Playful Learning 2026 Programme
Wednesday 1st July 2026
| 💡 Spotlight Activities throughout the day: 🔦 Game On: Boosting Teamworking Skills Through Playful Learning 🔦 Brave THINGS LAB: A Drop-In space for Playful Courage | |
| 10:00 | ✍️ Registration and Coffee, Bramber House 3rd Floor |
| 11:00 – 11:30 | 👋 Welcome to Playful Learning 2026, Terrace Room |
| 11:30 – 12:15 | 🔑♪ Keynote 1, Terrace Room – Elrika Erasmus When the Woods Darken: Playful Ways of Working with Long Shadows |
| 12:15 – 13:00 | 🌳 Making Connections |
| 13:00 – 13:45 | 🥗 Lunch |
| 13:45 – 14:30 | |
| 14:45 – 15:30 | |
| 15:30 – 16:00 | ☕️ Break |
| 16:00 – 16:45 | |
| 16:45 | ⌛️ Finish / Free time |
| 18:30 | 🥘 Conference BBQ (Northfield Bar) Including optional activities: The Bark Choir (part 1) (Meeting House Chapel) All play and no work? Taskmaster and a lot of ducks |
Thursday 2nd July 2026
| 💡 Spotlight Activities throughout the day: 🔦 Lego Serious Play in HE (Lego Community drop-in) 🔦 The virtues of getting lost and then getting found again: mapmaking for philosophers | |
| 08:00 | 🍳 Breakfast and optional campus run or walk or forest bathing Forest Bathing – a slow, mindful walk where curiosity is the destination (advance sign-up required, places limited to 10) |
| 09:30 – 10:00 | 👋 Welcome to Day 2, Terrace Room |
| 10:00 – 10:45 | |
| 10:45 – 11:00 | ☕️ Break (15 min) |
| 11:00 – 11:45 | |
| 12:00 – 12:45 | |
| 12:45 – 13:30 | 🥗 Lunch |
| 13:30 – 14:15 | 🔑♪ Keynote 2, Terrace Room – Alex Moseley Higher Education is a game. So let’s play! |
| 14:30 – 15:15 | |
| 15:30 – 16:15 | |
| 16:15 – 16:30 | ☕️ Break (15 min) |
| 16:30: 17:15 | |
| 17:15 | ⌛️Finish / Free time |
| 18:30 | 🥘 Chill out night – beer, street food and games on campus (Meeting House). Including optional activities: Board Game Hyper-jam ’26 The Bark Choir (part 2) (Meeting House Chapel) |
Friday 3rd July 2026
| 💡 Spotlight Activities throughout the day: 🔦 The playful nature of memes for reflection and community building 🔦 Unlock the Fun 2.0: Playtest a New Transferable Escape Room Template | |
| 08:00 | 🍳 Breakfast and optional forest bathing Forest Bathing – a slow, mindful walk where curiosity is the destination (advance sign-up required, places limited to 10) |
| 09:30 – 10:15 | |
| 10:15 – 10:30 | ☕️ Break (15 min) |
| 10:30 – 11:15 | |
| 11:30 – 12:15 | |
| 12:15 – 1245 | 🥗 Grab a Light Lunch |
| 12:45 – 13:45 | 🌁 Cultivating Curiousity: What Does an Idea Need to Grow? Terrace Room, Final Activities and celebrations |
| 13:45 – 14:00 | 👋 Conference Close |
| 14:00 | 🚂 Depart |
Other Activities
| Ongoing | Attending all the sessions is not required! The lounge and corridor spaces host a range of games and self-guided activities you can do between or instead of a session: 🔦 “Encounters with the Creatures of the SoTL Labyrinth“ Feel free to explore the campus. Other local opportunities such as swimming and trips to the beach will be updated soon. |
| Chill Out | If you need some quiet space away from the conference at any time, then head to the far end of the conference area. Our chill out room is there when you need it, or speak to the reception team if you need anything else. |
No need to confirm your choices now – you can choose on the day depending on what interests you!