Trauma-Informed Play Systems for Ukraine

A Unique Issue
• The invasion of Ukraine is unlike any other conflict
seen in modern times. As a highly industrialized
European nation, the attempted annexation has not
been seen since WWII.
• However, unlike WWII, women and children could
temporarily move out conflict zones while men
stayed to fight.
• The result is millions children trying to adapt to a
new environment, language, and culture on a
temporary basis, making forming new bonds and
relationship extremely difficult.
• They will also need support as hey return to their
devastated homeland

Trauma’s Impact
Responses to trauma can include
• persistent fatigue,
• sleep disorders,
• nightmares,
• fear of recurrence,
• anxiety focused on flashbacks,
• depression,
• and avoidance of emotions,
sensations, or activities that are
associated with the trauma, even
remotely.

Scaling the Program to
Meet the Need
• Play Group Therapy works to lower
trauma.
• But there are not enough
therapists.
• Triage by play facilitators can
identify those most in need so that
they can receive personal therapy.
Ukrainian Refugees in Spain

Play Facilitators
• Quickly selecting and
training play facilitators
is the biggest challenge.
• Fortunately, NO
teaching is required.
Rather they need learn
to support children’s
play narrative with
materials as needed.
• Their other main task is
to identify children who
need personal therapy.

Collaborations with…
• International Play Association
for support for programs for
refugee children.
• Voices for Children as they
arrange centers for conducting
group sessions with children
evacuated from the active
warzone. (pending)
• Rotary Clubs in USA for funding
and in Ukraine and neighboring
countries for logistics.

Why Trauma
Informed Play?
• Highest use of language of any venue
• Supports intense engagement
• No need for instruction

Play Systems
Pop Up Play for Refugees spearheads funding,
coordinates with producers, and provides
program content.
Regional shelters or schools select the systems
that best fit their children and program.
Voices for Children or regional Rotary Clubs
order the systems and arrange for their delivery.

• Since 2007 Marcus Veerman, CEO and
Founder of Playground Ideas, has been
supporting communities around the world to
build open-source playgrounds using local
tools, materials, and skills.
• He founded Playground Ideas after
spearheading the construction of 40 bespoke
playgrounds along the Thai/Burma border.
• Playground Ideas has built 5,223 playgrounds
in 143 countries and impacted 2,611,330
children.
• Nudel KART is an outgrowth of the need he
saw in his work.

 Cas Holman has spent the last 18 Years designing for
play, education, and imagination.
 The system consists of manipulable parts and pieces
which inspire constructive play, imaginative forms,
and cooperative interactions between children.
 The Rigamajig and Basic machines is a large-scale
building kit conceived for hands-on play and
learning.
 Rigamajig products are found in hundreds of
schools, playgrounds, children’s and science
museums, community organizations, libraries, and
maker spaces worldwide.

• Kitcamp is a perfect compliment to the other
systems.
• It is a disruptive, and innovative large-scale loose
parts play solution to young children's modern
global challenges.
• The basic idea of children having their own space
to be, feel secure, and be lost in thought.
• The child created “dens” offer privacy and a sense
of control to meet the essential human need for
safe spaces to withdraw as they process their
feelings.
A SHELTER FROM THE WORLD OUTSIDE

• Expert selected elements
with well known play and
therapeutic value that are
least likely to trigger kids.
• They are currently from
the USA and will be
sourced in Ukraine as
soon.
Trauma Informed Loose Parts