Engagement activities for children and young people

Tried and tested creative ideas to get children and young adults to engage with co-production of the Local Offer and SEND services.

Check out the Enagagement Framework to plan the whole delivery of the work, and get the most from these activities.

teenagers making collage sitting on the floor

Week in the life

a day in the life collage with a line and ages and cut and pasted images of live events

This is a visual, hands-on activity that helps people share their everyday experiences through creating personal timelines.

Puppet shows for co-production

two puppets looking out of windows in a play house

Puppet shows provide a powerful, non-threatening medium for children and young people with SEND to express their views, experiences, and ideas.

Prompt cards

prompt card showing images about Money

Prompt Cards are visual collages that help start and guide discussions about different aspects of life.

Interviews

a woman being interviews by a man

This is a useful way to make sure that you're asking the right questions. The idea is to take your ideas of how people think, check your assumptions, and then use open questions to interview people.

I like, I wish, What if...?

The worksheet for

"I Like, I Wish, What If?" is a friendly, structured way to gather feedback and ideas. It breaks down thoughts into three simple categories that help people express their experiences and hopes for the future.

Peer to peer filming

three primary school children filming each other on mobile phones

Peer to peer filming puts young people in charge as researchers, using video to capture their peers' views and experiences.

Creating soap operas

a group of teenagers with filming equipment

The Soap Opera method uses creative storytelling to explore experiences and aspirations through character creation and plot development. It helps people share their views through familiar TV soap formats.

Mini me activity

a girl is playing with a mini me in a dolls house

Mini me uses creative art and crafts to help people create small versions of themselves or characters, then use these to explore their hopes, dreams, and ideal futures.