early years

Participants enjoy an outdoor PlayTime.

"You have created such rich opportunities. Look how immersed my granddaughter is! It's delightful that you have the confidence to take the children's lead and allow them to shape the play".

Grandparent

"We often find ourselves carrying on playing games connected to the theme we explored.
It shapes our whole day!"
Parent

"You're such a fantastic storyteller! You hold the children spellbound with all the fantastic actions and different character's voices.

I love watching them all sitting utterly engaged!"
Parent

"You had such a wide range age of children at your Make Sunday Special superhero workshop but everyone was engaged, creating and happy. Brilliant!"

Community Event Organiser

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PlayTime

We love play. We love how it enriches everyone. We particularly know how vitally important it is for the healthy development of young children.

Brave Bold Drama's first ever funded community art project was a series of imaginative play sessions called PlayTime back in 2014.

These sessions encourage high quality, immersive and imaginative play between children and their carers in early years' settings, libraries and at community events.

Between September 2014 and January 2016 we were funded by Hengrove Community Arts Fund. Bristol City Council Creative Seed Fund and B&NES to deliver weekly PlayTimes in Southern Links Children's Centre, Hartcliffe Children's Centre, Knowle West Children's Centre and Radstock Children's Centre in partnership with Victoria Hall, Radstock.

We also delivered a week of PlayTimes in June 2018 during Children's Art Week in children's centres and libraries in Bishopsworth, Withywood, Hartcliffe and Stockwood. We have created bespoke themed PlayTimes for many organisations including St Werburgh's City Farm, Ashton Vale Hub, Speedwell Nursery and Gloucester Library.

free early years resources

The Importance of Battenberg Cake

A free audio story for 2-5 year olds made especially in support of Pyjamarama Day, 1st May 2020, a nationwide event by Booktrust to encourage support for their work, ensuring all children have access to stories as they are growing up.

Written and performed by Gill Simmons with important suggestions from Iggy, Daniel and Adam who requested the story include clouds, a frog, a fairy, a dragon, a snow leopard, a car park and the colours yellow and pink.

Watch the film first, then listen to the story.

Gill Simmons · The Importance Of Battenberg Cake

Hop Aboard! is an early years story written collaboratively by members of our BS13 Creative Writing Group.