What is Playminded Pause?

Playminded Pause puts play at the centre of everything we do.

Children naturally explore and make sense of their world and their experiences through play. It gives them opportunities to use their imaginations, express themselves, be curious, try new things and learn about themselves and others.

With play, connection and relationships at its heart, Playminded Pause brings together yoga, movement, mindfulness, storytelling, fun games and creativity to create playful and imaginative experiences for children and the grown-ups around them.

Every Playminded Pause is a little different.

We might go on a yoga adventure, stretch and balance our way through a story, explore different ways of moving, take on a playful challenge, play a game, make and create, explore our breathing, or take a moment to notice what’s happening in our minds and bodies or enjoy guided imagery and relaxation.

And while Pause might sound like being still or quiet, for us it can be so much more. Sometimes our Pause is full of movement, play and laughter; sometimes it’s a quieter moment.

There’s no perfect pose and no one way to Pause. It’s a space for children and the grown-ups around them to enjoy new experiences, be curious and, most importantly, have fun together.

Little pauses, lots of fun.

‍ What our Pause sessions look like? ‍

Playminded Pause can take different forms depending on who is taking part and where we are Pausing. Sessions can be adapted to the children, grown-ups and setting, while keeping play, curiosity and fun at their heart.

Schools & Nurseries

Playminded Pause can be brought into schools and nurseries through regular sessions, after-school clubs, short programmes or one-off workshops.

Sessions bring together yoga and movement with storytelling, games, imagination, creativity, breathing, guided imagery and relaxation. They can be adapted for different ages and groups, with plenty of room for children to explore, join in and discover their own ways to Pause.

For programmes running over several weeks, children can also create their own Pause Pot - gradually filling it with ideas, activities and things they have made or discovered during their sessions, giving them something of their Pause to take with them beyond the class.

Family Pause

A Pause for me. A Pause for you. A Pause together.

Family Pause is for children and their grown-ups to experience Playminded Pause side by side. Grown-ups get to join the play too, with opportunities to move, imagine, create, explore and have fun together.

There’s also room for My Pause, Your Pause and Our Pause - recognising that everyone can enjoy their Pause in their own way, alongside moments shared together.

Some Family Pauses can also include Pause & Pour, where children continue with their play and creative choices while grown-ups enjoy a drink and conversation, before everyone comes back together.

My Pause • Your Pause • Our Pause.

Behind Playminded Pause

Hi, I’m Laura, the person behind Playminded Pause.

Playminded Pause brings together two really important parts of my life - my work with children and my experience of being a mum.

For many years, my work as a Play Therapist has shown me the importance of play, relationships and connection in children’s lives. Becoming a mum brought another, very personal, perspective to this.

My daughter loves to move, especially after a day at nursery, and with my own love of yoga, we naturally began finding little ways to move, play and Pause together. Sometimes energetic and playful, sometimes quieter and slower, these moments became a lovely way for us to connect, reset and simply enjoy being together.

Training as a Children’s Yoga Teacher felt like a natural next step - a way to bring together my love of yoga and movement with my professional experience of play, creativity, children and relationships.

And from there, Playminded Pause was born - inspired by something my daughter and I genuinely enjoy, and created so that I can share those experiences with other children and the grown-ups around them.

My wider professional background includes working as a accredited Play Therapist, SandStory Therapist and Circle of Security Attachment Facilitator, all of which continue to shape the values behind Playminded Pause.

At Playminded Pause we Move together. Play together. Pause together. Connect together.