Carly Budd Developmental Play Academy

I LOVE this kinda chic trend 👌

And actually, I think it’s kinda chic to really understand baby and toddler play…when you’re an Advanced Developmental Play Practitioner with me 🤩

Imagine a parent saying to you, “He is SO frustrated at the moment. He’s getting really cross & I don’t know what’s going on.”… & you’re able to watch him and start putting the pieces together.

You notice the way he’s shifting his weight, pushing through his arms, reaching, trying to move himself forwards & getting annoyed because his body isn’t quite doing what he wants it to do yet.

And you can say to his parent, “Actually, I think he might be getting really close to crawling. Look at what he’s doing here…”

It’s kinda chic to be able to see that.

To understand what those movements are telling you, explain it to the parent & then know how you can support that baby through the play they’re already doing at home.

And it’s kinda chic to know that when a baby is finding something tricky, you don’t just have to move on to something else. You can work out why it’s tricky & what you can change to help.

It’s kinda chic to know when to progress something, when to make it easier, when to adapt it & when to simply honour where that baby is right now.

Because I don’t just teach you a list of activities!! Yes, you’ll get hundreds of play ideas in my manuals, because of course I want you to have loads of inspiration & things you can draw on.

But the really important bit is that I teach you to SEE underneath the activity …to understand the WHY and the HOW.

Why this position, this movement? What is this baby working towards? What are they telling you? How can you support them without taking over?

And when you understand that, you don’t need to follow a script. You can meet a baby you’ve never met before, watch what they’re doing & think, I know what I’m seeing here.

That’s the feeling I want you to leave my training with… Not just a list of activities, but the confidence to observe, understand, problem solve & support the baby and family in front of you.

Because honestly… it’s kinda chic to know what to do with what you see as a Developmental Play Practitioner ✨

www.carlybudd.co.uk

✨ Play, here, there and everywhere ✨

For a number of years, I’ve been proud to be an official Playday England Champion (you can even spot me featured on the official Playday org website) 🤩

This year’s theme feels especially close to my heart because, as a Paediatric Occupational Therapist, I know that play is not just something children do.

Play is how children learn.
Play is how children connect.
Play is how children explore movement, develop skills and discover the world around them.

But for some children, accessing play is not always straightforward.

That’s why I created my training programmes, to help practitioners understand child development through a neurological lens.

Understanding typical development gives us the foundations to:

💚 Support babies and children as they develop their movement, play and learning skills
💚 Confidently guide and empower parents to support their child’s development
💚 Recognise when a child’s developmental pathway may look different
💚 Create truly inclusive spaces where every child has opportunities to participate

Because inclusion comes from understanding.

When we understand how children develop, we can see the individual child in front of us, not just a milestone, an age or a checklist.

Because play really is for every child.

Including babies who:
💚 Need support to find comfortable ways to move and explore
💚 Have differences in their early movement development
💚 Are born early or have additional needs
💚 Need adults around them to understand how to adapt opportunities for play

Inclusion is not about changing the child.
It is about changing the environment.
Changing our approach.
Seeing the possibilities.

Play can happen here, there and everywhere:

🌿 Outdoors
🏡 At home
🧸 In early years settings
🤲 Through connection
👣 Through movement and exploration

Every child deserves the opportunity to experience the joy, freedom and developmental benefits of play.

That’s something I’ll always champion. 💚

🏖️ I’m off on my holiwolibolibobs, gang! ✨

I’ll be taking some proper family time and will get back to all emails, enquiries and marking when I’m back.

Thanks so much for your patience 💛💙

Meanwhile don’t forget you can sign up to my courses at any time via my website www.carlybudd.co.uk 🤗

✨ Behind every achievement is a story that most people don’t see…

It was so lovely to see the Occupational Therapy Excellence Awards feature in the latest OT Today magazine ✨🤩

I still feel incredibly grateful to have been recognised again this year, receiving an OT Excellence Award alongside an Award of Merit.

My first OT Excellence Awards were in 2024, where I was fortunate enough to win three awards. Looking back, that was a really pivotal moment in my journey.

Standing in a room full of passionate occupational therapists reminded me how much I missed being with children and families. Although I loved building my Academy and creating training, the clinical side of me was still very much there. In September 2024, I returned to clinical practice with Lead OT Aaron Preston l OT Team across Essex alongside continuing to grow my training work.

Now I get to bring together the things I love most: supporting children and families, training professionals, and supervising and mentoring other occupational therapists.

But behind the awards, it hasn’t always been easy.

Creating something new and stepping away from the traditional path can feel lonely at times. There isn’t always a roadmap, and there have been many moments where I’ve questioned myself, my decisions and whether people would see the value in what I was building.

I’ve also learnt that being generous with your knowledge, ideas and time needs boundaries too. Protecting my energy and recognising the value of what I create doesn’t mean I’m any less passionate about collaboration and supporting others.

This journey has taught me to trust my experience, embrace a different path and recognise that there isn’t just one way to make an impact as an occupational therapist.

So this recognition means so much. Not just because of the award, but because it’s a reminder that different paths can still create meaningful change.

Congratulations to all of this year’s finalists and winners 🏆 and thank you to everyone who has supported me, trusted me, trained with me, worked alongside me and encouraged me along the way. I’m genuinely grateful 🙏

www.carlybudd.co.uk

You don’t need to become “the expert” (I’ve never liked that word!).

But you can become the person who truly understands development and who families feel confident turning to for support and guidance.

The person parents come to when they want to better understand their baby or toddler.

The person parents seek out because they know you have a deeper understanding of development, play and early intervention.

The person who can confidently support babies and toddlers through meaningful, developmentally informed play.

Through the Advanced Practitioner in Developmental Play 0–3 Years Programme, you will gain the knowledge, confidence and practical tools to create and deliver:

✨ Baby and toddler play classes

✨ Developmental play programmes

✨ Parent and baby workshops

✨ Parent education groups

✨ Parent mentoring and guidance

✨ Family support sessions

✨ One-to-one developmental support

✨ Early intervention services

✨ Inclusive and accessible play spaces for babies and toddlers with disabilities

Whether you are dreaming of creating your own baby and toddler service or looking to embed this knowledge into the work you already do, this programme has been designed to help you take that next step.

Because understanding development is about so much more than knowing what milestone comes next.

It is about understanding the foundations that support babies and toddlers to learn, move, connect and play.

It is about giving parents confidence, helping them understand their child, and creating opportunities for children to thrive.

Train with me this summer offer with £330 off the Advanced Practitioner in Developmental Play 0–3 Years Programme and become the person parents turn to when they need support, guidance and a deeper understanding of their child’s development.

Comment PLAY or send me a message and I’ll share all the details 🌱

www.carlybudd.co.uk

I think about this a lot…

Those of you who are new here, or who haven’t signed up to my training yet, do you really understand what I’m trying to share? Because the Developmental Play Academy® has never been about simply giving people a list of activities or ideas to fill a session.

It’s about understanding child development through a neurodevelopmental lens. Understanding the “why” behind what we are doing, and understanding how we can adapt experiences to support individual children.

It’s about recognising that the things we do with children often have a much bigger purpose than what we see on the surface.

A simple play experience is not just about keeping a child busy. It’s about understanding what that experience is supporting in their developing brain and body.

For example, tummy time isn’t just tummy time. It’s supporting developing muscles, movement patterns, body awareness and postural stability, helping babies build confidence and security within their own bodies.

These foundations matter because they support how children move, explore, engage and participate as they grow.

My mission has always been to empower practitioners to create developmentally appropriate and safe play spaces, and in turn give parents the confidence to take more play into everyday life at home.

Not through fancy equipment or complicated activities, but through simple, meaningful experiences and a deeper understanding of children. And yes I do share 100s of practical ideas of HOW to do this too!

Whether that knowledge is used as a standalone programme, embedded into baby and parent services, charity programmes, health and social care, early years settings or therapeutic sessions, the foundations remain the same.

Taking specialist knowledge from a registered health professional and Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist with over 20 years’ experience working with children and families, and making it practical and accessible for the people around children.

Because when we support the adults around children, the impact reaches so much further.

That has always been the heart of what I do. ✨

www.carlybudd.co.uk

Connections. Collaboration. Celebration. 💞🥂

Lots to be grateful for today. 🙏

I’ve had the pleasure of making some wonderful connections with inspiring women in the parent, baby and training space, alongside welcoming new practitioners into the Developmental Play Academy all whilst being home with my kids this summer holidays!

It’s always exciting to see the diversity of people choosing to train with me. So far we have baby class leaders and parent coaches as well as charity organisations and social care professionals wanting to deepen their knowledge - every person brings a different perspective and will go on to make a difference in their own community!

I love that this training isn’t about fitting into one profession or one role. It can be embedded in so many different settings, all with the shared goal of giving babies, young children and their families the very best start - providing spaces that empower parents and put the power into play!

Feeling incredibly grateful today. 💛

Find out more at www.carlybudd.co.uk

A personal one from me 💞

Today marks the end of an era as my daughter finishes Year 6 and says goodbye to primary school.

She has had the most wonderful primary school experience, and we feel incredibly lucky. As a family, we couldn’t have wished for a better school community to help shape the amazing young person she has become.

The years really do fly. It only feels like yesterday I was holding her hand as we walked through those school gates for the very first time, and now here we are at the end of that chapter.

I feel so grateful that I’ve been able to be such a big part of her journey. Watching her grow has been one of the greatest privileges of my life, and somewhere along the way she’s become someone I’m genuinely proud to call my friend.

Faye is kind, caring and wears her heart on her sleeve. She’s an incredible writer, an advocate for others, fiercely protective of animals and the environment, and never afraid to stand up for what she believes is right.

And whilst one chapter closes and begins for Faye, another continues for my gorgeous boy, Oscar, as he heads into Year 5.

After a really tough year, Oscar has shown such incredible resilience and perseverance. Despite so much, he has continued to shine, keeping his beautiful sunshine, his kindness and his wonderful spirit. Watching him navigate challenges with such strength has made me incredibly proud. I know brighter days are ahead, and I can’t wait to see him continue to grow and flourish.

To both of my beautiful children, thank you for making me proud every single day. Being your mum is the greatest privilege of my life. I am so grateful I have been able to work around these short primary school years.

Faye, enjoy your next adventure at secondary school. Oscar, here’s to a fresh start in Year 5. I love you both more than words could ever say. ❤️