Tag: Play Scotland

Hundreds of families attend free outdoor Playday events across Scotland

Play Scotland calls on communities to champion more spaces for play

Hundreds of children, young people, and families across the UK came together to celebrate Playday on Wednesday 5th August, after Play Scotland called for more inclusive and welcoming spaces for play.

As this year’s theme calls for the creation of play opportunities here, there, and everywhere, celebrations outdoors and in streets ramped up as children engaged in imaginative, risky, creative, exploratory play, among others.

From loose parts, to mud pies, to den-building, it serves as a reminder that quality play doesn’t need to be expensive or complicated. Children must be given the time, freedom and space to play, and that’s what Play Scotland is working to deliver as they develop their five-year strategy, launching in late October.

Play Scotland partnered with Aberlour Children’s Charity to host a free play event in Aberdeen, and took part in delivering a day of play at Brodie Castle and Estate in Moray.

Lorna Leil, events coordinator at Brodie Castle says: “I know how important play is for children’s learning and development. With the space that we have Brodie Castle just lends itself to this.

“We have a focus on play anyway with our Playful Garden and the castle playground. Playday is a chance to expand on this, to work with local people – businesses, families and communities – and provide even more opportunities for playful learning.

“Since developing our connection with Play Scotland and Playday we have a wider platform to promote and highlight the importance of play for all and access to play spaces and play opportunities for all children and families.”

As a fantastic example of engaging children in more simple outdoor play, Leeds City Council helped deliver street play to local children on Playday, temporarily closing roads so that children could have a chance to feel safe playing outside their houses.

Speaking on BBC Scotland about street play, Mary Ramsay, Play Scotland CEO said: “There is a big commitment from Scottish Government to support children playing outdoors, but what we’re seeing up here (Scotland) is, parents are understandably wary with reports that we’re seeing on social media about things happening, there’s been a big increase in cars and vehicles, and we’ve seen a reluctance sometimes from children engaging on screens.

“We don’t want to demonise screens, they obviously have a place, but we have seen sometimes that children are more indoors, there’s also weather challenges, so although there has been a lot of work within Scotland, and we have the legislative framework and a lot of guidance that supports that, we’re still getting reports that children aren’t getting enough time outdoors, and that parents are understandably wary of engaging in it.”

A variety of quality play opportunities is essential for the health and wellbeing of children and young people.

It builds confidence, creativity, social skills and resilience. It has a significant role in developing language, emotional regulation, and even in developing the 5 senses. Playday is an opportunity to celebrate this, and Play Scotland is working to raise awareness, and encourage communities to create more opportunities for children to play freely. 

Among the smiles, laughter, and screams, another important activity in developing quality play opportunities was the discussion of the Play Park Survey, an online form to generate feedback from locals across Scotland on the developments they’ve noticed in their local play parks since the rollout of the Play Park Renewal fund between 2021-2026.

Play Scotland is calling for as much feedback as possible to inform future opportunities. The link can be found on Play Scotland’s website.

Scotland’s Play Park Survey – Play Scotland

£25 million for play park renewal

First Minister John Swinney is set to announce £25 million of funding to local authorities to invest in the renewal of play parks across Scotland. 

All councils will receive a share of the funding to improve the standard of existing play parks – helping to ensure children have access to safe environments to play and socialise in. 

The funding is supported by the Play Vision Statement and Action Plan for 2025 – 2030, which has been published today.  

Speaking ahead of a visit to Woodhead Park in Kirkintilloch, as part of the East Dunbartonshire Travelling Cabinet event, the First Minister said: “Playing is key to a child’s healthy development, and by enabling councils to invest in outdoor play parks, we will ensure families can access a safe, high-quality place to play within their communities.

“This is all part of my driving mission to eradicate child poverty. Other steps we are taking include investing £3 million to develop mitigations for the UK Government’s two-child benefits cap, £37 million to deliver the expansion of the free school meals programme, and putting more money in families’ pockets through the Scottish Child Payment.”   

COSLA Spokesperson for Children and Young People, Councillor Tony Buchanan said: “COSLA welcomes today’s launch of the Play Vision Statement and Action Plan, play is very important not just for the enjoyment it brings, but also for the part it plays in developing children and young people’s social skills, interests, and curiosity.

“It also assists in developing relationships between parents, carers and other children and young people. The Play Vision Statement and Action Plan provides a good roadmap for how play can be encouraged and supported.”

Marguerite Hunter Blair, CEO Play Scotland and Chair of external Play Strategy refresh group said: “We are delighted to be celebrating this clear commitment from the Scottish Government to play opportunities and experiences for all our children and young people.

“It is fantastic that children’s rights and voices are at the heart of this new vision for play alongside an enthusiastic cross-sectoral collaboration.

“The clear message coming from the versions of the plan that children have co- produced is simple – more play and better play is good for everyone.” 

The 54th Travelling Cabinet will meet at Kirkintilloch Town Hall today – Monday 24 March – and hear from the local community at a public discussion at 2pm.

Scottish children can look forward to a ‘Summer of Play’

Funding of £20 million will deliver a range of activities for children and young people and their families over the summer, ensuring they are provided with opportunities to socialise, play and reconnect within their local communities and environments.

In particular this will provide support for those children and young people who may otherwise struggle to access such experiences during the holidays.

Working with local authorities and partner organisations including sportscotland, Creative Scotland, Play Scotland, Education Scotland and others, the funding will support existing provision of community-based services while also widening access to other local facilities, such as school estates and local sports facilities.

Speaking before Holyrood broke up for May’s elections, Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “We do not underestimate the physical and mental health impacts which children and young people have experienced throughout the pandemic, and that the impacts have fallen unequally across society.

“This enhanced range of summer experiences for children and young people will help address the impacts associated with extended periods of isolation and reduced participation in normal activities. This offer will have children’s rights and needs at its heart, and will provide opportunities to socialise across a range of activities, combined with broader support where needed.

“This will build on local summer offers, recognising the need for flexibility to deliver using local assets and connecting with wider offers from partners.

“Over the next few months we will continue to develop further all aspects of our education recovery strategy with our partners and stakeholders. Following periods of disruption to in-school learning, this will include how we can intensify and deepen support for children and young people’s progress in learning, including in key areas such as literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing.”