Soma Play
A gentle and playful introduction to movement and mindfulness for children aged 5-12 years.
This program is delivered in partnership with services.
Our Program Model
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, nearly 1 in 7 children aged 4-17 were diagnosed with a mental disorder in 2020, with those from low-income backgrounds at higher risk of enduring mental and physical health conditions.
Grounded in research, Soma Play encourages creativity, play, movement and body-based mindfulness – all skills that support children to be healthy, resilient and connected.
Soma Play typically runs as an 8-12 week program with a maximum capacity of 12 children. Each session is 60 minutes, broken into core segments of connection, movement, mindfulness, play and rest.
Each week, we cover a different theme:
Week 1 : arriving together
Week 2 : resourcing and safety
Week 3 : understanding boundaries and personal space
Week 4 : playing together
Week 5 : curiosity and nature-base mindfulness
Week 6 : balancing and regulating
Week 7 : settling and soothing
Week 8 : acknowledging your efforts
We are grateful for the children and staff of Stonnington Youth Services, Cubbies Fitzroy, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, FAPMi Eastern Health and FAPMi Peninsula Health, who helped shape Soma Play through their involvement in our programs.
What children say
Soma Play FAQs
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Research shows that mindfulness practices and movement-based therapies can:
reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression¹
improve emotional regulation¹
reduce attention problems, internalising problems, and enhance social skills²
promote body awareness and self-regulation³
In a welcoming and non-competitive space, Soma Play uses evidence-based mindfulness and movement-based practices to support children’s mental health and wellbeing.
¹ Zenner et al., 2014 ² Crescentini et al., 2016; Kallapiran et al., 2015; Joyce et al., 2010 ³ van der Kolk, 2014
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Yes, depending on the site. We can discuss options and tailor the program to meet your needs and timeline.
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Child safety legislation mandates there are multiple adults in the room with children under the age of 18 years — and so Soma Play is co-facilitated with partner organisation staff. In the instance that partner organisation staff are not able to be in the room, Soma Play can be co-facilitated by two Collective Being facilitators.
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Please email our Programs Coordinator Alexia directly at alexia@collectivebeing.org
Interested in this program?
Complete our enquiry form to explore bringing Soma Play to your community.