Pathway to Childhood Practice students have launched a new initiative Peep and Play Group at Forth Valley College, offering fun and educational sessions for families across Alloa, Falkirk, and Stirling.
The sessions, which run in four-week blocks, began in November and will return in January and March. Aimed at parents and carers with children from birth to five, Peep and Play provides a welcoming space to share songs, stories, and activities that support children’s language and development through play and everyday life. Importantly, all sessions are free of charge.
Each week, groups of four to five students carefully plan, resource, and deliver the sessions. Supporting students also take responsibility for welcoming families, signing them in, and monitoring health and safety. This is the first year the College has adopted the Peep and Play approach, replacing the traditional NC student nursery and primary school placements.
Hosting the sessions in-house gives students full ownership of the experience. They must create inclusive environments, design play activities suited to varied ages and stages, and differentiate for individual needs. Students lead story and song time, while also engaging directly with parents, carers, and childminders.
Each session welcomes eight walking children, plus younger siblings and their parents or carers. Due to the success and high demand, numbers have been increased to ten walking children for the January block. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with the College’s mailbox filling up as families who attended in November rushed to pre-book their January places to ensure they didn’t miss out.
Sian, a Falkirk student, reflected on the difference this initiative has made to her learning: “When I volunteered in settings before, I was always engaging in play and had planned some experiences, but now we have full responsibility for the play space. We must consider risk assessments and lead story and song time ourselves. It’s a big responsibility, but it’s giving us so much learning to support our next steps to HNC.”
Staff across the campuses have praised the students’ dedication. Lecturers Gemma Dempsey and Nicola McArthur support the Falkirk groups, Laura John oversees Alloa, and Janet Gowran leads Stirling. All have expressed pride in the students’ achievements.
Gemma Dempsey, said: “We are so proud of our students. They have worked incredibly hard to create welcoming and inclusive spaces where children are having fun and the students themselves are demonstrating amazing leadership and communication skills.”
Peep and Play Benefits for Families and Students:
- For families: A free, friendly environment to support children’s development and enjoy shared activities.
- For students: Practical experience in planning, risk assessment, leadership, and communication — skills essential for progression to HNC and beyond.
- For the community: Stronger connections between the College and local families, with children benefitting from creative, language-rich play.
