The cautious optimism among play advocates in recent weeks, that the Covid-19 pandemic may lead to a fundamental re-evaluation of what is most important for children, their families, and communities, was given a cold reality check on Sunday, when the UK’s most progressive mainstream newspaper, the Guardian/Observer, dedicated its entire editorial to an 8-point ‘manifesto … Continue reading As lockdown eases, what children, families, AND teachers now desperately need is a great Summer of Play – but who will provide it?
Academics highlight children’s need for street play during lockdown
There are growing calls this morning for governments and local authorities to urgently look at steps to allow more children to use their local streets for outside play. A new paper by Prof. Alison Stenning and Dr. Wendy Russell explores the issues around children's access to space during government restrictions, within the context of the … Continue reading Academics highlight children’s need for street play during lockdown
Government publishes guidance on opening up holiday and after-school provision
The Government has published detailed guidance on opening up holiday play schemes and after-school provision in England. Guidance for providers can be found here. Guidance for parents and carers can be found here. Photo: Meriden Adventure Playground
Researching playful streets during the Covid-19 lockdown
Wendy Russell and Alison Stenning are today launching a survey to explore experiences of playfulness on streets during the Covid-19 lockdown in the UK. If you have something to say about play, or playful acts, on your street and in your neighbourhood, please have a look here: https://newcastle.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/playful-streets-covid… Please do fill this survey in and please do share! … Continue reading Researching playful streets during the Covid-19 lockdown
COVID-19 AND CHILDREN’S PLAY: THE RISKS AND BENEFITS
The Play Safety Forum and the UK's four national play bodies have jointly published a report by risk and play specialists Professor David Ball, Tim Gill, and Andy Yates, about Covid-19 and children's play. After surveying the current evidence, the report concludes that current UK policy 'is much more harmful to children than beneficial' and … Continue reading COVID-19 AND CHILDREN’S PLAY: THE RISKS AND BENEFITS
Wales’ adventure playgrounds take playwork to their communities in lockdown
Playworker Sîon Edwards describes how the adventure playgrounds in Wales are responding to the Covid-19 crisis with their customary playfulness and innovation. All four playgrounds in Wales are in the northeast, with three in Wrexham and one in Rhyl. Fortunately, this close proximity means I’m able to give a bit of an update on the … Continue reading Wales’ adventure playgrounds take playwork to their communities in lockdown
Conference goes online
Meynell Games offers two new opportunities for the playwork community to stay connected Meynell Games, organiser of the annual National Playwork Conference, has launched two new projects designed to take aspects of the playwork discourse on-line. Meynell TV This is a short (approximately 15-minute) TV talk show available from 9:00 every Monday on YouTube. 8 … Continue reading Conference goes online
Birmingham adventure playgrounds featured in oral history project
Meriden Adventure Playground is one of those featured in the Let Us Play archive exhibition General Public's Oral Histories has launched part one of it's Let Us Play project, an investigation of the ‘state of play’ today. Initially this involves the collation of an archive of material to capture the Birmingham adventure playground movement of … Continue reading Birmingham adventure playgrounds featured in oral history project
Screen Playing
Penny Wilson tells the story of how her innovative public space play project in London's famous Kings Cross development has moved on-line ... without losing any of its 'crazy flavour' Playkx was designed as a play offer in the Kings Cross development area that was not a built play environment. Instead of timber or steel … Continue reading Screen Playing
Rising to the Covid challenge
Julia Sexton, a trustee of Pitsmoor Adventure Playground, describes how the physical space of the playground is giving way, during lockdown, to the relational space of the project's integral links with its community Adventure playgrounds are more than just physical spaces. They are relational spaces (Lester, Fitzpatrick and Russell, 2014); each unique and individual, created … Continue reading Rising to the Covid challenge
Serving our community in lockdown
Before the lockdown... Ali Wood, a trustee of Meriden Adventure Playground in the West Midlands, describes how the lockdown has affected the service, and how the playground has become part of the wider community response. Meriden Adventure Playground is currently closed, as are other adventure playgrounds. We have furloughed most of our staff and been … Continue reading Serving our community in lockdown