Welcome to the Common Threads Events Section!

We would like to be able to offer you a whole series of events - seminars, conferences, workshops - all designed to inspire, inform and challenge our thinking and practice when working in children's play. Below are some examples which could soon be available in your area! To be kept informed of all our events please register your details here.

Playing with Type

Bob Hughes, author of 'The Taxonomy of Play' and Philip Waters, author of 'Playclips 1' provide insight, theory and practice on all aspects of play types. Invaluable underpinning knowledge for all those using play types in their work with children and those that are studying and supporting playwork. 

Bob Hughes - author of 'Taxonomy of Play'
Prior to 1996 it is doubtful whether many of those in playwork, early years or childcare had even heard of playtypes, let alone thought much about them. Yet, ten years later, they have become an integral part of playwork's 'Industry Standard' and, as a consequence, something that new playworkers have to know about and all other playworkers need to be familiar with and be able to use as a tool to explore and assess their practice. But, what on earth are playtypes? What are they for? Where have they come from and why have they struck such a chord within playwork and other child-related professions?

Perhaps, even more importantly; why should anyone, playworkers or others who work with children, care about this theoretical tool? The question that arises is; what is the point of expending time and energy making something that every child does anyway, appear so deep and complicated?

In this seminar Bob attempts to address these questions and others, to provide some thought-provoking theorizing about the evolution of playtypes and their importance to human survival and sanity.

The seminar begins by looking at developments behind the creation of the original Taxonomy of PlayTypes in 1996 and the 2nd edition of the Taxonomy which controversially included Recapitulative Play. We will then explore the nature and significance of each of the 16 playtypes included in the Taxonomy. The second part of the seminar examines the Biological Significance of PlayTypes, looking at their evolution and at their effect upon brain and muscle development.

The seminar concludes with Bob's most recent thinking on playtypes, where he briefly explore the ideas of spectra, amalgamated and complex playtypes and playtypes as mutations and isotopes. 

Philip Waters - author of 'Play Clips 1'
To complement Bob Hughes' workshop, Philip uses video footage and personal and collective anecdotes about children's play to explore what is meant by a play type. This workshop looks at the reality and practical implications for using a play typology when providing for children's play, and the complications and difficulties that may arise when viewing play through a 'play type lens'.

Playing the Piper

Chris Bennett, author of 'The Story Pack', and Nick Crump, inventor of the 'boghorn'(!) give loads of practical ideas for developing story-telling and music with children. Great fun and loads of ideas for developing story-telling and music with children! 

Chris Bennett - author of 'The Story Pack'
Stories are meant for telling - not just out of a book, but with characters, with feelings, with finger puppets, with noises, with discussion, with props, with weird names, with pictures - and of course, with talking pants! Chris explores the use of stories in play settings and finding ways to create new stories using very simple starting points. An interactive and hugely creative workshop for everybody!

Nick Crump - inventor of the 'boghorn'!
Nick gives an overview of the various musical instrument families, the main principles and components of any musical instrument and then relates this to how to make every day objects musical (you will be surprised what Nick can get music out of!). Nick demonstrates on instruments that have been 'made earlier' and everyone can make a least one instrument to take home. Musical theory and practice inspiration for anybody who is fed-up with the usual music equipment!

Pirates, Pixies and Play

Chris Bennett, author of 'The Story Pack' (see above) and Emma Isles-Buck, author of 'A Pocketful of Games', lead workshops on fast-paced and inspirational ideas for story telling and co-operative games; come prepared to play.  

Emma Isles-Buck - author of 'A Pocketful of Games'
Are you fed-up with 'duck duck goose'? Emma leads an action-packed session of co-operative games - ideal for anyone who wants new ideas for games for children to play or even trainers who need fresh ideas for games to play during training sessions. Emma includes a wide range of games from noisy to quiet, team games and group games and even running around to lying down! Emma will also include (by way of a breather every now and again!) some theory and discussion, including adapting games to suit all abilities and how to structure a games session.

Like the idea?

If you would like us to run events in your neck of the woods, please contact us - we are always on the look-out for new venues and very much enjoy working in partnership with local organisations. Or maybe you have ideas about the sort of events we should be doing - please tell us and we'll see what we can do! Our contact details can be found here.