Inclusive Playdates Planning Guide
A lot of what we do at TNP is focused around serving students and teachers in schools, but we know how important it is to provide families with resources to continue the work of inclusion at home, too. In fact, we’ve been producing a blog series recently with downloadable Table Topics so you can bring conversations to your dinner table (see installments 1, 2, and 3)! In today’s post, we’re highlighting another parent resource that can help families create inclusive spaces in their homes that are perfect for playdates and get-togethers. We hope that as pandemic restrictions ease and more folx can safely gather that you find this Guide to Inclusive Playdates helpful!
TNP’s Inclusive Playdates Planning Guide is designed to help families first develop their Ability Inclusive Mindset (AIM), or the set of beliefs and behaviors that guide us to create truly inclusive, accessible experiences that are welcoming to all. Building an AIM is something we work on all year with our students as a part of our Lifecycle Suite of Programs in schools, and it’s something that you can work on at home, too.
The Inclusive Playdates Planning Guide also offers some guidance about how to prepare for an inclusive playdate. Whenever we get kids together, we want to make sure they have the tools to enjoy spending time together. This means prepping them ahead of time to know what to expect and setting some ground rules for how to be a good host. We’ve shared some advice for the things you might review as a family before hosting an inclusive playdate, like educating yourself about disability as a natural and expected form of human diversity, communicating with the parents or caregivers of any children that will be entering your home, preparing the physical space to ensure it is accessible, walking your own child through the plan so that they know what to expect, and reminding them to be flexible--things don’t always go according to plan!
Have questions about hosting inclusive playdates? You can always reach out to our Inclusion Specialist, Dr. Janie Avant, at janie@thenoraproject.ngo. In the meantime, check out the free downloadable guide below!