Engage Playfully

08/04/2026

We currently have NDIS‑funded Early Intervention places available for children who may benefit from extra support with:
- Autism, ADHD
- Difficulties with emotional regulation
- school refusal or school‑based anxiety
- Difficulty understanding big feelings, meltdowns or shutdowns
- difficulty communicating emotions or needs
As a Registered NDIS Provider, we offer Early Intervention supports through a Key Worker model, providing consistent guidance for families, collaboration with schools, and coordinated therapeutic strategies across environments.
We currently have places available across all clinic locations, as well as school‑based support.
If you’d like to learn more, please contact our enquiries team or submit an enquiry through our website. We’re here to help your child feel confident, connected, and capable.
💛 Play. Connect. Grow

07/04/2026

World Health Day, with school holidays in force try to spend some time playing, creating and learning about each other. 💕

06/04/2026

🎉🐾 Engage Playfully Turns ONE! 🐾🎉
What an incredible first year it has been for Engage Playfully.
In just 12 months, we’ve grown from a small idea with a big heart into a service supporting children across multiple schools and our very own clinic space. We now offer both NDIS and private therapy supports, and this year we proudly became a Registered NDIS Provider, a huge milestone for our little team.
We’ve also had the joy of mentoring student clinicians on placement, helping to support and shape the next generation of play therapists and animal‑assisted practitioners.
And of course… one of our biggest celebrations:
Winnie officially became a certified therapy dog this week!
Yay Winnie, we are so proud of you and can’t wait to see the joy you bring to our children and schools.
Thank you to every family, school, child, and community member who has supported us, trusted us, and believed in what we do. Your encouragement has helped us grow in ways we couldn’t have imagined.
And… we have more exciting news to share in the coming weeks. Stay tuned, year two is already looking amazing.
Here’s to play, connection, and many more moments of joy ahead. 💛🐶

06/04/2026

06/04/2026

Teamwork in Action at Engage Playfully!
This week our group took on a Lego teamwork challenge — and they absolutely shone.
Before we even touched the bricks, we had to plan together:
✨ What are we going to build?
✨ What roles do we each want to take on?
✨ How can we make sure everyone has a turn?
Once the plan was set, the real magic happened. The kids worked side‑by‑side, sharing ideas, problem‑solving, negotiating, and encouraging each other as they brought their creation to life.
And of course, Poppy was right there with us. I think she loved being part of the team especially inspecting our finished creations and giving her quiet little nod of approval.
Teamwork isn’t just about building Lego it’s about building communication, flexibility, confidence, and connection. Today, this group nailed it.
So proud of this little team and everything they created together.

05/04/2026

Exciting times ahead for Engage Playfully Watch this space for updates. 💕💕

Animal-assisted services continue to evolve, and emerging research from 2024–2025 highlights exciting opportunities to expand beyond the traditional therapy animals many people know.

While dogs and horses remain central to many programs, evidence now suggests that a wider range of species can also support therapeutic outcomes.

Examples of animals being incorporated into animal-assisted services include:

• Rabbits• Guinea pigs• Farm animals such as cows, goats, pigs and sheep• Alpacas and donkeys• Birds• Fish• Reptiles

Each species can offer unique benefits and engagement opportunities.

Smaller animals like rabbits and guinea pigs can be well suited to classroom or counselling environments.

Farm animals can support nature-based or care-farm programs, while fish and birds can provide calming observational interactions in clinical or community settings.

As the field grows, successful programs consistently focus on several critical factors:

✔️ Animal welfare first – ensuring the physical and emotional wellbeing of every animal involved.

✔️ Appropriate species selection – matching the animal’s temperament, handling willingness and environment to the goals of the program.

✔️ Qualified handlers and facilitators – trained professionals who understand both the therapeutic objectives and the needs of the animals.

✔️ Clear program design – structured activities that support defined therapeutic, educational or wellbeing outcomes.

✔️ Risk management and safety – protecting participants, animals and organisations through appropriate policies and training.

Expanding the range of species found in animal-assisted services opens new possibilities for accessible, creative and meaningful programs across schools, care farms and community settings.

The key is ensuring that every interaction remains ethical, safe and beneficial for both people and animals.

04/04/2026

Happy Easter from Engage Playfully. We are taking a break till 13th April. Hope everyone gets a chance to relax, eat chocolate and play. Poppy and Winnie won’t get chocolate but they will get a special treat.

24/03/2026

Friendship, Identity and Superpowers at Engage Playfully

Over the past few weeks, our groups have been exploring what it means to be a good friend, who we want to be, and the unique superpowers we each bring into the world.

What do we want in a friend, and what kind of friend do we want to be?
Students shared the qualities that help friendships feel safe, fun and supportive. Their ideas included being honest, respectful, silly, giving, someone who looks out for others, someone who goes shopping with you, and someone who plays computer games.
We also reflected on how we show these qualities ourselves and how small actions can make a big difference in our friendships.

How is Poppy a friend to us?
The children had thoughtful and often very funny insights about Poppy’s friendship skills. They described her as funny, cheeky, brave, understanding, great at taking turns, non‑judgemental, and someone who always seems to understand how they are feeling.
Her presence helps us practise connection, patience and kindness in real time.

What superpowers do we have?
This was a highlight for many students. They proudly named their own superpowers, ranging from imaginative to deeply personal: holding their breath under water, teleporting, being helpful, saving people, being brave, being understanding and being a good listener.
These strengths show up in the way they play, communicate and support others.

What superpowers does Poppy have?
According to the children, Poppy’s superpowers include being kind, caring, a good listener, calm and loving.
We think they captured her perfectly.

These themes help children build self‑awareness, empathy and confidence through playful, meaningful interactions with each other and with Poppy by their side.

22/03/2026

We’re thrilled to announce that Engage Playfully is now officially a Registered NDIS Provider!
This milestone allows us to offer even more accessible, high‑quality support for children and families, including animal‑assisted play therapy, social‑emotional skill building, and school‑based programs.
Thank you to our wonderful community for your ongoing trust and support.

16/03/2026

Emotional regulation 💕💕💕

13/03/2026

Animal-Assisted Play Therapy in Schools through Engage Playfully
Now taking bookings for Term 2, 3 & 4
We’re excited to bring our Animal-Assisted Play Therapy School Program to schools across the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula. Our certified therapy dogs and therapy rabbits work alongside our trained facilitators to support children’s emotional, social, and behavioural wellbeing through playful, connection-based experiences.
✨ How our program supports students:
- Builds emotional regulation and confidence
- Supports anxiety, school engagement, and transitions
- Encourages communication, social participation, and relationship skills
- Provides sensory soothing and co-regulation through gentle animal interaction
- Creates a safe, child-led space for growth and connection

Schools can use the Victorian Schools Mental Health Fund to access Animal-Assisted Therapy programs.
Learn more here: https://www.schools.vic.gov.au/animal-assisted-therapy

Our therapy animals are calm, well-trained, and experienced in school environments, making sessions both safe and deeply engaging for students.
📅 Availability:
✔️ Term 2
✔️ Term 3
✔️ Term 4
If your school is looking for a nurturing, evidence-informed way to support student wellbeing, we’d love to chat about how we can help.
Please enquire to discuss program options for your school.

Animal-assisted therapists are registered health professionals who use animal interactions to help students improve social, emotional, and physical skills.

13/03/2026

🌈 Wobbly Feelings & Wobbly Jars at Engage Playfully

This week in our school sessions, we explored wobbly feelings those moments when our emotions feel big, mixed up, or hard to understand. Wobbly feelings can show up as a tight tummy, fast heart, wiggly legs, a heavy chest, or a brain that feels busy and overwhelmed.
Learning to recognise these early body clues helps children understand what’s happening inside before things get too tricky.
💛 What are wobbly feelings?
Wobbly feelings are the emotions that make our bodies feel “not quite right.” They might be:
- Feeling unsure
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Feeling frustrated
- Feeling sad or worried
- Feeling too full of energy
Every child experiences wobbly feelings and that’s completely okay.
🧠 How we recognise them
We practised noticing:
- Where the feeling sits in our body
- What it feels like (tight, hot, heavy, fluttery, wiggly)
- What our body might be trying to tell us
This awareness helps children choose a tool to steady themselves.
✨ Wobbly Feelings Jars
Because a lot of our our Wobbly Toolbox tools live at home, we created Wobbly Feelings Jars at school this week.
These jars act as a visual reminder that:
- Wobbly feelings are normal
- They can be sorted and understood
- We have tools to help us feel steady again
Children can shake the jar, watch the glitter settle, and use that time to breathe, pause, and reset.
🏡 How families can support wobbly feelings at home
A few simple prompts can help children tune into their bodies:
- “Is your body feeling wobbly or steady right now?”
- “Where do you feel that feeling?”
- “What might help your body feel calm again?”
You might even create your own Wobbly Jar at home as a shared regulation tool.

At Engage Playfully, we teach children that wobbly feelings aren’t something to fear they’re something to understand. With the right tools, every child can learn to steady their body and feel safe, confident, and in control.