As one of our local organisations said ‘We may be all in the same storm at the moment, but we are not in the same boat’. Children and young people have lost so much, and in the places we work large numbers of them are on free school meals, with no access to the internet … Continue reading ‘Come into play’ in Torbay
Playwork in the North East steps up to the Covid challenge
Jackie Boldon, a new trustee of the Playwork Foundation, describes some of the different ways that organisations in the North East have responded to children’s need and right to play in Newcastle and North Tyneside: Elswick Lamp Post Play Project Playworkers from Play in Newcastle ran multiple projects across Newcastle in different school and community … Continue reading Playwork in the North East steps up to the Covid challenge
Editorial
A challenging year On behalf of the Playwork Foundation Board of Trustees, we are writing to all our members with a brief overview of recent Playwork Foundation developments and some of our plans for the future. As we’re sure you will agree, it has been an incredibly challenging year with a very unexpected pandemic, several … Continue reading Editorial
An Exceptional Summer at Pitsmoor
Julia Sexton reflects on an extraordinary period for staff and children at Pitsmoor Adventure Playground, where she is a trustee. In Rising to the Covid Challenge I described how staff at Pitsmoor Adventure Playground had responded to the challenge of keeping the relational space of the adventure playground alive and well whilst the physical space … Continue reading An Exceptional Summer at Pitsmoor
Playwork in Progress – new session announced
Online: 31 August, 2 - 3 pm Following the success of the first Playwork in Progress online reflective practice session, we’re back with the 2nd session on Monday 31st August, 2 – 3pm. This is a chance for playworkers from across the UK (and, who knows, beyond!) to come together and share their experiences of playwork in this … Continue reading Playwork in Progress – new session announced
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
As lockdown eases, what children, families, AND teachers now desperately need is a great Summer of Play – but who will provide it?
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?
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