“Very fun, engaging and hands-on. Dale was very enthusiastic and had lots of brilliant ideas and activities suitable for all. The best workshop I have attended in years.”
SM
Sarah Mc
Bangkok Patana College
That’s right… we call them FunShops. Why? Because workshops can be boring, and ours are absolutely not. From high energy one hour sessions through to full-day immersive experiences, our FunShops are built for students, staff and parents who want more than sitting, listening and PowerPoints.
Delivered face to face in over 25 countries around the world by The School of Play team, FunShops are our flagship offering and the foundation of what we built our brand upon. Expect laughter, connection, movement, learning, reflection and moments people actually remember.
What a room of 200 students looks like, three minutes in. Sound up.
What a room of 200 students looks like, three minutes in. Sound up. This is the actual energy in the room when a School of Play FunShop hits its stride: students moving, staff laughing, and a shared language of play forming in real time.
Enquire about a FunShop →From Bangkok to Brisbane, Singapore to Qatar — FunShops travel wherever the school community is.
We tailor every FunShop to the room. Tell us your week, your size and your goals and we'll design the session.
Single class or staff session
Year level or staff PD
Whole-school takeover
Conference or retreat
Send a quick brief: age group, audience, goals, date. We will be back to you within one business day.
30 minutes to understand your school, your culture and what success looks like.
We design a session tailored to your context: agenda, activities, equipment, run sheet.
We arrive ready. Kids, staff and parents have the kind of session they will still talk about next term.
Photos, debrief and follow-up resources in your inbox within 48 hours.
FunShops are designed for every person in the building — students, teachers, parents and conference audiences alike.
Movement, mindfulness and connection games tailored to age group.
Energising team sessions that double up as an incredible PD where staff will learn how to utilise the superpowers of play within their classrooms the very next day.
Take the joy of play over the school fence and into your families homes to help spark connection and improved wellbeing.
Keynotes and breakout sessions, fully customised to the audience.
Every FunShop is end-to-end facilitated. Show up, make space, and let us handle the rest.
Every FunShop follows the same arc, from arrival energy to genuine connection. Here's what a typical session looks like.
Big energy, music up, instant ice-breakers. The room finds its pulse.
Cooperative games that shift the body and the mood; laughter is mandatory.
Smaller-circle reflections, partner challenges, gratitude rituals.
Real stories from real schools: what changed, what stuck, what to take home.
Each participant walks out with three things they will try this week.
Photos, session notes and follow-up resources land in your inbox within 48 hours.
Every FunShop is led by Dale, Paul or a vetted member of the core team, never an outsourced trainer with a script. The energy in the room comes from people who've done it five hundred times before.
Founding Director
Dale serves as the internationally recognised founding director of The School of Play, ClassBreak, Energetic Education and Jugar Life. He brings over twenty years of experience in education and health. He authored All Work No Play and hosts the Energetic Radio podcast. As a TEDx speaker, he has engaged audiences across 25 countries.
Director
Paul contributes more than twenty years of comprehensive educational experience. His career evolved from dedicated classroom teaching to accomplished Assistant Principal roles, with emphasis on fostering wellbeing and positive education. Beyond classroom work, he has collaborated with professional athletes and prestigious sporting clubs on player welfare, including a recent position at the Collingwood Football Club.
School of Play core facilitators
For multi-day events or back-to-back regional tours, our core team of vetted educators co-facilitates with Dale and Paul. Every facilitator is trained on the same play-based methodology.
Real words from real schools. No cherry-picking — these are the messages that land in our inbox after every session.
“Very fun, engaging and hands-on. Dale was very enthusiastic and had lots of brilliant ideas and activities suitable for all. The best workshop I have attended in years.”
“Dale's keynote was the opening session and we couldn't have asked for a better start. Within the first few minutes he had the audience moving and laughing. He provided simple practical tips that we can all use every day to support mental health and well-being.”
“Unprecedented times, yet one thing stays true: people want to find happiness and joy in life. Dale did such a great job with our staff, we put on a second session for our clients.”
Can't find what you're looking for? Drop us a line and we'll get back to you within one business day.
Real answers, real humans.
No bots, no run-arounds.
Most schools book 4–8 weeks ahead. We can sometimes accommodate shorter notice, just ask. International bookings need 8–12 weeks for travel logistics.
Anywhere. We've delivered FunShops across 25+ countries, from Warrnambool to Singapore, Melbourne to Manchester. International travel costs are added at cost.
Every FunShop has indoor and outdoor formats baked in. We arrive ready to flip the plan; kids barely notice the difference.
Yes, and many schools do. A morning FunShop with students, an afternoon PD session with staff. Everyone walks away with the same shared experience.
Almost nothing. We send a one-page logistics checklist two weeks out: usually just a hall or oval, basic AV (mic + speakers if available), a list of any kids who can't run/jump, and a friendly staff face for arrival. We bring everything else.
We facilitate end-to-end. Staff are welcome to join in (we encourage it, modelling matters), but you don't need to assign anyone to run anything. We arrive, deliver and pack up.
Yes. We tailor the format to age: primary skews toward cooperative games and storytelling, secondary toward leadership challenges and reflective rituals. Same arc, different language.
Yes. We've worked with schools navigating bereavement, restructure, conflict and SEL crisis. Tell us the context on the discovery call and we'll design accordingly; no one outside your team ever hears specifics.
Pre-event consultation call, full facilitation, all equipment + materials, photos and a session debrief, plus optional follow-up resources for staff. International travel is added at cost; nothing else is hidden.
Tell us what you need and we will design the rest. Every FunShop is custom-built around your goals, your students and your context.
