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SEND Play (Feb-Jun 2026)
A session just for children with sensory differences or SEND and their families
Every first Saturday of the month join Young V&A's Play Champions for a SEND Play session.
Saturday 7th February, 10.30am-12pm
Join us for a whole-family Sensory Design workshop for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and their families. Explore textiles and textile processes and join us an open-ended exploration where there are no wrong answers. This session has been designed for children and young people who enjoy exploring the world through touch.
Alongside the workshop, our Designer in the Shed, Amanda Vesthardt will open her sensory installation for families to explore.
Saturday 7th March, 10.30am-12pm
Explore the Mini Museum in Young V&A’s Play Gallery, a space that celebrates the texture, colour and sound of objects. This session is relaxed and designed with you and your child in mind. Children and their carers will be invited to enjoy the space and to play together with tactile and sensory materials. The Mini Museum will be open to children of any age with additional sensory needs for this inclusive play session.
Saturday 4th April, 10.30am-12pm
Explore a sensory story inspired by an object from the museum's Adventure gallery with our Play Champions. This session was developed with sensory artist Natalya Martin and is relaxed and designed with you and your child in mind. You will be invited to play with tactile and sensory materials, helping to bring the story to life together.
Saturday 2nd May, 10.30am-12pm
Join us for a whole-family Sensory Design workshop for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and their families. Explore our tactile library of objects and join us an open-ended exploration where there are no wrong answers.
In this workshop, we invite you to have fun exploring a wide range of design materials and techniques. Supported by a visual step-by-step explanation, you’ll assemble objects with a focus on the senses. This session has been designed for children and young people who enjoy exploring the world through touch.
Saturday 6th June, 10.30am-12pm
Explore the Mini Museum in Young V&A’s Play Gallery, a space that celebrates the texture, colour and sound of objects. This session is relaxed and designed with you and your child in mind. Children and their carers will be invited to enjoy the space and to play together with tactile and sensory materials. The Mini Museum will be open to children of any age with additional sensory needs for this inclusive play session.
Further information:
For Saturday 7th February and Saturday 2nd May:
Saturday 7th February, 10.30am-12pm
Join us for a whole-family Sensory Design workshop for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and their families. Explore textiles and textile processes and join us an open-ended exploration where there are no wrong answers. This session has been designed for children and young people who enjoy exploring the world through touch.
Alongside the workshop, our Designer in the Shed, Amanda Vesthardt will open her sensory installation for families to explore.
Saturday 7th March, 10.30am-12pm
Explore the Mini Museum in Young V&A’s Play Gallery, a space that celebrates the texture, colour and sound of objects. This session is relaxed and designed with you and your child in mind. Children and their carers will be invited to enjoy the space and to play together with tactile and sensory materials. The Mini Museum will be open to children of any age with additional sensory needs for this inclusive play session.
Saturday 4th April, 10.30am-12pm
Explore a sensory story inspired by an object from the museum's Adventure gallery with our Play Champions. This session was developed with sensory artist Natalya Martin and is relaxed and designed with you and your child in mind. You will be invited to play with tactile and sensory materials, helping to bring the story to life together.
Saturday 2nd May, 10.30am-12pm
Join us for a whole-family Sensory Design workshop for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and their families. Explore our tactile library of objects and join us an open-ended exploration where there are no wrong answers.
In this workshop, we invite you to have fun exploring a wide range of design materials and techniques. Supported by a visual step-by-step explanation, you’ll assemble objects with a focus on the senses. This session has been designed for children and young people who enjoy exploring the world through touch.
Saturday 6th June, 10.30am-12pm
Explore the Mini Museum in Young V&A’s Play Gallery, a space that celebrates the texture, colour and sound of objects. This session is relaxed and designed with you and your child in mind. Children and their carers will be invited to enjoy the space and to play together with tactile and sensory materials. The Mini Museum will be open to children of any age with additional sensory needs for this inclusive play session.
Further information:
For Saturday 7th February and Saturday 2nd May:
- The session will be held in Open studio on the first floor in the Design Gallery at Young V&A. Our building has step-free access to all public areas.
- Lifts are on the right as you enter the Town Square and at the back of the Imagine Gallery. In line with the museum's approach to fire safety, a maximum of six mobility impaired persons may occupy the first floor at any one time.
- On the same floor is The Factory, a quieter, dimmed space with a process video playing.
For Saturday 7th March and Saturday 6th June:
- The session will be held in the Mini Museum in the Play Gallery at Young V&A, which can be accessed via the ramp. Our building has step-free access to all public areas.
- The Mini Museum is usually reserved for children aged 2 and under. For this inclusive play session, it will be open to children of any age with additional sensory needs. Our Play Champions will support visitors to safely share the space together. The Mini Museum will return to being exclusively for children aged 2 and under from 12 noon.
For Saturday 4th April:
- This session will be held in The Stage on the ground floor in the Imagine Gallery at Young V&A. Our building has step-free access to all public areas.
- Our visual story shows you pictures of the museum and how to access our spaces. Please check our Access page for further information.
- This is a family event. Children must be accompanied by an adult during the workshop.
- Visitors will be welcome to move around, make noise and leave or re-enter the session throughout.
- Ear defenders are always available on request at our reception.
- The activities will be mainly floor based, and we have a range of seating available.
- We know that visiting a museum as a family requires lots of planning. If you would like further information or would like to tell us about your child's needs in advance of the session, please contact us by email: yvalearningevent@vam.ac.uk
- On the day, our friendly team will be available to help with your access needs. Please feel free to approach us to make your visit more comfortable.
This activity is part of Young V&A’s Power of Play programme. The Power of Play is a collective impact consortium which brings quality learning through play to children in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The programme is funded by LEGO Foundation and co-ordinated by the LEGO Group in London. Young V&A is participating in the programme alongside the Institute of Imagination, Save the Children, EasyPeasy and Ambition Aspire Achieve.
