Another TeamUp training - another spark of light shared with the world

The purpose was to learn how to deliver TeamUp, a unique methodology that supports children to deal with stress and trauma through structured play and movement. But what they left with was much more than new skills. They left with a renewed sense of purpose, connection, and a deep understanding of what it means to create safe, healing spaces for children, especially in places where childhood is often disrupted by conflict and crisis.

More than a training: a personal journey

“Participants didn’t just learn TeamUp—they lived it,” said Nahed Sahmoud, one of the master trainers leading the workshop. “There was a real shift when they realised that movement-based activities aren’t just fun - they’re healing. They offer structure and safety, especially for children carrying unspoken pain.”

Throughout the week, participants moved through TeamUp’s facilitator and trainer learning pathways, gaining hands-on experience, peer feedback, and mentoring. The energy in the room shifted tangibly each day. Participants moved from hesitation to confidence, and cautious observers became supportive leaders as they played games, created routines, and learned from each other.

“What truly filled me with pride was seeing participants make the methodology theirs. Not just replicating it but weaving it into the fabric of their own cultures and realities,” shared Yara Hasbani, another master trainer delivering the sessions. “In doing so, they didn’t just learn TeamUp - they embodied and gave it new life. That kind of creative ownership is where real sustainability begins.

One of TeamUp’s greater strengths is that it doesn’t rely on talking about trauma. Instead, it offers children a safe space to release tension, feel safe, and connect with others, using the universal language of movement, rhythm, and play.

“I appreciated seeing how these elements were translated into such clear, purposeful, and accessible activities,” said Zeinab Mousa, a participant from Lebanon. “The training felt like a meaningful reminder of the power of embodied experiences in psychosocial support.”

What Makes TeamUp Different?

TeamUp is simple but powerful. Each session follows a clear, predictable structure that helps children feel grounded and secure. It doesn’t require children to explain what they’ve been through. It just gives them a space to be kids again.

“Unlike many methodologies, TeamUp is not something done to children,” said Nahed. “It’s something shared with them.”

And because it doesn’t depend on language or complex tools, TeamUp can be used in many different settings - schools, community centres, refugee camps - and adapted to different cultures while staying true to its core.

“While TeamUp is grounded in a strong, evidence-based framework,” added Yara, “participants can truly make the methodology their own. That kind of adaptability is not as common in other psychosocial support interventions.”

This adaptability also opens the door to greater inclusion:

“In our context there’s a need to enhance meaningful participation of children with multiple disabilities,” reflected Ilan Ibreighaith, a participant from the occupied Palestinian territories. “While TeamUp already promotes an inclusive approach, there’s a real opportunity to further develop and adapt the methodology to better include children with physical, sensory, or cognitive challenges.”

Planting seeds for the future

This flexibility is what makes TeamUp both effective and scalable – able to grow and last. The training in Jordan wasn’t just about five days in a room. It was about preparing each participant to go back home, lead sessions with children, and train others to do the same. It marked a crucial step in TeamUp’s expansion, planting seeds for the future, with roots already beginning to take hold.

As part of the training, a new learning path for master trainers was also tested. Four experienced trainers took the next step in their journey – so that they, in turn, can support even more facilitators across the region.

“Each person trained can reach dozens of children,” said Nahed. “That’s how healing scales.”

Yara added: “As TeamUp continues to grow, close mentoring is essential to ensure quality and consistency. When facilitators feel seen, heard and supported, they’re better able to deliver sessions with integrity, care, and impact.”

Hope in motion across the Middle East

For children across the Middle East, many living in the shadow of conflict, displacement, and uncertainty, TeamUp offers something simple yet profound: the right to play, to move, to just be children.

“In places like the occupied Palestinian territories, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen, I often hear, ‘Our children forgot how to play,’” said Yara. “Through TeamUp, they find spaces where they can feel safe, express themselves freely, and reconnect with joy, movement, and imagination – reminders of what it means to be young and alive.”

Now, participants are returning to their communities equipped not only with new skills, but with renewed conviction. As they begin leading sessions and mentoring others, the ripple effects are already being felt.

“Another TeamUp training,” Nahed reflected, “another spark of light shared with the world. Each session, a step closer to peace, because when we empower those who work with children, we plant the seeds of safety, healing, and hope. And one day, those children will build a world where peace is not a dream, but a reality.”

About TeamUp

TeamUp is a psychosocial support methodology co-owned by War Child and Save the Children Netherlands. It uses structured movement-based activities to help children cope with the impact of conflict and displacement in a safe, supportive, and consistent way. The programme is now active in 29 countries and continues to grow through a community of trained local facilitators, trainers, and master trainers.