On Wednesday, 6th August 2025, children, families, and communities across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales will celebrate Playday 2025 – the UK-wide annual day for play. And this year’s theme has been announced as Spaces for Play!
Specifically, the theme is a call for spaces for play that:
- Are inclusive and welcoming for children and young people of all ages and abilities.
- Provide accessible, safe, and playful spaces where children can play freely in their local community.
- Maximise opportunities for play in schools, childcare, and youth settings
- Are shaped by the voices, needs, and experiences of children and young people themselves.
- Support play that promotes fun, friendship, being active, enjoying nature, and building a strong sense of belonging.
- Encourage families, carers, and communities to come together through play across generations.
There is a clear emphasis on play spaces that are accessible, inclusive and safe environments for play that are also part of the fabric of communities – not siloed, reservations for play. The theme also clearly advocates for genuine participation of children and young people, where their lived experiences are heard and help shape the environment.
Organised by Play England, PlayBoard Northern Ireland, Play Scotland and Play Wales, Playday is both a celebration and a campaign. It reinforces the fundamental right to play for children – enshrined in Article 31 of the UNCRC – and serves as a reminder to community members, politicians, teachers, shopkeepers, everyone(!) that play is essential for children’s physical, emotional, and social well-being.
Why Spaces for Play Is Important
Play is not a luxury—it’s a necessity. Safe, accessible play spaces allow children to explore, take risks, and build relationships. Remove these opportunities, and children and young people are deprived of the key experiences necessary for their overall well-being. For many, a lack of adequate play environments – due to restricted outdoor space, unsafe streets, or reduced investment in community play provision – has been a longstanding reality.
This call for inclusive spaces isn’t just theoretical. Diagnosed as neurodivergent only in recent years, I have seen up-close-and-personal how advocating for my needs can sometimes be met with resistance and outright rejection. Even as a fairly confident thirty-something who can articulate my case, such experiences have been devastating, frustrating, and isolating. Imagine what it must be like for children – especially for those who communicate in different ways or who struggle to communicate at all.
Using terms like “accessible”, “inclusive” and “safe” must go beyond mere lip service. It’s not enough to simply say “everyone is welcome”. Creating spaces where the “voices, needs, and experiences” of all children shape the environment requires us to listen—not just to those who speak the loudest, but to the quiet, the misunderstood, and, critically, those children who aren’t yet present.
The encouraging news is that resources and guides are emerging to support individuals and organisations to make their Playday events more accessible and inclusive.
Global Play Days
If you’re already busy on Playday, did you know there are other dedicated days for play around the world?
World Play Day (28 May 2025)
Observed across multiple countries, including Germany and France, this annual event promotes child-friendly environments and policies that support play. In Germany, Weltspieltag is led by the German Children’s Fund, while France’s Journée Mondiale du Jeu encourages families and communities to embrace play in daily life.
National Play Day (REPUBLIC OF Ireland) (5–13 July 2025)
Each year, local authorities in the Republic of Ireland organise events that celebrate children’s right to play, supported by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. The initiative aims to create accessible, high-quality play experiences for children across Ireland.
UN INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PLAY (11 JUNE 2025)
First celebrated in 2024, this global event was created to promote play as a fundamental right. The 2025 theme, “Choose Play – Every Day”, calls for a shift in attitudes to ensure play is prioritised in childhood policy, urban planning, and education systems.
For more information on Playday, visit https://www.playday.org.uk/
The Playwork Foundation 