Newsletter 2025:7
'Playing with Heart around the Globe'
Dear Nest Members and Followers,
Thank you so much for all the feedback to our One-a-Penny ‘special’ for the International Day of Play. All participants for that day were asked to spend at least twenty minutes playing at something new! For those who were adventurous, I suggested that they create something playful in their staff room as a gift to share with colleagues!
One of the students doing the Naxos Diploma, showed that she could be very playful with something left on the beach.
This was our final NDP course on Naxos and very joyous it was, with training for the basic Diploma, the Advanced, and the Trainer’s Certificate. Students came from Slovenia, Slovakia, Latvia, Croatia, UK and Singapore. We created puppets, explored Iphigenia, learned about complicite, practiced stage combat, and experienced several forms of play on the beach. We created a ‘theatre in the sand’ as an alternative to the ‘theatre in a box’ and discovered many treasures from the beach that could be used. The main, focus was on NDP and Performance, with participants seeing the value of a performative approach. And of course there was a sadness that this series was coming to an end.
The next NDP intensive will be NDP in the Jungle in April 2026. Please see the announcement below and look at more information on the website.
Therapeutic Stories - The Story of the Worry Tree
This is a story that needs a picture. After you have read the story, perhaps you can draw the Worry Tree and show the bundles that are hanging from the branches. Or draw the bird that flies away with all the worries to a land over the mountains.
When you leave the beautiful garden with the enormous flowers, with peonies as big as cabbages and delphiniums as tall as the hedge, open the little white gate that leads into the meadow. The grass is as tall as your knees, and the grasshoppers are whirring non-stop, and the poppies are bright red in patches like blood. The bright, metallic buttercups shine into chins, and the smells of the wild thyme float on the breeze. Walking through the meadow towards the woods, it begins to get a little cooler, and there are long shadows from the trees. The first tree is very, very old, with enormous roots and rough bark. Then you see a beautiful golden bird fly down and take some flowers, or perhaps a bundle, from one of the branches and disappear towards the grey mountain. On looking closer, you can see that there are hundreds of little bundles on the tree, hanging by sparkly threads, and a small notice that says, ‘You can hang your worries here.’
And, sure enough, the golden bird returns and takes another bundle in its beak, and flies off, over towards the grey mountain.
Follow-up ideas:
1. Colour the story and decorate it with plants and flowers and insects from the story.
2. Draw the old Worry Tree with its huge roots and rough bark.
3. Think about any worries and draw them, and hang them on the tree
4. Draw and colour the golden bird who carries worries away to the grey mountain.
My eventful life!
It was a real struggle growing up with parents who did not believe in school education. When questioned, they would often say that life and nature taught us what we needed to know. The difficulty came especially with homework, when I was criticised because the school expected homework but it was deemed at home to be a waste of time. There was no quiet place set aside, or support if I was struggling.
One really shaming time was when I was perched on the edge of the kitchen table; my mother was baking scones, and I was trying to complete some history homework. When our very strict history teacher handed the class their homework, I was singled out for sarcasm because a dried current had lodged in my history book! I was scarlet with embarrassment and had nothing to say. The rest of the class were convulsed with laughter, and I was surreptitiously passed a note which said, ‘Do you keep rabbits?’. As I grew older, I was pre-occupied with the question, ‘Why send your children to school if you don’t believe in the education?’ And the paradox was that, in adulthood, the parents did all they could to prevent me from going to university! But that is another story!
With Love and Blessings
Dr Sue
To mark the International Day of Play, we are launching a weekday version of our online Diploma course on Neuro-Dramatic-Play. People can sign up for day or evening versions and leave their weekends free for playing!
Also to enable us to celebrate International Day of Play, there is a 20% reduction for all those who take up an NDP Diploma course during June and July 2025. So, we are looking forward to seeing you, wherever you reside!
Don’t forget that if you’re one of my Substack subscribers you can attend the below webinars for FREE. See The Nest section below for a reminder of your access code or email us.
Whistlestop Webinar
We have another of our popular ‘Whistlestop’ Webinars coming next week – just the right thing if you are looking for extra CPD or only have time for brief encounters, wherever you are!
NDP and Social Anxiety in Children & Young People
Monday 23 June, 1200-1400 (UK time)
Friday 27 June, 0900-1100 (UK Time)
Dr Sue presents this webinar and introduces a new approach for working with anxious children and young people to help them develop social skills and reduce stress. This 'Whistlestop' webinar will be of interest to teachers, teaching assistants, care workers, clinicians, therapists, parents, and all professionals involved in the support and development of children and young people.
NDP in the Jungle
A once-in-a-lifetime experience
Limited availability
First-come, first-served
You can attain the NDP Diploma (Basic, Advanced or Trainers Certificate)
N.B. The jungle can be a dangerous place
This wonderful and unique opportunity returns next year. The limited places get booked quickly, so do register your interest soon!
Supervision Groups and Individual Supervisions
All Supervision spaces are now full.
Huge thanks to all you people who are subscribers to my Substack Newsletter – it makes such a difference to enable me to write, instead of chasing other free-lance work. There are two subscription rates:
Only £6 per month (or £65 per year) to subscribe and join The Nest. As well as your own Newsletter every week, you get 4 free webinars per year, and 10% reduction on any UK course. You also get your own stories, techniques, worksheets, reviews and recommendations.
£120 per year is for the Founders. You get all of the above but 6 free webinars per year and 15% reduction on any UK training. You also get free consultations on any aspect of NDP and its application, or support for any writing you may be doing.
Miss Penny-Weather’s Country School
And finally, our bed-time story. This time it is the next section from our story about life at a rural school after WW2.
The Story of Jimmy Swift, the Boy from Somerset:
Miss Penny-Weather’s Country School story is based on events that the author experienced or that she heard about as a child in post-war Britain. It creates the atmosphere of the rural school and is a useful addition to lessons about social history. It will eventually be published as a book, but meanwhile look out for the recording on YouTube.
Episode 15
Jimmy and Mathew had hidden behind the hedge before they could be seen by anyone who might be in the barge, which was moored nearby. So, two strange boats; one near the house, which was unloading stuff into the cottage, and another one which looked deserted. Jimmy wanted to investigate but Mathew was more cautious. ‘You don’t know who might be on that barge,’ he said. ‘What if they kidnap you?’ Jimmy thought for a moment and then said, ‘Well, we can’t just stay here – it will be getting dark and people at home will start to worry.’ He stopped as they could hear voices and noise and he wanted to see what was going on. They lay very low and peered through the branches that clung to the strong fence that kept the cows from straying. They could see that the man from the house had walked along the tow path, banged on the deck of this boat and shouted, ‘Mike, Mike, what are yer doin’? Sleepin’ again?’ A young man pulled himself up on to the deck; he had blond untidy hair and old but smart clothes. ‘Keep yer voice down,’ said Mike, ‘We don’t want the world to know we are ‘ere.’ He looked up and down the tow path and then said, ‘Yer better come down below, we can talk then.’ The man promptly climbed clumsily on to the barge and disappeared with Mike.
Jimmy and Mathew were just starting to speak at the same time when a voice close to them suddenly said, ‘Shh, don’t make any noise!’ They both jumped with fright at this sound coming from nowhere and turned to see a woman standing close to them but in the shadow of one of the larger bushes. She placed her finger on her lips and said to them, ‘This is Georgie,’ and from behind her emerged a young boy, roughly the same age as Jimmy and Mathew. He had an ugly bruise on his cheek and a cut above his eye. He looked as if he had been crying, and held the woman’s hand, and stood close to her. Jimmy and Mathew recognised both the boy and the woman who had been at the lock-keeper’s cottage and at the boat.
The woman bent towards them, talking in a loud whisper, making sure they could hear every word. ‘Listen carefully, there isn’t much time, but with any luck those two will start drinking and not appear again until tomorrow,’ and she gestured towards the barge they had been observing. ‘Me and Georgie have been kidnapped, helping that man to look like he’s travelling with his family while all they’re doing is continuing with their thieving.’ She gestured with her finger on her lips as they boys wanted to ask questions, ‘No time for chats. You take Georgie and make sure he gets looked after. I think he needs a doctor. I will look after myself.’ And she gave Georgie a quick hug, and disentangled his hand and hurried back through the field towards the cottage.
Jimmy’s first thought was that the boy might be hungry, and he scrabbled in his bag and found the sandwiches they hadn’t finished. He gave them to him, and he started eating ravenously, so Jimmy’s guess had been right. He and Mathew started to try and think through a plan. ‘Your dad is a doctor so we should go to your home first,’ said Jimmy. Mathew thought for a moment, hesitating, ‘If we do, then my father will hand him over to the authorities and he could end up in an orphanage, and we probably wouldn’t see him again’. They could see that Georgie reacted very badly when he heard what the boys were discussing and shook his head, desperately. ‘So, what do you suggest?’ said Jimmy, feeling at a loss. ‘I think we should take him to your barge, at least that will feel safe for him, and a little bit like a home. Then your mum can say if he needs to see a doctor.’ And then he added, ‘But I think I must go home, or my folks will be getting worried about where I am.’
‘Can you find your way through the fields?’ said Jimmy. ‘You need to keep walking parallel to the canal, but stay in the fields, just in case.’ Mathew stood up, looking nervously towards the barge with all its shutters closed and no sounds coming from it. Just as he was about to leave, Jimmy spoke again, ‘Please come to our place tomorrow morning and we can see what is happening.’ Mathew smiled a yes before disappearing alongside the hedgerows, realising that he had to take care in the field that lay at the back of the cottage.
‘Right,’ Jimmy whispered to Georgie, ‘Now it’s our turn. Just follow me and no talking until I say it’s safe.’ The two boys left invisibly, both skilled in the art of being quiet and hiding their traces. Jimmy led them through the fields until they were well beyond the darkened boat and then could scramble down onto the tow path. Jimmy could see his barge up ahead and his mum was on deck, looking to see if he was coming. She waved when she saw him and he waved back, very relieved there were some grown-ups to sort everything out. She commented when she saw Georgie, ‘So not Mathew, a new friend?’ Mum, can we come on board first and then I’ll explain everything?’ said Jimmy, ‘It’s a very long story. ‘I’d better call your dad,’ said his mum, seeing the worried look on his face. She disappeared below while the boys clambered up on the deck. ‘Let me do the talking.’ said Jimmy. ‘Let’s keep it simple, and you make sure you listen to what I say.’
So, what story would Jimmy tell to explain who Georgie was?
And what story would Mathew have to tell about why he was so late home?
Wait for next week’s exciting episode!
(If you prefer to listen to these stories, they will shortly be available on YouTube ‘NDP Storytime with Sue Jennings’ and ‘Stories of Mouse and Mouse’. The ‘Moose and Mouse’ stories are available in the paid section below and are written for children under the age of 6 years. They address important issues in child development such as attachment, loss, playfulness, adventure, safety and fears. See our website here.)
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Hello Everybody and Welcome! I hope those of you in the UK are enjoying this beautiful weather!
Well-tried methods: Playsheets 4
Two more free Playsheets can be downloaded using the buttons below [Nest Members only]. I said earlier that this is Storytelling Year, so we shall be learning new stories and ways of encouraging storytelling with our pupils and clients.
Both Playsheets are about memories that may be distracting for individuals or group members. The memories may be triggered by a theme in the class or maybe current distractions that are always around. These two worksheets give the opportunity for those memories to be externalised but not necessarily disclosed. It unfortunate that children are often punished if they are distracted and not concentrating on every word the teacher says. Children may daydream (a very healthy activity), or something may have triggered a different memory. Children and young people with ADHD are very prone to distraction, and some of their imaginative journeys are very creative! I know this from experience!
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