A date for your diary: READY, STEADY, PLAY!

Play is a child’s basic right.

Outdoor play is an essential part of children’s lives; creating environments and scenarios through which learning, basic key skills and development are facilitated which will play a huge role in helping them throughout life.

From analysing risk and developing the ability to make decisions for themselves, to building self-confidence and imagination, 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.

The Playday 2013: Playful places campaign is calling on everyone to help make sure that the places where children live and hang out are great places to play. The campaign recognises 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. www.playday.org.uk

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 us and we will put you in touch with organisers in your area. www.playday.org.uk/getinvolved.

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 or by distributing free campaign posters and fliers. www.playday.org.uk/resources

Find out more about how you can join in the fun at www.playday.org.uk.

Looking for easy ideas for a Playday? This is your chance to be as imaginative or creative as you like, but why not start off with:

• Blankets + chairs = the basic necessities of any respectable den

• Large piece of rope = a simple tug of war

• Bags of sand + buckets = who says the beach can’t come to you?

• Picnic treats = food to fuel creative energy (& to feed the teddy bears!)

• Water + washing up liquid + tarpaulin = homemade water slide madness!

•  Oh and don’t forget the kids!

Want to get involved?  Visit www.playday.org.uk for more information.

For more information please contact the National Children’s Bureau’s media office on 0207 843 6045 / 47 /6044 or email media@ncb.org.uk

/ playenglandmedia@ncb.org.uk