Spirited Play Labs Social Hangouts
Introducing our newest pilot program; Berkeley-based social groups that are focused on the felt experience of belonging and safety for neurodivergent children ages 7-12 years old.
Care & Belonging for Community: Social Groups
DETAILS
- $349/month with a 3 month commitment
- Starts in March, June, September, & December
- Self-choose day to attend
- 75 minute weekly sessions
- WED 3:30-4:45pm or 5-6:15pm
- FRI 3:30-4:45pm or 5-6:15pm
- 7-12 years old
- Max 4 kids
- 1 facilitator
PREREQUISITE
- Internal buy-in to stay in the room
- Showing social interest, which can include:
- Staying near or alongside others during play
- Showing curiosity through copying, offering, or watching others intently
- Returning to familiar adults for enjoyment or help
- Periods of back and forth engagement (verbal or nonverbal)
- Sharing enjoyment in play
- Parents attend 3 sessions per quarter; otherwise stay onsite in our parent lounge
We all want our children to hold the balance of being confident individuals and to feel part of a group.
We want them to go to social spaces and see potential for connection.
We want our children to have other trusted adults in their lives, who teach them things, show them compassion and help them navigate the greater world in other ways.
Many of our children require support to successfully be part of a group, but the typical method of direct teaching hasn’t worked.
Many of our children have been told they can’t join social groups due to their sensory or movement needs.
And many of our children aren’t being met at the most foundational level of regulation and safety so that social learning can flourish.
After all these years, we’re doing something brave. We are offering groups in the way that we believe is best practice for children with social/pragmatic differences, who are autistic, and who are distressed about not fitting in. This is also for the caregivers who want their child to experience belonging, and have yet to find it in other therapeutic spaces.
We start with the foundation of safety, the feeling of regulation, and then build connections from there. Connection to other adults, to their peers, and to themselves. We foster a group that feels loose and individualized, but also allows for children to come together naturally.
The Social Hangout loose routine includes...
ARRIVAL RITUAL
MOVEMENT & SENSORY PLAY
CREATIVE INTEGRATION
SOCIAL SCENARIO / ROUTINE PRACTICE
CLOSING RITUAL
How the space is sacred & supported
Reiki is a gentle healing modality in which energy is channelled through the practitioner, to support the body’s natural ability to heal.
While remaining hands off, the facilitator can sense where there may be too much or too little energy in one’s body. When our energy centers fall out of balance, it can lead to unwanted effects that influence how we feel emotionally, physically, and mentally.
When experiencing Reiki, the healing energy can help release excess energy and stored emotions, while promoting relaxation, balance, and a stronger sense of self. Because everything is made up of energy, we are all continuously absorbing and transferring energy throughout every interaction.
Reiki supports the healthy movement of this energy in and out of the body, increasing our capacity to hold, process, and restore it.
During our Social Hangouts, Lauren will be using Reiki as a tool to create a grounded, safe, and welcoming space where individuals feel comfortable being themselves. This approach supports energetic balance and emotional safety, allowing individuals to feel at ease, seen and free to engage at their own pace. The goal is to cultivate a respectful, supportive space that encourages connection, regulation, and meaningful engagement.
Meet Lauren
I am a dedicated energy worker and special education professional with nearly 10 years of experience supporting children of diverse abilities. I bring a calm, nurturing presence paired with a playful spirit, focusing on connection, emotional well-being, and individual growth. My approach blends structure, empathy, and energetic awareness to help children feel safe, confident, and empowered in their social development.
While I have been a part of the Spirited Play Lab community since 2022, offering energy work and regulation support for kids and families. I am especially excited about creating and supporting new social hangouts, where children can build meaningful connections, strengthen communication skills, and thrive together in a positive, inclusive environment.
Why Joy & Belonging Matters Before Learning
Joy is not a reward for good behaviour or successful social skills. It is a foundation for connection, regulation, and learning.
Belonging comes before learning. When children feel accepted, safe, and valued for who they are, their nervous systems settle. From that place of safety, curiosity, flexibility, and engagement naturally emerge. Without belonging, learning—especially social learning—becomes effortful or impossible.
In social hangouts, joy helps create this sense of belonging. When children experience moments of joy in their bodies, they receive a powerful message: I am okay here. I am wanted here.
This emotional safety expands their capacity to stay present with peers, communicate, and navigate challenges.
Joy may look like laughter, movement, shared silliness, deep focus on a preferred activity, or calm contentment. It will look different for every child, and all of it counts.
Prioritizing joy means:
- Valuing how a child feels in the space, not just what they do
- Letting shared delight and comfort lead social engagement
- Understanding that skill-building happens after safety and connection are established
When we protect joy and belonging, social spaces become places children want to return to. Over time, this creates genuine confidence, resilience, and meaningful connections, because learning grows best in environments where children feel they belong.
Belonging comes before learning. Joy helps make belonging possible.
Interested in Social Hangouts?
We are:
- Feeling conflict secure: it’s okay to have disagreements and take risks with others
- Offering co-regulation with regulated adults
- Supporting self-regulation: internal safety through bodily awareness
- Working to get children into their bodies to experience safety in a group
- Using nonverbal and verbal messages that let children know they are enough and accepted as they are
- Creating safety in the presence of care, consent, and capacity to return to repair
- Supporting autonomy and self-advocacy through boundary setting
- Creating a container that is alive and moving, so that it can fit all the people who come into it
Already a member of Social Hangouts?
Find the class that best suits your needs (you can get an overview here below!)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do we get started?
- Please reach out to our manager to express interest via phone or email.
- You and your child(ren) can take a visit to the space prior to enrollment to meet our facilitator and learn more about our Social Hangouts. Next visits are available February 11 & 20th from 3:30-6:30pm.
- If you and your child feel you are a fit, enroll in our 12 week session through Mindbody!
How often do you meet?
- This offering includes a 3 month commitment.
- Participants are able to attend Social Hangouts 4 times per month and are not required to attend the same group each week. For example, a child can attend Monday at 3:30 one week and 5pm the next!
Do parents stay for the sessions?
- Yes, parents attend their child’s session at least 3 times; otherwise they are asked to hang in the lounge right next to the group space!
- Social Hangouts include time for parents and children to participate together, as well as time for each group to connect on their own. Shared moments help children feel safe and supported while modeling natural social interaction. Separate time allows children to build peer relationships and gives parents space to connect, reflect, and learn—supporting social growth that extends beyond the group.
Is my child a fit for this group?
- If your child is 7-12 years old, is showing social interest (as listed above), and can stay upstairs for the 75 minute session, they are welcome. If your child is not a fit, we may recommend our Play Coaching program to start.
Who will be facilitating the group?
SPL staff will be facilitating this group. They are trained in DIR/Floortime, social-emotional regulation from a trauma-informed lens, and social-emotional regulation from a neurodiversity-affirming perspective. To begin, all groups will be led by Lauren Massie, a longtime SPL staff member!
Does SPL accept insurance?
We don’t. We can provide an invoice for you to request reimbursement through SDP or regional center services.
What areas do you focus on?
Regulation, belonging, joy, social awareness, self-advocacy, radical acceptance, community integration!!