Play and Creativity Studies Certificate

Learner Profile: This programme is aimed at learners who:

• Have a particular interest in the power of play and the expressive arts in promoting holistic development throughout the lifespan.
• Wish to attain a recognized qualification and embark on, or enhance, a professional career in working with children in a range of settings.
• Wish to acquire the knowledge, skill and competence relevant to working with individuals, including those with special needs, while emphasizing the importance of creative studies from both a theoretical and practical perspective
• Wish to further their own knowledge and understanding of what play is and how it supports children’s holistic development and the influences of the environment on this development. Learners will also have a strong interest in learning about developmentally appropriate creative interventions and developing skills in formulating, organising, and managing play and creative arts programmes in the early learning environment and in settings which aid the holistic development of clients with special needs.
• Wish to acquire the knowledge, skill and competence relevant to working with individuals with special educational needs while emphasizing the importance of creative studies from both a theoretical and practical perspective.
• Would like to upskill to enhance employment prospects and/or job satisfaction and promotion opportunities

Entry Criteria

To access this programme learners should have reached the standards of knowledge, skills and competence associated with the level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications. This may have been achieved through a formal qualification or through relevant life and work experiences. Ideally, learners will have some experience of working with children and/or individuals with special needs. This award will also be of interest to care staff, teachers, therapists, social workers, and others whose professional life brings them into regular contact with at-risk children and children in crisis.

Programme Objectives

It is the aim of this programme to:

• Enable participants to learn how play and the creative arts support holistic development and how the environment impacts on this development.
• Enable participants to develop skills in formulating, organising, and managing play and creative arts programmes in the early learning environment.
• Equip participants to observe, assess, and intervene using creative arts activities to promote the development of clients with special needs.
• Equip participants with skills to plan and deliver developmentally appropriate play and creative interventions
• Enable learners to focus on meeting their clients specific needs in the context of holistic development using play and creativity
• Build participants skills in developing, promoting and contributing to positive relationships and work in partnership with relevant family members
• Develop each learners capacity for reflective practice

Content

• Unit 1 – Theoretical and Conceptual Perspectives (Child Development & Creative Arts)
• Unit 2 – Observation
• Unit 3 – Types of play and classification
• Unit 4 – Routines
• Unit 5 – Support children and young people’s play and creativity
• Unit 6 – Creative Interventions (e.g treasure baskets, heuristic play, pretend play, construction play, art & crafts
• Unit 7 – Planning and Implementing interventions
• Unit 8 – Formulating, Organising and Managing Play and Creative Arts Programmes (e.g sensory, messy, sand, water, interactive, art, clay, interactive play)
• Unit 9 – Develop, Promote and Contribute to Positive Relationships
• Unit 10 – Professional Practice