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SEND Play ( April - July 2025)
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 3rd May, 10.30am – 12.00pm
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 7th June, 10.30am – 12.00pm
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 5th July, 11.00-12.00pm
Play, collaborate and explore materials in Leap then Look’s participatory installation in the Community Room at Young V&A. Large, tactile sculptural objects, touchable artworks and colourful assemblages create a lively, exciting and curiosity-filled space designed to support and encourage visitors to take part in playful exploration and critical thought through making.
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 5th July, 11.00-12.00pm
Play, collaborate and explore materials in Leap then Look’s participatory installation in the Community Room at Young V&A. Large, tactile sculptural objects, touchable artworks and colourful assemblages create a lively, exciting and curiosity-filled space designed to support and encourage visitors to take part in playful exploration and critical thought through making.
Further information:
For Saturday 3rd May:
- 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 12noon.
For Saturday 7th June:
- 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.
- There will be a sensory tent available in the workshop, and on the same floor is The Factory, a quieter, dimmed space with a process video playing.
For Saturday 5th July:
- This SEND Play session will be held in the Community Room on the lower ground floor at Young V&A. Our building has step-free access to all public areas.
- The lift is on the right as you enter the Town Square.
- This is part of the programme for our Summer Festival. The museum may feel different on this day, with some performances and activities on offer throughout the day.
- This timed session is specifically for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and their families to enjoy Play, Interact, Explore alongside Young V&A’s friendly Play Team. There will be a full day of access to this installation for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and their families on Sunday 6th July, along with Sensory story sessions. More details to follow.
- 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 collaborative project to bring quality learning-through-play to children and young people in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The project is funded by the LEGO Foundation and coordinated by the LEGO Group in London. Young V&A is participating in the project alongside the Institute of Imagination, Save the Children and Easy Peasy.
