Training for playworkers
Through a variety of teaching strategies, participants will learn to:
- develop teaching skills to promote toy making with children, supporting and reawakening people’s memories and skills of their own toy-making experiences during the first session;
- find out about different techniques and materials which can be used to make toys with children, by making simple, accessible traditional handmade toys (used as a joyful bridge to link different cultures and generations);
- relate these toys to a common framework (the storytelling);
- present the handmade toys in an unusual display case;
- discuss the Children's natural rights.
The outcome of the workshop allow participants to design their own project on a subject and lead some toy-making activities suitable for children.
The making process does not require any special manual skills and is supported by the use of simple technology (no electrical tools), transforming recyclable materials and everyday items easily found around the home into real toys already tested by children.
From the outset it is important to give the organiser and participants responsibilities for collecting useful and suitable materials for use in the activities. A week before the workshop, ask participants to bring to the venue a little plastic carrier bag with some corks, some metal lids from glass jars and 3 or 4 clean empty plastic bottles. The same carrier bag will be transformed into a toy!
To support the independent development of the learners, there are available copies of my "Toy-making Guide" booklet (produced by the Museum of Childhood, May 2007).