A Date for your Diary: Playday 2013

Can you imagine a world where children don’t play outside?  Outdoor play is an essential part of children’s lives; creating environments and scenarios through which learning, basic key skills and an ability to assess risk are developed.  There is no doubt that outdoor play figures significantly in building skills that benefit children throughout life.  Making time for children to play outdoors is important, and also fun!

Playday is the national day for play in the UK. As well as a celebration of children’s right to play Playday is a campaign that highlights the importance of play in children’s lives. To celebrate Playday 2013 on Wednesday 7 August, hundreds of individuals, families and whole communities will hold celebration events across the UK as part of this year’s Playful places campaign which aims to highlight that:

• Children should feel welcomed where they live and feel part of their communities.
• Parents want their children to be able to play outside.
• Public space should be designed and managed with children’s play in mind.
• Children and young people need to be involved in planning the places and spaces where they play.

Supporting Playday and children’s right to play is as easy as one, two, three!

1. Hold a celebration event – Playday events range from get togethers with friends and family to city-wide public events. Whether your celebration is big or small, what’s most important is that we collectively celebrate and support children’s right to play. There’s lots of guidance on the website to get you started.
2. Get involved in an event near you – With hundreds of events happening annually across the UK, there’s bound to be one near you! You could offer your time, services or skills, whatever they need to help make their Playday event a success. Contact PlayDay 2013 and they can put you in touch with organisers in your area
3. Spread the Playday word ­– Playday is a great opportunity tell everyone about the importance of play for children and young people. Help spread this message by promoting Playday via social media, websites and newsletters.

Play and particularly outdoor play are vital to the health and happiness of our children so on Wednesday 7th August go along to a local PlayDay event or make sure you and your family make time for some outdoor fun.