Soma Play Children’s Program
Soma Play is a somatic group-work program that supports children to be healthy, resilient and connected. Integrating creativity, play, movement, and mindfulness, Soma Play is a gentle, engaging introduction to somatic wellbeing skills.
We are grateful for the children and staff of Stonnington Youth Services, Cubbies Fitzroy, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, FAPMi Eastern Health and FAPMi Peninsula Health, who informed the design of Soma Play through their engagement in previous and current Collective Being children’s programs.
About this program:
Many children in our community face significant stress and trauma, leading to mental health challenges, and reduced social and emotional wellbeing. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, nearly one in seven children aged 4-17 years were diagnosed with a mental disorder in 2020. We also know that children from low socioeconomic backgrounds are at a heightened risk of enduring mental and physical health conditions (AIHW, 2020).
Designed for children aged 5-12 years, Soma Play is a fun, engaging, and gentle introduction to body-based mindfulness. Covering themes like resourcing and safety, understanding boundaries, balancing and regulating, and nature-based mindfulness, this program embodies a comprehensive approach to supporting children's mental health and wellbeing.
Acknowledging the prevalence of early childhood trauma and mental health challenges, Soma Play is informed by trauma-sensitive mindfulness approaches, such as those outlined by Treleaven (2018) and child-focused trauma-informed care models.
Why body-based mindfulness?
The effectiveness of mindfulness and movement-based practices in supporting children’s mental health is well-documented. Research shows that mindfulness practices can reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression, and improve emotional regulation (Zenner et al., 2014). Mindfulness practices can also significantly improve children's mental health by reducing attention problems, internalising problems, and enhancing emotional regulation and social skills (Crescentini et al., 2016; Kallapiran et al., 2015; Joyce et al., 2010).
Movement-based therapies have been proven to be effective in trauma recovery, by promoting body awareness and self-regulation (van der Kolk, 2014). Soma Play incorporates these evidence-based practices to create a non-competitive, welcoming and warm group learning experience.
At Collective Being, we believe that wellbeing is a human right. As a trauma-sensitive and mental health aware intervention, Soma Play is a vital component of a healthy and supportive wellbeing environment for children.
“Mindfulness helps children develop the skills to focus their attention, manage their emotions, and be more self-aware. It allows them to be present in the moment and make better decisions, leading to improved mental health and overall well-being”
— – Dr. Dan Siegel, The Whole-Brain Child.
We specialise in small group programs with a maximum capacity of 12 participants. Programs typically run in blocks of 8-12 weeks with the opportunity to extend long-term or ongoing, should it be site appropriate. Sessions are 60 minutes in duration, broken into core segments of connection, movement, mindfulness, play and rest.
Soma Play is co-facilitated with partner organisation staff, who according to child safety legislation, must be in the room with Collective Being facilitators during sessions. This is to ensure that there are always multiple adults in the room with children under the age of 18 years. In the instance that partner organisation staff are not able to be in the room, Soma Play can be co-facilitated by two Collective Being facilitators.
Each week we cover a different theme:
Week 1 : arriving together
Week 2 : resourcing and safety
Week 3 : understanding boundaries and personal space
Week 4 : playing together
Week 5 : curiosity and nature-base mindfulness
Week 6 : balancing and regulating
Week 7 : settling and soothing
Week 8 : acknowledging your efforts
Program Model
What children say about Soma Play
Get In Touch
Interested in learning more about our Soma Play Program?
To learn more about offering this program to your clients or community, get in touch with Alexia, our Programs Coordinator (alexia@collectivebeing.org) or contact us below.
