Play Refuge

25/08/2026

📚 Play Refuge loves books! We share recommended reads for children on a range of subjects, available free at www.playrefuge.co.uk.

I’ve recently updated the list and wanted to share a few new additions plus a couple of PR favourites — from our recommended reads.

🌙 Love Is Like the Moon by Junique McKay — a gentle, reassuring story for children whose parents are separating. It offers a simple, comforting way to talk about change, love and connection, helping children understand that even when family life looks different, love remains constant. A thoughtful read for opening up conversations and supporting big feelings. Suggested age range: around 5–8 years.

🐻 The Blanket Bears by Samuel Langley-Swain, illustrated by Ashlee Spink — a simply stunning story about adoption, full of warmth and love. Suggested age range: 3+ / early years and Key Stage 1.

🐦 Bye Bye Little Bird by Julia Hubery — a gorgeous story about Mole caring for a baby bird, then learning to let it fly free. Suggested age range: around 4–8 years.

✨ Mayowa and the Sea of Words by Chibundu Onuzo — a beautiful, imaginative book about family, identity, language and the power of stories. Suggested age range: 8+ / 9+.

📖 The Lost Homework by Richard O’Neill, illustrated by Kirsti Beautyman — about the very busy weekend of a young Traveller boy and all the things he learns from his family and community. Suggested age range: around 4–9 years.

📝 The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow, illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton — a powerful verse novel about a young carer navigating friendship, a struggling but loving family all within the his final year of primary school. Suggested age range: 8+ / 9+.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The Great Big Book of Families by Mary Hoffman, illustrated by Ros Asquith — an inclusive classic celebrating families in all their many shapes and forms. Suggested age range: 4+ / 5–8 years.

If anyone has books they think Play Refuge should know about — please do send them my way! I’d love to hear what you’re reading and recommending. 💛

22/08/2026

We’re delighted to share that Play Refuge Play and Creative Arts Therapy is now open in Leamington Spa with immediate availability.

Referrals are welcome from parents, carers, schools and other professionals.

To find out more, visit www.playrefuge.co.uk or email [email protected].

Play and Creative Arts Therapy supports children and young people aged 4 to 18 to explore their thoughts and feelings through their natural medium of expression: play. It can help with worries, fears and confusion by giving children a safe way to make sense of what they are experiencing. Through play, children can communicate what may be difficult to put into words, helping them feel understood and better able to manage their emotions.

Play therapy can support children and young people experiencing a range of issues, including managing changes in their life, trauma, loss and bereavement, low self-esteem, emotional regulation difficulties, situational mutism, attachment, separation and family relationship challenges, anxiety and fears including those related to neurodiversity as well as sleep and toileting difficulties. This process can help them build self-awareness, develop decision-making skills and make sense of past experiences and present responses.

Play Refuge provides:
Play Therapy
Child-Parent Relationship Therapy
Bibliotherapy consultations
Therapeutic consultation
Therapeutic Life Story Work
Specific resources in Ukrainian and Arabic

Freya is a registered BAPT play therapist and a bibliotherapist, please message me for free book suggestions to support you and your family or to book an individualised consultation.

Play Refuge is located near The Shires Retail Park and just off the M40, making it easy to reach from Leamington Spa and the surrounding areas, including from Warwickshire, Coventry, Birmingham and Banbury.

We’re so pleased to be part of the Leamington Spa community and look forward to supporting children, young people and families through play, creativity and connection.

Play Refuge Play & Creative Arts Therapy
www.playrefuge.co.uk

21/08/2026

Day Five: I am so excited to open Play Refuge tomorrow. Over the years, while working in therapy centre in Cheltenham and as a travelling play therapist across Warwickshire, I have been collecting, making, repairing and preparing resources for the day Play Refuge could open in a fixed location — and tomorrow is that day.

Tomorrow, I’ll be sharing a video of the finished space and our wonderful location, but today I wanted to share some of the work that has gone into getting here.

Strangely, the storage cupboard feels the most emotional. It was once in my mum’s tapestry design studio, where she ran her own business. My brother and I often spent time there while she drew designs or twisted wool. Back then, the cupboard was dark green, and I have loved spending time cleaning and restoring it for the Play Refuge space. Before it belonged to my mum’s studio, it was in my grandfather’s architectural firm, where it was silver.

Three generations of one cupboard — and now it is full of art materials and supplies for play and creative arts therapy.

To find out more about play therapy in Leamington Spa, please visit www.playrefuge.co.uk.

20/08/2026

Across many cultures, histories and mythologies, trees hold deep meaning. They represent life, growth, connection, shelter, wisdom and belonging. They are essential to life on earth, and they are also places of refuge: places to gather, pause, hide, climb, imagine and play.

This is why the tree is part of the Play Refuge Play & Creative Arts Therapy logo, and why it felt important for it to be present in our new play therapy space.

The structure of a tree is used in Play Refuge’s business objectives and ethics, with safeguarding as the grounding mycelium network beneath everything we do. From there, play therapy, cultural competency and neurobiology form the main roots. The trunk holds the narratives, stories and meanings that shape each child’s experience, while play is further supported through the space itself, creative arts and the psychoeducation we offer.

In this space, the tree is more than decoration. It is a reminder of what we hope Play Refuge can offer: safety, connection, creativity, growth and a place to be held.

If you would like to hear more about Play Refuge, play therapy, or to discuss a possible referral, please contact [email protected].

19/08/2026

Day Three - After a lot of searching — and almost giving in to the dream of moving into a tree house — Play Refuge Play & Creative Arts Therapy finally found the perfect space at Pure Offices in Leamington.

With the flooring down, it was time to start packing up all the furniture and equipment. One very full van later, Play Refuge began to feel like it was really on the move (yes, that is a tree, more on that later...)

Next came the acoustic wood panels — with huge thanks to my in-laws for helping to put them up. These panels are such an important part of the room: they help create a space that feels calmer, more contained, and more confidential, while keeping the natural, warm look that I wanted for Play Refuge.

Finishing photos will be coming very soon, and we are getting everything ready for opening on Saturday. Play Refuge is open for referrals now from parents and carers, schools, and professionals, with spaces available from September. To find out more, please visit www.playrefuge.co.uk.

18/08/2026

Day Two:
Laying the flooring has marked the first visible step in transforming the room into a space ready for expression, creativity, play, healing — and plenty of mess.

Back in May, Play Refuge welcomed a new addition: the dolls’ flats. As Play Refuge is rooted in Leamington Spa, it felt important for the flats to reflect something local. After a brilliant suggestion, I decided to paint a mural on the side and went looking for inspiration in Leamington’s street art.

Leamington Spa has a long association with elephants, with elephant trainer Sam Lockhart, who lived in the town in the late 1800s. Inspired by the elephant mural by Lord Numb and N4T4 near Mill Street Bridge, I created a little elephant mural on the side of Play Refuge’s flats — bringing a piece of Leamington into the playroom.

Many of materials in the room are collected, repaired and made. Such as, natural materials will have an important place in the playroom, from dried petals and tactile textures to small symbolic tokens that children and young people can use in their play.

We open our doors on Saturday 22nd August 🎉
We are so excited to finally welcome children, teenagers, and families into Play Refuge — a space created for play, connection, healing, and growth.

Just in time for the start of a new school year. 📚✨
If your child is experiencing anxiety, intense emotions, changes in behaviour, difficulties with relationships or confidence, trauma, or simply needs a safe space to make sense of what they are going through, play therapy can offer gentle support.

🌱 Ready to start the process?
We are now accepting new clients.

If you would like to explore play and creative arts therapy for your child or teenager, please email [email protected]

👉 www.playrefuge.co.uk

We are here to answer your questions, talk through the next steps, and help you decide whether Play Refuge is the right support for your child or young person.

17/08/2026

Day One: On Saturday, Play Refuge will open its doors.

This week, I’ll be sharing a daily behind-the-scenes story as we prepare the space, add the final touches and get ready to welcome children, young people and families into a calm, creative and supportive therapeutic environment.

Each day, I’ll show a little more of the journey before opening day, from the waiting area to the play therapy room and creative arts space.

We are also pleased to share that Play Refuge is now open to referrals.

If you are a parent, carer, school, professional or referrer looking for therapeutic support for a child or young person, please do get in touch at [email protected]

www.playrefuge.co.uk

14/08/2026

New milestone! You can now find Play Refuge's bibliotherapy service on Book Therapy's new directory Book Therapy Method Directory. 💖

I am accepting new clients for online and in-person sessions. 📚

Bijal and I also produced a limited series podcast, so check it for more information. 🔊

I often bibliotherapy within my play therapy practice when suitable and as a separate service, email me at [email protected] for more details. 📚

To learn more bibliotherapy explore Bijal's website Book Therapy and her wonderful book.📚

psychology kids wellbeing mentalhealth mentalhealthmatters children childrenmentalhealth parents bibliotherapy kids children childrenbibliotherapy books bookstagram kidstagram parents kidlit

12/08/2026

International Youth Day!

Young people need spaces where they are heard without judgement. Play therapy and bibliotherapy can support emotional expression, confidence and self-understanding.

Play Refuge is open to referrals, ready for September.

Email [email protected] to find out more.

05/08/2026

Join us at the next SEND Help session

Freya from Play Refuge will be guest speaking at the next SEND Help session.

Freya will be talking about play therapy and how it can support children and young people with SEND. She’ll share what play therapy sessions can look like, how families and schools can make referrals, and how play, creativity, sand tray work and body-awareness activities can help children explore emotions, reduce anxiety, understand relationships and feel more supported.

There will also be a chance to take part in a few gentle, practical activities to experience how creative approaches can help children make sense of themselves and the world around them.

This session is ideal for parents, carers and anyone supporting a child with SEND.

📍 Location: The Gap Community Centre, Warwick
📅 Date: Next Wednesday! 12th August 2026
⏰ Time: 10am-12pm
💬 All welcome

We hope to see you there!

Warwickshire SEND Local Offer Warwickshire SEND Information, Advice and Support Service The Gap - Registered charity no. 1086640

SEND Help! is a monthly SEND support group held on a Wednesday, 10am - 12pm, at The Gap Community Centre, Warwick.

This group is for parents and carers whose child(ren) may or may not have a diagnosis. It is facilitated by Family Support Workers and offers a safe and supportive space to:

💬 Have open and honest conversations
🤝 Meet others with similar experiences
📌 Hear from guest speakers (including SENDIAS, FIS and other services)
ℹ️ Get signposted to helpful services and professionals

Upcoming dates include:
13 May, 10 June, 15 July, 12 August, 9 September, 14 October, 11 November and 9 December.

📞 To find out more or to book, contact the duty line on 01926 41 41 44, option 1 followed by option 2.