Humanitarian Play Lab

A para-counsellor is attached to each of the centers to ensure the well-being of the children through observation and conversations with parents and community members.

Humanitarian Play Labs aim to:

• Provide children age 3-5 in crisis settings with play-based learning for their healing and well-being.
• Ensure that – through play – children develop their physical, cognitive, language, and social-emotional skills in a safe, joyful, and child-friendly environment.
• Help children build coping and resilience skills to foster their holistic development and well-being.
• Support children to develop positive attitudes, understand their emotions, and show empathy to others.
• Nurture children’s spontaneity through a play-based curriculum and support the development of their creative skills.
• Create spaces with Rohingya communities to share their thoughts, feelings, and opinions and foster their unique culture through co-created approaches and active community engagement.
• Create a supportive environment for children that extends to caregivers and the wider community.

Humanitarian Play Lab

Who we
worked with

Children ages 3–5
who are refugees

Where we
worked

Bangladesh

How we delivered content

In person – facility & home
Play leaders and para-counsellors facilitate culturally grounded, playful activities

Frequency
.

Scheduled
Delivered 2 hours a day, 5 days a week for 1 year

Program Content and Delivery

Play Leaders deliver a culturally relevant curriculum with play activities, flash cards, art and crafts, activity books, storybooks, and Watch, Play, Learn: Early Learning Videos. Themes encompass playfulness, communication, problem-solving, conflict resolution, self-regulation, social competence, and confidence building. Each two hour session follows a structured format, including “Time to Say Hello,” “Rhymes and Storytelling,” “Moving and Doing,” “Drawing and Creating,” “Play as You Wish,” “Watch, Play, Learn,” and “Time to Say Goodbye.”

Play Leaders use an approach characterized by active listening, empathy, non-judgment, and confidentiality. The center-based curriculum incorporates Rohingya cultural practices. Caregivers participate in monthly meetings on mental health, self-care, and interactions, and group sessions on well-being and child development. Community-driven design enhancements have helped to make the centers more culturally inclusive, emphasizing the importance of physical play in Rohingya children’s development. The home-based curriculum is adapted from the center-based curriculum, for use with smaller groups of children.

Storybooks

Culturally-relevant stories for Rohingya children used in Humanitarian Play Labs

Vooo

Elmo’s Hotchpotch

Going Fishing

Rain on the Green Grass

The Little Frog Princess

Let Us Smell the Flowers

Fun with Friends

Colorful Birds

Training and Supervision

This program relies on trained Play Leaders and Project Assistants, primarily from the Rohingya community, and para-counsellors who provide psychosocial support to children. Each center is staffed with two Play Leaders, overseen by a seven-person committee of Rohingya community members. This manual provides an overview of the staff structure and qualifications.

Para-counsellors, recruited from another program, support ten centers and make two to three visits daily to observe sessions and provide guidance to Play Leaders. BRAC staff receive a comprehensive training to become Master Trainers. Master Trainers conduct a five-day basic training program for staff and volunteers in Humanitarian Play Labs, as well as customized monthly refresher sessions.

Training Manuals

Basic and refresher training guides for various staff who deliver Humanitarian Play Labs

Basic Training Guidelines for Play Leaders

Basic Training Guidelines for Field Assistants

Basic Training Guidelines for Managers, Organizers, Program Assistants, and Para-counsellors

Training Module of Psychosocial Support

Training of Trainers Guidelines

Refresher Training

Monitoring and Evaluation

BRAC collects data about registration, attendance, activities, referrals, and adherence to quality standards from Humanitarian Play Lab centers on a regular basis. This data, including children’s attendance and curriculum implementation quality, informs program implementation. Monitoring tools include observation checklists to evaluate interactions between Play Leaders and children, environmental conditions, and program alignment with its objectives. Monitoring Officers routinely collect and share this data with program staff for necessary adjustments.

A research team validated and/or adapted several quantitative outcome measurement tools for the program, covering areas such as child development and maternal psychological well-being. The research includes process documentation, qualitative implementation assessment, and impact evaluations on child development and maternal well-being.

Outcomes and Scale 

Partners

BRAC

Play to Learn

Sesame Workshop