What's Playday?
Playday is the national day for play,
traditionally held on the first Wednesday in August.
Playday 2012 is on 1 August.
Now in its 25th
year, Playday is the biggest play sector event in the UK,
possibly Europe! 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. Playday is coordinated by Play
England, in partnership with Play
Wales, Play Scotland and PlayBoard Northern Ireland.
A bit of history
Back in 1986, rumours were rife of imminent
cuts on school-based play centres and adventure playgrounds in
London. In response, a group of playworkers called a meeting to see
what they could do. Not many turned up, but unperturbed Mick
Conway, Paul Bonel and Kim Holdaway put their heads together and
came up with the notion of having a day for play.
Their initial aims were to raise the profile
of play and alert people locally to the potential loss of
children’s play services. They had no idea that it would become
anything more than an inner London campaign to persuade boroughs to
continue to support playgrounds and play centres.
From just a couple of events in 1987, Playday
grew to around a dozen in London by 1989, went national in 1991 and
is now the biggest celebration of children’s play in the UK, if not
Europe. Last year communities across the UK celebrated Playday at
more than 850 events.
In 2011, twenty-four years
later, Playday is again providing an opportunity for the play
sector to raise awareness about the importance of play in
children’s lives, and show decision-makers that cutting play will
have devastating effects on children, families and whole
communities.
What happens on Playday?
To celebrate Playday, children, young people and
communities get out and play at hundreds of community events
across the UK.
Playday events range from jubilee style street parties,
festivals in parks on village greens, mass adventures in woodlands,
fields, even beaches, and public events at community venues. From
small-scale events to thousands of children taking over Trafalgar
Square – Playday is celebrated by each community in the way that
suits them.
Campaigning for play
As well as a celebration, Playday is
an opportunity to campaign on issues affecting children’s
play.
Each year, we call on everyone to
celebrate Playday and show why play
is fundamental to children's enjoyment of
childhood, and vital to their health, well-being and
development. In light of government cuts to play
services across the country, it is more crucial than ever
that we unite to stand up for
play.
Get involved
Whether you've got kids, you work with
kids, or you're a big kid yourself, Playday needs you!
From local authorities to community
groups, a wide variety of individuals and
organisations get involved in Playday. There are lots of
ways you can celebrate Playday 2012 and get involved in the
wider campaign, why not:
- Organise a celebration –
Anyone can organise a Playday event, whether it’s a large
community-wide event or a get-together with friends and
family. From funding and photography guidance, to an event planning guide and
tips from Playday event
organisers, you'll find lots of help and advice throughout
this website.
- Spread the word – the more
people that know about Playday, the more opportunities children
will have to play where they live. Official Playday 2012
promotional items will be available soon to help you galvanise
support for Playday in your area. To let us know how you’re
promoting play and Playday in your area, or to discuss any ideas
you have, please contact us.
- Keep informed - Whatever you decide to do, get all the
latest campaign news by signing up
to receive regular Playday email updates.
Where and how you decide to celebrate Playday
is up to you - what’s really important is that children and young
people get to have fun, and that you help raise awareness that not
all children have the chance to experience outdoor fun all year
round.