Riverside Archives • Licketyspit https://www.licketyspit.com/category/riverside/ Firing childrens imaginations Thu, 18 Dec 2025 11:46:20 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.1 https://www.licketyspit.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/cropped-top-right-logo-32x32.jpg Riverside Archives • Licketyspit https://www.licketyspit.com/category/riverside/ 32 32 143557081 How YOU can help shape a revolution in children’s rights! https://www.licketyspit.com/uncrc/ Wed, 09 Sep 2020 16:33:29 +0000 https://www.licketyspit.com/?p=8181 Why are we so excited? Last week, something happened which made us very happy here at Licketyspit! In a big document outlining their plans for the next year the Scottish Government promised to deliver “a revolution in children’s rights” - how exciting does that sound?! They plan to do [...]

The post How YOU can help shape a revolution in children’s rights! appeared first on Licketyspit.

]]>

Why are we so excited?

Last week, something happened which made us very happy here at Licketyspit! In a big document outlining their plans for the next year the Scottish Government promised to deliver “a revolution in children’s rights” – how exciting does that sound?! They plan to do this by incorporating a major international law protecting the rights of children into Scottish law.

It’s called the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which is a bit of a mouthful, but that’s because it’s the most complete statement of children’s rights ever to be written. This means that it covers all parts of a child’s life. No-one, or nothing, is left out: the needs of each child is as important as the next.

So, as well as extremely important things such as a right to education, healthcare and protection from violence, neglect and exploitation, did you know that children also have…

⭐ The right to be LISTENED TO
Article 12 – respect for the views of the child

⭐ The right to EXPRESS THEIR THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS
Article 13 – freedom of expression

⭐ The right to PLAY WITH THEIR FRIENDS
Article 15 – freedom of association

⭐ The right to RELAX and PLAY!
Article 31 – leisure, play and culture

What does this actually mean for your children?

If the UNCRC becomes part of our law here in Scotland, it means that – on the most extreme side of it – we can use the legal system to defend young people if anyone takes away any of these rights. But, it will also have an impact on your children’s day to day life, because it means that ADULTS will be legally responsible for making sure that children get to enjoy all of these things!

The Convention actually explains what adults need to do to help, which could mean some differences in how a whole range of things in your child/ren’s life are approached, such as how schools decide what to teach them, what opportunities they have to play and socialise, and how they are spoken to by doctors, teachers and other adults.

Also, all of the rights are of equal importance. So, if the Scottish Parliament approves this Bill, being able to play, see their friends, form their own beliefs and have their voices heard will be (legally) just as important as anything else in children’s lives – which we wholeheartedly agree with!

Here’s where you come in!

For the government to make this happen, they need to speak to young people. It’s ADULTS who put these laws in place, but it has to be CHILDREN who tell us what they want, need and think – or it doesn’t make any sense!

One way of doing this would be to have a conversation with children. But if we really want to speak to children in their language, how about we PLAY together instead…?! Play is children’s language, and the better we learn to speak it, the better we’ll be able to represent children as their champions; it’s a brilliant way to find out what children think, feel, want and need.

That’s why on Mon 21st and Mon 28th September, we’ve invited policy makers from the Scottish Government to one of our play sessions. We’ll play our usual games and have our usual fun, and through play, we’ll encourage the children to talk to us about what they think and feel about how things are going at school, at home, in their lives, and anything they’d like to change.

By taking part in our session, YOU can help your children’s voices be heard and respected. Together, as children’s champions, WE can help to make vital changes to create a brighter and happier future for children across Scotland.

P.S…
If you want to have your say in the meantime, the Children’s Parliament have created this How Are You Doing? survey for 8-14 year olds to find out how children are doing and collect their thoughts on how they’re feeling, in their own words. Children’s experience matters! ❤

If you’d like to join…

Simply email Ruby at cfn@licketyspit.com and we’ll send you the details. The sessions will take place on Zoom; if internet access is an issue for you please do let us know and we will try our best to help.

The post How YOU can help shape a revolution in children’s rights! appeared first on Licketyspit.

]]> 8181 Govan, Milton, Easterhouse Online Sessions https://www.licketyspit.com/bppg-communities/ Thu, 21 May 2020 12:22:10 +0000 https://www.licketyspit.com/?p=7446 Community sessions have started online! 21st May 2020 We may all be at home, but in our imaginations we can go anywhere, be anyone, do anything. All we need to play is each other! Families in Govan, Milton and Easterhouse are invited to community specific sessions of Porridge & Play Online! Families also receive sets [...]

The post Govan, Milton, Easterhouse Online Sessions appeared first on Licketyspit.

]]>

Community sessions have started online!

21st May 2020

We may all be at home, but in our imaginations we can go anywhere, be anyone, do anything. All we need to play is each other!

Families in Govan, Milton and Easterhouse are invited to community specific sessions of Porridge & Play Online!

Families also receive sets of Lickety Playcards, a fantastic repertoire of 16 colourfully illustrated cards to support ongoing play at home.

Join the dedicated Facebook group for your community too 🙂 And invite your friends, or family – wherever they are!

GOVAN

MILTON

EASTERHOUSE

Big Porridge & Play has been created with and for children and supports families to tap into their imaginations for hours of joy, excitement, creative learning and connection.

Families across Scotland can join open sessions every Saturday morning at 10am from 30th May. There is a dedicated Children & Families Network Facebook Group and lots of ideas for things to do at home in between sessions.

HOW TO LICKETY ZOOM

Govan *NEW*

Tuesdays @ 3.30pm

Milton *NEW*

Wednesdays @ 3.30pm

Easterhouse *NEW*

Thursdays @ 3.30pm

Ruchill

Join the Open Sessions!
Community Sessions to be announced…

Whiteinch

Join the Open Sessions!
Community Sessions to be announced…

The Gorbals

Join the Open Sessions!
Community Sessions to be announced…

JOIN

 To take part in these free sessions, join the Children & Families Network (CFN) – an inclusive community of families who embrace children’s rights and imaginary play, at www.licketyspit.com/families/network and email/text Ruby: cfn@licketyspit.com / 07413 800 342.
Please get in touch if you would like to access our sessions but have limited online access and we will try to help you!

Our Open Sessions

Saturdays @ 10am from 30th May

FACEBOOK EVENT

Join the CFN Facebook Group here.

What we said

Being with children gives adults a reason to play, but we all need what children need, especially to help us cope with the current crisis – play helps us relax and access our limitless imaginations. 
Virginia Radcliffe, Artistic Director and CEO

The Coronavirus lockdown is a confusing and anxious time for many children as they find themselves separated from their daily routine and friendships. Playing with adults who take play as seriously as they do empowers children, and with parental engagement shown to be the biggest single factor in a child’s capacity to learn, playing together in Big Porridge & Play Online is a wonderful way to support children to flourish during lockdown.

Virginia Radcliffe, Artistic Director and CEO

It’s very important for us that children continue to have agency and autonomy in these sessions, to invent and delight in their own and others’ rich imaginations.  We can make each other laugh, and we can sing! 

Virginia Radcliffe, Artistic Director and CEO

We’re delighted that this wonderful family play project can still happen online and will be working with third sector colleagues to ensure digital inequality isn’t a barrier to families in the greatest need participating.

Virginia Radcliffe, Artistic Director and CEO

What our Families said

Their imagination has come on so much and they feel comfortable playing without any toys now.

Mum, Ruchill, 2018

We were looking forward to it all morning!

Mum, Gorbals, 2020

It’s so nice to see everyone after so many days!

Piyanshu, 8, Gorbals, 2020

I absolutely loved it! I felt energised after the session!

 

Emmanuel, 9, Maryhill, 2020

We enjoyed seeing others and being creative with everyone and we would love it to happen again.

Mum, Maryhill, 2020

It’s fun, relaxing, good for bonding with your child & reducing stress

Dad, Whiteinch, 2019

The post Govan, Milton, Easterhouse Online Sessions appeared first on Licketyspit.

]]> 7446 Storyplay Schools https://www.licketyspit.com/happening-storyplay-schools/ Tue, 23 Apr 2019 13:26:26 +0000 https://www.licketyspit.com/?p=4502 Storyplay Schools is a unique project designed to support the development of children’s literacy, language and confidence through the introduction of shared stories and inclusive play across the whole school community – children, families teachers and PSA’s. Residencies can include LicketyLeap, Playcard Play, Family Porridge & Play, Storyplay Champions (P6,P7 or parents/carers), Storyplay into [...]

The post Storyplay Schools appeared first on Licketyspit.

]]>

Storyplay Schools is a unique project designed to support the development of children’s literacy, language and confidence through the introduction of shared stories and inclusive play across the whole school community – children, families teachers and PSA’s.

Residencies can include LicketyLeap, Playcard Play, Family Porridge & Play, Storyplay Champions (P6,P7 or parents/carers), Storyplay into Literacy modules and more, designed with the school. Find out more here.

Licketyspit Storyplay Schools include:

Teachers and headteachers rave about the impact of Storyplay in their schools:

“Children who would normally be reluctant to contribute to discussions are willingly offering ideas and solutions as they are caught up in the imaginative world of Licketyspit.” 

Read more here or click here to read parent feedback.

The post Storyplay Schools appeared first on Licketyspit.

]]> 4502 Riverside Storyplay Freeze Frames https://www.licketyspit.com/riverside-term-2-story-frames/ Tue, 05 Mar 2019 17:19:03 +0000 https://www.licketyspit.com/?p=4225 Monday 4th March Storyplay Freeze Frames This week we started to put our stories in action by getting into character and creating freeze frames of some of the key moments. After practising leading some Lickety Playcard games including a quickfire round of What Are You Doing, everyone got into pairs and worked together to [...]

The post Riverside Storyplay Freeze Frames appeared first on Licketyspit.

]]>

Monday 4th March
Storyplay Freeze Frames

This week we started to put our stories in action by getting into character and creating freeze frames of some of the key moments.

After practising leading some Lickety Playcard games including a quickfire round of What Are You Doing, everyone got into pairs and worked together to bring each other’s stories to life.

It was great to see how everyone’s books are coming on too!

The post Riverside Storyplay Freeze Frames appeared first on Licketyspit.

]]> 4225 Storymaking featuring our Detectives https://www.licketyspit.com/riverside-term-2-2-2/ Fri, 22 Feb 2019 15:18:13 +0000 https://www.licketyspit.com/?p=4097 Wednesday 30th January Ickerickeroo and Wink Murder visited by a number of very interesting Detectives...

The post Storymaking featuring our Detectives appeared first on Licketyspit.

]]>

Wednesday 30th January
Ickerickeroo and Wink Murder visited by a number of very interesting Detectives…

The post Storymaking featuring our Detectives appeared first on Licketyspit.

]]> 4097 Storymaking featuring our Detectives https://www.licketyspit.com/riverside-term-2-detective-stories/ Fri, 22 Feb 2019 15:05:36 +0000 https://www.licketyspit.com/?p=4091 Friday 15th February Storywriting After a physical warm-up where we talked about stretching, slow-motion and the different ways we can use our bodies, we made a very unusual cake, and then did some quick thinking improvisation games to warm up our imaginations. Then, after break, everyone got their Detective Character out, picked a Place and an Object from [...]

The post Storymaking featuring our Detectives appeared first on Licketyspit.

]]>

Friday 15th February
Storywriting

After a physical warm-up where we talked about stretching, slow-motion and the different ways we can use our bodies, we made a very unusual cake, and then did some quick thinking improvisation games to warm up our imaginations. Then, after break, everyone got their Detective Character out, picked a Place and an Object from the Licketyspit cups, and created some truly fantastic stories! Before we started, the class gave Taz, Ruby and Miss Till some words – 63 year old woman called Lucy, a Volcano, and a Crystal….

Later, we held the first ‘Riverside Book Festival ‘ where K presented a graphic novel about Detective Kabushebab. C told us the story of Detective Husky and her leopard friends who attack village in jungle. We also heard the Mystery of Redbeard in a Cave on the beach…and we can’t wait to hear everyone else’s stories at the next Riverside Book Festival.

The post Storymaking featuring our Detectives appeared first on Licketyspit.

]]> 4091 Wink Murder in the Enchanted Forest https://www.licketyspit.com/riverside-term-2-week-4/ Thu, 14 Feb 2019 12:18:58 +0000 https://www.licketyspit.com/?p=4036 20th February 2019 Wink Murder, What Are You Doing, and how to explain the Licketyspit games. We were visited by several Detectives from far away places in Wink Murder today. Detective Scott came all the way from America, and Detective Carmen came from Japan! One of our dinner parties was in an Enchanted Forest, [...]

The post Wink Murder in the Enchanted Forest appeared first on Licketyspit.

]]>

20th February 2019
Wink Murder, What Are You Doing, and how to explain the Licketyspit games.

We were visited by several Detectives from far away places in Wink Murder today. Detective Scott came all the way from America, and Detective Carmen came from Japan! One of our dinner parties was in an Enchanted Forest, where an owl flew in and dropped a Magic Ring that made us sing when we tried it on. Then a knife appeared under a Red Rock, and we knew something was amiss. Sure enough, people started dying left right and centre, before the Detective found the Murderer!

The post Wink Murder in the Enchanted Forest appeared first on Licketyspit.

]]> 4036