The Playwork Foundation is to play a supporting role in the new play conference, Play 2021, being organised by Playful Planet and the University of Birmingham on 7-8 July. Play 2021, a conference on children, play and space, will be an online event but the organisers are also hopeful that in-person delegates will be allowed … Continue reading Foundation to support new play conference
Child development vs child Education
In this original article, one of the country’s leading experts in children’s outdoor play, Rob Wheway, criticises the UK Government for neglecting children’s development, suggesting that the Covid-19 restrictions further increase the damage to their physical and mental health. The UK Government's exclusive focus on school-based education, ignoring children's out-of-school activity, is damaging. It wrongly … Continue reading Child development vs child Education
Play Wales publishes first of new series on play theory
Play Wales has released the first of a series of guides exploring some of the theories that influence the way adults understand children, the role of play and childhood, as well as the ethics of working with playing children. The first guide: Explores some of the ideas, concepts and theories of child development and childhood … Continue reading Play Wales publishes first of new series on play theory
Inspecting your adventure playground
As practitioner-led structure building declines, Rob Wheway of the Children's Play Advisory Service explains how inspection training is part of a renaisance of this quintessential feature of the traditional adventure playground. Over the course of its history, adventure play has had a variety of attributes promulgated as its defining practice ethos, with different aspects taking … Continue reading Inspecting your adventure playground
MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCY FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE: A CALL FOR URGENT MASS ACTION
A message from The All-Party Parliamentary Group on a Fit and Healthy Childhood Zoom Meeting open to all – Monday 8th February 2021 at 4.30 pmThe APPG is inviting you to an open meeting with the aim of encouraging and co-ordinating sector-wide activity to press for improved mental health support for children and young people. It … Continue reading MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCY FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE: A CALL FOR URGENT MASS ACTION
Mapping adventure playgrounds in the UK
The Playwork Foundation is attempting to compile a current database of adventure playgrounds, knowing that there have sadly been many closures in recent years. We also want to extend the scope of the data to cover the whole of the UK. We are asking members and supporters to help us to review the attached spreadsheet … Continue reading Mapping adventure playgrounds in the UK
All-Wales Playworkers Forum, 2020
by Simon Bazley The All Wales Playworkers Forum has been running since 2007. Orginally established by Play Wales to provide a forum for those working in adventure playgrounds it has evolved to meet the needs of the sector. The Playworkers Forum is run by a dedicated steering group of playworkers, for playworkers. In the past … Continue reading All-Wales Playworkers Forum, 2020
Researching playwork in the pandemic
Dr Pete King of Swansea University is researching the playwork field's response to the pandemic and has two opportunities to get involved. Adventure Playgrounds Dr. King is looking for anyone involved in adventure playground to take part in a study on how adventure playgrounds have been adapted since post-lockdown measures were put in place in … Continue reading Researching playwork in the pandemic
Questions to a playworker…
Adele Cleaver trained as a playworker in Birmingham back in 2010. She calls herself “a nomadic Brummie” who after dabbling in playful adventures and community work in Leeds, London and Birmingham and Ghana, Portugal, Brazil, Uganda and Kenya now resides in Bournemouth on the south coast of England with her 4-year-old daughter and husband. In … Continue reading Questions to a playworker…
Meriden in the pandemic
Trustee Ali Wood describes how Meriden Adventure Playground, in Chelmsley Wood in the West Midlands, is managing to continue its vital work through the Covid crisis Like all other playgrounds, we had to close during the lockdown. We furloughed most of the staff but kept two on to stay in touch with the community and … Continue reading Meriden in the pandemic