeing.
By uniting schools from Ireland, Spain, and Türkiye, it builds a European network of educators committed to empathy, inclusion, and trauma-informed care.
Final Products
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Therapeutic Play Toolkit (Open Educational Resource)
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Training Modules for Educators
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Seminar Reports and Dissemination Materials
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Online Platform with Resources and Activities
