An opportunity for national organisations to support the Playday campaign.
If your organisation is passionate about play, recognises the importance of play in children and young people’s lives, supports every child’s right to play, and would like to show support for Playday, we invite you to become a Playday Champion!
By becoming a Playday Champion you will join other national organisations in strengthening our call for all children and young people to have the time, space, and freedom to play throughout their childhood.
Our commitment
We will include your organisation in our list of Playday Champions displayed on this page. This is an opportunity for national organisations to show their commitment to the Playday campaign and promote their organisation’s work through a brief description and website link.
Your commitment
We ask that your organisation is committed to the child’s right to play, and help promote our Playday campaign.
Examples of promotion include organising an event, sharing a website post, social media post, newsletter article or by promoting through the media.
Next step
National organisations working within the UK can register interest in becoming a Playday Champion by contacting the play organisation in their country and we will be in touch to confirm your information.
Playday Champions 2023
The Family Support NI website is an online directory of Family Support services to help families access the support they need.
Choose from the list of categories or use the keyword search and filter results by postcode area. Results can be translated into a range of languages.
The website includes the public list of registered Childcare Providers in Northern Ireland and provides useful information for families including available financial assistance with childcare costs for working parents.
Search results can be filtered by postcode area, vacancies, experience of special needs, school pick-up etc. to provide parents looking for childcare with useful information to meet their needs.
Smart Play Network is the national organisation supporting play services and play providers in Scotland. The organisation was established in 2011 out of a pursuit to inspire and support communities to play in Scotland. We are a diverse team looking to share our knowledge of play to support organisations, projects and individuals, with the objective of helping make Scotland the ideal place for all children to grow up.
We exist to:
· Offer advice and practical tools to set up and maintain successful play projects that provide positive outcomes for children and families.
· Directly deliver a number of ‘grass roots’ play projects.
· Work closely with others within the play and childcare sector as well as liaising with policy makers.
· Represent our members views on forums and committees ensuring they have a voice within the wider sector.
· Offer a range of training courses in Play.
The Care Inspectorate regulates and inspects care services in Scotland to make sure that they meet the right standards. We also jointly inspect with other regulators to check how well different organisations in local areas work to support adults and children. Set up by Scottish Government, and accountable to ministers, it’s our job to assure and protect everyone that uses these services. We work to make sure that everyone gets safe, high quality care that meets their needs. The Care Inspectorate recently launched a good practice resource My World Outdoors which shares inspiring stories from services showing how much children are benefiting from outdoor play.
Dad’s Rock is a charitable organisation based in Scotland. Our aim is to support and help dads to engage with their children and build strong lasting relationships. Through the arts, and specifically music, we aim to help encourage self-expression and improve self-esteem in both Dads and their children. We are happy to support Playday. Play is at the heart of what we do and what we believe in. Play allows you to be free, to tap into your imagination and bring back memories of when you were young. Parents playing alongside their children gives them the one thing they want most: time together to have fun, to be silly, to dance, sing or go on an adventure, indoors or out. Dads and male care-givers playing alongside their children is even more important and is the best way to ensure a strong, positive bond.
Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA) is the only organisation dedicated to supporting childminders in Scotland. Our aim is to promote childminding as a quality childcare service. We do this in part by helping SCMA childminders make a difference to the wellbeing and development of Scotland’s children. Our Vision: “Quality childminding… building confident children within a family childcare experience.” To find out more click here.
Learning through Landscapes (LtL) is the UK’s leading outdoor learning and play charity. We help children and young people connect with nature, be more active, engage better with their learning, develop social skills and have fun, while supporting educators with high-quality resources and projects to engage all ages. We focus on educational settings because they provide the outside space that children have most frequent access to. Despite the proven benefits of outdoor learning and play, eight out of ten teachers believe their school fails to make the most of these valuable spaces for children.
Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council are committed to giving children and young people the right to play through a variety of play opportunities. We recognise the importance of play and the benefit it has to cognitive, physical, social and emotional development as well as allowing children and young people to learn many other skills. The Play Champion will promote these play opportunities and work to make sure these aims are brought to life in council policies.
Playing Out is a parent and resident led movement restoring children’s freedom to play out in the streets and spaces where they live, for their health, happiness and sense of belonging. Our vision is for this to be a normal, everyday part of life for children, as it once was. This means safer, less traffic-dominated streets and more connected communities. It means children having clear permission to play out in the spaces around their homes and no ‘No Ball Games’ signs. It means putting children first – ALL children, regardless of income, family circumstance, race, ethnicity, gender, ability – and protecting their right to play.
Gymboree Play & Music – Building Confident Learners, founded in 1976, is the global leader in early childhood development programmes with classes all over the world. Gymboree Play & Music classes utilise a unique and impressive combination of music, movement, props, imaginary play and custom-designed and patented apparatus, all to create a fun and magical world where children learn, thrive and most importantly have fun. Research has shown that young children learn best – and have the most fun – when parents and carers enter their world of play and imagination. At Gymboree Play & Music, every adult is an active participant and play partner, making time at Gymboree Play & Music all the more fun and enjoyable.
At the KO-NEKT Skills & Play Centres, we offer flexible day and evening support for children and young people who have autism spectrum disorder and/or special educational needs aged 5-18yrs. Our Skills & Play Centres offer the children the opportunity to Play, Connect and Grow. We embrace the culture of ASD/SEN children by breaking down barriers and inequalities, enabling them to thrive and reach their full potential by becoming fully included in their local communities.
The Developmental Play Academy® is an online training platform created by Carly Budd, a registered Occupational Therapist who specialises in Paediatrics and Developmental Play for Babies and Children aged 0-5years. Her internationally accredited Diplomas and CPD courses aim to support professionals working in Early years, Child care, Paediatric therapy settings, as well as within the parent and baby/toddler group sector. It teaches in depth the benefits of play for developing physical skills, sensory processing skills, emotional health and social wellbeing, and the power of play for building the brains and nurturing the nervous systems of young children with lifelong impact.
Beith Community Development trust is a community development charity based in Beith, North Ayrshire. At Beith Trust our core ethos is the development and championing of local businesses, groups, and community members to become the best version of themselves. Our charity focuses on providing educational, recreational, social, and socioeconomic opportunities to our community members who may not have the means to access these opportunities outwith Beith Trust. We provide music lessons, entertainment events, children’s activities, educational opportunities, training opportunities and so much more to allow the people of Beith to flourish and grow.
Dyce Primary School Nursery (ELC) is a nursery for up to 60 children aged 3 to 5, who embrace the outdoors. We spend about 90÷ of our days outdoors where we love for the children to explore their imagination, risky play, being creative communication. This list of opportunities is endless. We have a brilliant community link with other nurseries in our area and enjoy exploring the community. The children wellbeing being at the heart of everything we do is very important.