Porridge & Play is an inter-generational imaginary play session for children under 12 and their families, based on the Licketyspit repertoire of 38 games, rhymes, songs, traditional street-play and imaginary play.

What happens in Porridge & Play?

In Porridge & Play sessions, Licketyspit’s actor-pedagogues lead a fun and relaxed play session full of fantastic games, songs and imaginary play. Participants are regularly invited to contribute ideas and lead the rest of the group in aspects of the play. Even families who don’t know each other quickly become a group, creating stories and characters and going on imaginary adventures together!

Sessions also include a delicious meal of fruit, crusty bread, porridge for breakfast or homemade soup for lunch. The session ends with reflective drawing and the Licketyspit Gallery, where everyone presents their drawing and talks about what they thought about the session.

The games are illustrated in the Lickety Playcards, a set of 32 A5 cards with song words, game instructions and colourful illustrations for each Porridge & Play activity.

Watch videos of some of the Playcard activities here.

Porridge & Play is delivered in schools, nurseries and in communities – we have Porridge & Play Hubs in lots of communities around Glasgow. Storyplay Champion volunteers are trained to support the sessions. Each block of sessions ends with a celebration event where the groups share the games, rhymes, songs and any performances they have created through the Storyplay activities, with their extended family and friends.

Our P&P Hubs

– Bridgeton

– Castlemilk

– Cranhill

– Govan

– Gorbals

– Ruchill & Maryhill

– Whiteinch

We also do Porridge & Play ONLINE – find out more here.

Watch to find out more!

‘Licketyspit Big Porridge & Play Glasgow 2019’

BPPG 2019 film.

Porridge & Play was developed in response to parents and carers in north Glasgow whose children participated in LicketyLeap. They were astonished and delighted at their children’s confidence and creativity. They asked us, ‘how can we do more of this?!’

Porridge & Play was our response. The sessions are carefully crafted to develop children’s creativity, social skills, confidence and relationships, and we regularly consult children and their adults about how we can improve and develop the sessions.

Adults need and enjoy play as much as children do. It is wonderful for families to play together and to have a story-rich, fun family culture. The imaginary play within Porridge & Play is powerful. People can welcome each other to their homes in imaginary playworlds! We have been to Nigeria, Poland and Pakistan in our Magic Ball! This project exemplifies Licketyspit’s ambitions to empower children, to raise their status in society, to strengthen relationships in families and communities.

Big Porridge & Play Glasgow (2017-present) is supported by the National Lottery Community Fund

New Porridge & Play Hubs (2021-2022) was supported by the New Scots Integration Strategy

Check out the Porridge & Play Blog!