What is Sunshine Circles?
Sunshine Circles® is a group based on Theraplay® principles that focuses on the social and emotional development of children. Sunshine Circles® gives children an opportunity to practice their self-regulation skills, co-regulation skills and to feel encouraged to have a go at achievable challenges. Educators lead playful, cooperative and nurturing activities to create an atmosphere of fun, caring, acceptance and encouragement. The goal is to enhance children’s social, emotional and cognitive development.
Children embrace the three rules of Sunshine Circles®… No Hurts, Stick Together and Have Fun!... and carry them with them throughout the day. Sunshine Circles® provides educators with the resources to maintain an emotionally positive and cognitively enriched environment.
Building Relationships from the Inside Out
Learn how to introduce this amazing, evidence based, social-emotional development group to your kindergarten or school. Sunshine Circles® are adult-directed and structured, but rather than talking, the teacher leads playful, cooperative and nurturing activities. Sunshine Circles® can very quickly and dramatically improve the quality of the classroom and provide teachers with resources to maintain an emotionally positive and cognitively enriched environment.
Benefits
Creates environments that are warm, nurturing, engaging and challenging
Meets the basic needs of children so they can be free emotionally to explore the world
Promotes warm relationships between children, adults and peers
Encourages self-control and cooperation
Engages hard-to-reach children, and those with hyperactivity and sensory issues
Brings fun and exuberance into the lives of children
Enhances trust of others through concrete, personal and positive experiences
Addresses a child's cognitive, social and emotional development
How is it applied?
Sunshine Circles® can be used with children of any age, but is best known for pre-school/early years ages.
Read Research on its application here.
Watch how one Victorian early years program uses Sunshine Circles®.
"I loved the Sunshine Circles training- it has been the best professional development training I have attended. The principles make so much sense for the children we work with & the activities/ tools provided are simple & easy ways to respond to a variety of needs. I’ve since gone on to develop my skills further in Sunshine Circles as I have seen so much benefit for the children I’ve worked with. Can’t speak more highly of the program & recommend it for anyone who has the opportunity and wishes to learn responsive tools for working with children."
- Social Worker/ Senior Early Years Practitioner
“I’d like to say a huge thank you for the wonderful training on Monday and Tuesday. I absolutely loved it and got SO much out of it. I’m really excited to be able to apply it to my role next year as I’ll be delivering Sunshine Circles in the area.”
- Sunshine Circles participant
Attend a Workshop
Sunshines Circles® is for teachers, educators, support staff and the professionals who support them; social workers, school counsellors/psychologists, and early childhood specialists.
In-House Training
If you have group of 10 to 36 staff from your centre or a cluster of local centre we can come to you.
2 day workshop at your location
1 Trainer per 18 participants
Sunshine Circles® Manual, workbook and certificate for each participant
1 hour post-workshop review via Zoom
from $8,500 +gst
(and travel costs where applicable)
Email Compass to discuss your group training needs.