FAQ
Q: WHAT WILL MY CHILD NEED FOR THEIR SESSIONS?
A: Clothing in the Studio: Please be aware that when little artists, scientists, explorers and engineers are at work things get a little messy! Old clothes are required. You might be interested in Playology Coveralls.
Spare Clothing: A spare set of clothes and a towel may also be required during this 'hands on, feet in' learning experience.
Clothing for beach school: It will be crucial that you and your child are dressed appropriately. When checking the weather, please remember that it is always colder and windier at the beach. Snowsuits, waterproofs, nice big socks, wellies, hats and gloves will make all of the difference to your experience. Our motto is it's better to have with and not need than to need and not have with. A good outdoor kit ensures that something as minor as being inappropriately dressed does not spoil your experience and that of your child.
Spare clothing: Not that we plan on getting so wet or messy that we need to change clothes, but it is always better to prepare for the worst (or the best!) A towel and a spare set of clothes in your bag is advisable.
Q: what happens in poor weather conditions?
A: Generally, the rule goes that there is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing. Safety is paramount, therefore upon discussions with Marina site staff, if safety is an issue due to poor weather, you will be notified as soon as possible and the class will be rearranged for another time that same week. If you can not make the rearranged session, you can gift it to someone else. Please email to notify us of the gifted session in this case. Alternatively, it would be a lost session. The reason being: if we have dangerous weather conditions again the following week, we will be stuck in a cycle of rearranging for all of our families.
Q: what happens if i can not make a class?
A: Life happens. Plans change. We totally understand that. Although Playology does not issue refunds, instead you could gift your missed session to someone else and they could take your place. Please email to notify us of the gifted session in this instance. The reason being: Playology works similarly to an early years setting: your child’s time with us is dedicated, designed, prepped and organised beforehand, meaning that once you enrol, their place is booked and all of our materials and programming is pre-planned with love based on our class numbers. With over 100 families per Playology Term time, if every family needed a make up class from a holiday or missing their class for any reason, we would not be able to fit it in to our already fun filled, busy programming.
Q: is there parking available?
A: Free parking is available at the entrance to Seaham Harbour Marina on the cliff top. There is also parking available at sea level both at the Castleside and at the Waterside.
Q: What about Snacks?
A: In the Learning Studio: During this busy session there will be no snack provided, however please feel free to provide your own snack if your child needs this during their class. There are also many delicious options of eateries at the Marina for before or after your session.
Beach School Snack: A snack will not be provided. However, time and space will be available for us to sit together if you wish to bring a small snack along. Something simple that you can eat outdoors, for example a piece of fruit.
q: Where are the Toilets?
Please note that when we promptly start our session, we will not have factored in extra time for toilet breaks. However, facilities are available within the Marina, (a ten minute round trip from the beach location). In order to get the most from your session, a pre-session toilet trip or nappy change is recommended!