About

THE KIDS PLAY SPACE PHILOSOPHY

• that children’s independence in everyday activities can be supported in many small, meaningful ways every day
• that children’s primary occupation is play, and through play, children’s learning is the deepest and most valuable
• that all children have the right to play, regardless of socio-economic status, living environment, family situation and level of education, ability/disability and so on…
• that children deserve as many opportunities as possible to lead their own play

And what’s more…

• that adults have a responsibility to advocate for the rights of children
• that children presenting with specific developmental difficulties can be encouraged with certain activity prompts, appropriate facilitation and environmental consideration
• that ‘the simple things in life are often the best’ – less screens, batteries and ‘plastic fantastic’; and more natural, recycled, and readily accessible loose parts and tools
• that cardboard boxes are way under-rated!!!

The creator and author of Kids Play Space is Anna Meadows, a self-declared “passionate paediatric occupational therapist and fierce play advocate”.

Anna Meadows is a passionate paediatric occupational therapist and fierce play advocate. 

In the search for a career combining creativity, science and caring for people, Anna feels like she totally hit the jackpot!

Since graduating with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (LaTrobe University, Melbourne,1997), Anna has enjoyed working with both adults and children in Australia and the United Kingdom. Her career spans a wide range of settings – from hospitals and rehabilitation centres to community health services, special and mainstream schools, the disability sector and early intervention. Anna describes working closely with people struggling in their daily lives and their families as immensely rewarding and humbling.

In 2009, with a growing sense of social justice, and being deeply concerned with community development and public health, Anna devoured the World Health Organisation’s concept of ‘Health for All’ in a Graduate Certificate of Health Promotion.

Anna particularly loves working with children with Autism, developmental delays and sensory processing issues; and has worked in a busy, private practice team in Melbourne, Australia, since 2014. Anna loves that Kids Connect Therapy, values play as both the means and goal of therapy. In addition to specialised sensory integration training (the Alert Program-How Does My Engine Run?, and the Wilbarger Sensory Defensiveness-Brushing Protocol), she has completed Stages 1 and 2 of the  DIR® Floortime™ training, a model which forms the basis for the play based social skills group programs facilitated by OT/Speech Pathology teams through the clinic.

Anna shines the spotlight on PLAY – children’s primary occupation. 

Children learn, grow and pass some of their happiest moments while in the flow of play. Keen to nurture and promote children’s right to play, Anna decided to study play and playwork. She is currently completing thePlayworker Development Course through Pop-Up Adventure Play.

Anna is also a speaker/trainer, available for training workshops and presentations, offering a range of customisable, on-site packages, for parents, carers, and educators/teachers at community settings including: schools, kinders and early childhood centres.

Kids Play Space is Anna’s “labour of love” combining:

therapy expertise,

a love for childhood development &

a serious respect for play!