Inclusion Through Play

Creating Inclusive Spaces in Learning and Development

Nikie Forster explores the transformative impact of playful, inclusive learning experiences—demystifying LEGO® Serious Play®, unpacking the psychology of group belonging, and championing truly person-centric approaches to training and development.

In this thought-provoking episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, Joanne Lockwood is joined by learning and development specialist Nikie Forster for an exploration into “Inclusion Through Play”. Joanne and Nikie unpick how playful methodologies—such as LEGO Serious Play—can foster psychological safety, genuine participation, and a sense of belonging within learning environments. Joanne recounts her experiences in Nikie’s workshops, highlighting how incremental engagement with hands-on tools like LEGO can transform even the most reluctant participants into confident contributors. Together, they examine the nuances of inclusive facilitation: designing for individual learning differences, setting adult-centric expectations, and prompting deeper listening and empathy through tactile play.

Nikie is renowned for disrupting traditional approaches to training in favour of creating engaging, person-centred experiences. Her professional journey started with a drive to become a radio presenter, but found its true direction through hands-on roles in retail, where she unintentionally began designing and running interior design workshops. This formative experience led to a fulfilling career in learning and development—spanning from BNQ’s induction programmes to becoming a specialist in playful facilitation for leaders and managers. Nikie’s philosophy is rooted in accessibility and adaptability: she crafts activities that allow everyone, regardless of background or learning style, to safely explore ideas and build self-awareness. Whether in-person or online, she invests in creative resources—like custom card decks and playful mail-out packs—to ensure workshops are immersive and memorable.

The conversation is lively, filled with practical anecdotes and playful metaphors. Joanne and Nikie discuss how inclusion is intrinsically linked to feeling valued, and how playful methods break down barriers—offering everyone a fair chance to contribute, reflect, and take ideas away. The episode closes by inviting listeners to rethink training as an opportunity for authentic belonging, not just knowledge transfer. A key takeaway is that, by intentionally designing learning experiences to be inclusive, playful, and reflective, organisations can unlock hidden creativity and enable every participant to thrive. This episode will inspire facilitators, HR, and leaders alike to reignite learning and make inclusion a lived experience—one playful moment at a time.

 

Published: 01.05.2026 Recorded: 14.01.2026 Duration: 0:58:54

 

• AI Extracts and Interpretations
• app.castmagic.io The Inclusion Bites Podcast #207: Inclusion Through Play
• Other Links
• seechangehappen.co.uk SEE Change Happen: The Inclusive Culture Experts
• Inclusion Bites Podcast on YouTube

Clips and Timestamps

Viral Workshop Strategies: “I tend to send a form with a video attached to it. So they get to see me before they turn up, they get to understand a little bit about how the programme’s gonna run.”
— Nikie Forster [00:10:50 → 00:11:00]

Viral Topic: Handling Distractions in Meetings
“It’s coming back to that self awareness bit again, isn’t it? I think in the past when I’ve had that, not with laptops and stuff, but when somebody’s been like on the phone and stuff, depending on the room, sometimes I have just said, would you like us to wait until you finished? You know, if it’s been going on a while and they go, oh, no, I’m really sorry, or actually, yeah, no, this is really important. Okay, do you want to take it outside then so that we can focus on what we’re doing rather than on what you’re doing?”
— Nikie Forster [00:19:20 → 00:19:46]

Viral Topic – Deeper Listening Through LEGO: “So in order to ask those questions, you have to have listened to what the person says. Otherwise you’ve asking a question about something that’s already been said and it does. And it drives deeper listening, but it also drives a deeper discussion.”
— Nikie Forster [00:23:36 → 00:23:53]

Viral Topic: Breaking the Ice in Workshops
“I think as a very young trainer I expected that to happen just naturally.”
— Nikie Forster [00:26:51 → 00:26:57]

From Store Clerk to Trainer: “It was B and Q that allowed me to become a trainer in a very weird and wonderful way because it was the knees I was working on the decorative section and everybody was rag rolling their walls and crackle glazing anything that wasn’t nailed down.”
— Nikie Forster [00:31:45 → 00:31:51]

From Hands-on Workshops to Management Training: “Every time you have different culture in the business or different people that want training to be a slightly different way, but all the time the creative element has always followed me just doing stuff that engages people to do things rather than me just study in front of the room telling people stuff.”
— Nikie Forster [00:33:53 → 00:34:12]

Viral Topic – The Power of Interactive Learning: “the shorter, more interactive stuff will definitely sit better than you know any long form of learning”
— Nikie Forster [00:36:06 → 00:36:14]

Viral Topic: The Power of Audience Participation in Live Sessions: “But when the audience is coming up with their answers and what happens next, and you know, if we go off on a tangent, then fantastic, because that’s what’s needed in the moment.”
— Nikie Forster [00:39:05 → 00:39:13]

Viral Topic: The Power of Distracted Reflection after Workshops: “I’m a big fan of what I call distracted reflection. Not making full on action plans at the end of a workshop because I don’t believe that people have everything they need at the end of a workshop in order to say, this is definitely what we’re doing going forwards. I think it’s about giving people everything they need in a workshop to start the brain and allow the brain to digest it later down the line.”
— Nikie Forster [00:43:34 → 00:44:01]

Viral Topic: The Power of Lego in Leadership Workshops: “I always allow them to take it away because, again, it acts as another little element in their brain to reflect back on what the day was, what it represented for them.”
— Nikie Forster [00:48:43 → 00:48:53]

Definition of Terms Used

What is LEGO® Serious Play®?

• Definition: LEGO® Serious Play® is a facilitated meeting, communication, and problem-solving methodology developed by the LEGO Group in the 1990s, which uses LEGO bricks to encourage creative thinking, reflection, and team engagement through model-building and narrative sharing.
• Relevance: The approach is used in learning and development to create inclusive environments where everyone participates equally, structures thinking, and facilitates deeper understanding and innovation.
• Examples: Facilitating a leadership workshop where every participant builds a model to describe their vision, then explains its symbolism to the group before all models are combined into a shared structure that illustrates collective goals.
• Related Terms: Experiential Learning, Gamification, Facilitation, Design Thinking
  Common Misconceptions: Many believe only certified facilitators can use LEGO® Serious Play®, or that it’s simply “playing with LEGO” without structure or learning objectives; in reality, the methodology is open source and highly structured, with specific steps designed to elicit meaningful conversations.

What is Multimodal Learning?

• Definition: Multimodal learning refers to instructional strategies that engage multiple sensory modes (such as visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, and reading/writing) to accommodate different preferences, abilities, and neurodiverse needs amongst learners.
• Relevance: Designing with various modes in mind ensures that training and workshops are inclusive—making learning accessible and effective for a broader range of individuals, rather than relying on a single “one size fits all” delivery.
• Examples: Combining spoken instruction with slides, interactive games, small group discussion, and written worksheets in the same training session.
• Related Terms: Universal Design for Learning, Differentiated Instruction, Learning Styles
  Common Misconceptions: It’s commonly misconstrued that everyone learns best via one mode only (“visual learners”, “auditory learners” etc.) or that multimodal means using all modes at once for every topic, rather than choosing modes intentionally based on the nature of the content and group needs.

What is an Expectations Contract?

• Definition: An expectations contract is a collaboratively developed set of agreements at the start of a workshop or learning experience outlining how participants will engage, what is expected of one another, and how the group will maintain a respectful, productive atmosphere.
• Relevance: Setting expectations democratically fosters psychological safety, inclusion, and accountability—especially in adult learning—by empowering all voices and clarifying behavioural norms.
• Examples: At the start of a session, co-creating a list with the group that includes “be present,” “respect differing opinions,” and “take breaks when needed” rather than imposing authoritarian “ground rules.”
• Related Terms: Psychological Safety, Group Agreements, Adult Learning Principles
  Common Misconceptions: Disguised as “ground rules”, expectation-setting is often (incorrectly) imposed top-down; in genuine expectation contracts, contributions are drawn equally from all, reflecting shared ownership.

What is Distracted Reflection?

• Definition: Distracted reflection is the practice of encouraging learners to allow time and mind space after a session for ideas and insights to emerge organically, instead of demanding immediate, concrete action plans at the end of a learning event.
• Relevance: This approach recognises how deeper learning and real change often occur when participants process information passively—such as while walking or doing routine activities—leading to more authentic, actionable outcomes.
• Examples: Telling participants not to force themselves into choosing three “action points” before leaving, but instead to be mindful of insights that surface days later, and to note them as they arise in real contexts.
• Related Terms: Reflective Practice, Action Learning, Double-Loop Learning
  Common Misconceptions: Some believe effective workshops must always result in an immediate list of “to dos”; in fact, pressured, performative reflection can stifle meaningful personal change and creativity.

What is the Platinum Rule?

• Definition: The Platinum Rule is the principle of treating others as they wish to be treated, rather than as you would like to be treated (the ‘Golden Rule’), emphasising empathy and person-centricity.
• Relevance: The Platinum Rule underpins inclusive practice by recognising and valuing difference, individual preferences, and lived experience—moving beyond assumption to personalised inclusion and belonging.
• Examples: Checking how someone prefers to be communicated with, offering multiple means of participating in a workshop, or respecting dietary requirements unique to each person rather than defaulting to one’s own standards of hospitality.
• Related Terms: Person-Centred Approach, Empathy, Universal Design, Diversity and Inclusion
  Common Misconceptions: Some think “treating everyone as you want to be treated” (the Golden Rule) is sufficient for inclusion, whereas the Platinum Rule recognises unique needs and fosters true equity.

FAQ Reference List

• What is LEGO® Serious Play®? — A structured, creative facilitation approach using LEGO bricks for deeper discussion, innovation, and engagement.
• What is Multimodal Learning? — The practice of employing multiple instructional methods to improve access and inclusion.
• What is an Expectations Contract? — A collaboratively developed set of agreements for group engagement and behaviour standards.
• What is Distracted Reflection? — Allowing time for post-session insights to emerge authentically, rather than enforcing immediate action planning.
• What is the Platinum Rule? — Treating others as they would wish to be treated, central to person-centred inclusive practice.

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Brought to you by your host

Joanne Lockwood SEE Change Happen

A huge thank you to our wonderful guest

Nikie Forster Curious Lighthose