The book captures stories, reflections, and lessons from play spaces that continue to inspire practitioners and advocates across the sector. Hear about the development of the book – from pen to print – and about how adventure playgrounds are shaping up down under.
How to Join
The meeting will run from 11:30am to 1:30pm GMT and is open to all adventure playgrounds, playworkers, and advocates. You do not need to be a member of The Playwork Foundation to attend.
No pre‑registration is required, so please feel free to share the details with colleagues, volunteers, or anyone with an interest in playwork and adventure playgrounds.
Why Attend?
Hear directly from Angus Gorrie about the themes and stories behind Tales from the Playground.
Connect with fellow advocates and practitioners in the adventure playground community.
Contribute to ongoing conversations about the role of adventure playgrounds and playwork in shaping children’s experiences and opportunities.
We look forward to seeing many of you online today and to continuing the dialogue that strengthens our collective voice for play.
This autumn saw the publication of the Play in Ireland Summary Report 2025, a collaboration between PlayBoard NI and the National Childhood Network.
Drawing on the views of 144 children and young people across the Republic, the report paints a familiar picture: play is cherished, but time and space are in short supply.
93% said play is important in their lives.
Nearly half felt they didn’t have enough time to play.
Four in ten said there were very few places to play locally.
Traffic, safety concerns, and the absence of peers nearby were recurring barriers. The message is clear: children want more time, more spaces, and safer environments to play.
What Children Say About Play in Wales
Seren in the Community playscheme in Adamsdown, Cardiff
Just a few weeks later, Play Wales released its third national analysis of the Play Satisfaction Survey, capturing the voices of almost 8,000 children and teenagers. The findings echo those from the Republic of Ireland, but on a much larger scale.
Children in Wales told us that while most are satisfied with their opportunities, a significant minority are not. Almost a quarter said they don’t have enough time to play, and disabled children in particular reported much lower satisfaction with the spaces available to them.
The parallels between the two reports are striking: whether in Dinbych or Dublin, children are asking for the same things – more time, more freedom, and more inclusive spaces.
Meanwhile, the House of Commons Library published a substantial briefing on children, young people and the built environment. It highlights the decline in unaccompanied play, the rise of an “anti‑play culture”, and the need for planning reforms that put children’s rights at the centre of design.
October was certainly conference season. In Northern Ireland, PlayBoard NI hosted a regional gathering on the future of school‑age childcare. The event celebrated progress, shared best practice, and reaffirmed the role of play as central to quality provision. Feedback was unanimous: participants found it both relevant and inspiring.
Just days later, Play Wales held its national conference in Cardiff under the banner Getting it Right for Children. The Playwork Foundation was there, alongside policymakers, practitioners, and international voices. Keynotes included Professor Philip Jaffé of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, who reminded us that play is not a luxury but a right.
Both conferences emphasised the similar themes: the need for inclusive spaces, the importance of listening to children’s voices, and the urgency of embedding play in wider policy agendas. A reminder that across these islands, the challenges and the solutions are shared.
Play Scotland’s AGM
Not to be outdone, Play Scotland’s AGM brought together parents, practitioners, and policymakers under the theme Playful Parents, Practitioners, and Places. The event launched Scotland’s new Play Vision Statement and Action Plan, while celebrating champions of inclusive practice.
One change is that, from next year (2026), we will now host an Annual General Meeting (AGM) – just like other charities – which will formally replace the Annual Open Meetings we’ve hosted in recent years.
We’ll walk through the rest of the changes tomorrow, and explore what this means for playworkers in the wild. But in the meantime, Trustees Simon Rix and Penny Wilson have created this infographic to help explain the essentials:
September 5th marks the UN International Day of Charity – an opportunity to recognise the power of generosity, solidarity and volunteering create more inclusive and resilient societies.
For playwork, this is far from an abstract idea. Many playwork providers are run by charities or community groups, powered by volunteers and sustained by the goodwill of local people. Though it shouldn’t be that way, communities step in where public services are thin, creating opportunities for children to play and communities to come together.
Volunteers renovating Pentre Gwyn Community Centre, Wrecsam
But the charitable and voluntary foundations of our sector are not just about filling gaps. They are about changing the system itself – ensuring play is recognised, resourced, and protected as a right for children and young people.
Here’s just some of the great work that’s been taking place across these islands over the last few weeks to affect such change:
UK Playwork NOS Consortium
In work that will impact playwork training and qualifications across the four nations, an update has been published on work to review the Playwork National Occupational Standards are undergoing a comprehensive, review led by the UK Playwork NOS Consortium. The Playwork Foundation are proud to be a part of this process, which has so far produced a draft functional map, started redrafting the standards with clearer, more consistent language, and strengthened links to related sectors such as childcare and social services. Wider sector consultation on the draft NOS is expected in late 2025 / early 2026, so be sure to take part when the time comes.
In Wales, a new Focus on Play in Healthcare briefing from Play Wales highlights the vital role of play in hospitals, hospices, and other healthcare settings, both as a children’s right under Article 31 of the UNCRC and as a proven contributor to health, wellbeing, and recovery. Drawing on research, case studies, and national guidance, it shows how play can reduce anxiety and pain, speed recovery, improve trust between children and healthcare staff, and even save costs for the NHS.
In Scotland, Getting it Right for Play: A New Chapter updates Play Scotland’s national toolkit for assessing and improving outdoor play opportunities. Grounded in children’s right to play under the UNCRC and aligned with legal duties on Play Sufficiency Assessments introduced in 2023, it gives local authorities and communities practical tools to measure quality, accessibility, and inclusion – and to plan improvements informed by children’s voices. It’s a practical example of policy, legislation, and community engagement working together to make play a lived reality for every child.
A chance to celebrate in Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, School‑Age Childcare: The Journey – The Future is set to bring together practitioners, managers, and setting owners later this month for a morning of celebration and practical inspiration. The event will explore themes such as supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing through play, making inclusive practice playful, and unlocking the “magic” of outdoor play. It will also focus on building stronger links with further education to grow the workforce, reflecting the sector’s dual role in delivering quality provision now and shaping its sustainability for the future.
The most recent advancement in systemic change came in England this week as the inaugural meeting of the All‑Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Play convened just this Tuesday. Bringing together MPs, peers, and sector leaders, the meeting set out the group’s mission: to champion every child’s right to play, protect play spaces, and ensure play is embedded in public life.
This follows headway in Westminster Parliament with the Play Sufficiency Amendment – a proposal that would, for the first time, establish a Play Sufficiency Duty in England. Modelled on existing legislation in Wales and Scotland, the amendment would embed Play Sufficiency Assessments into local planning, require developers to deliver high-quality, inclusive play spaces, and prevent the net loss of play provision through development. It’s a practical, no‑cost change in law that could transform the way play is valued and protected – but only if it’s backed with the resources and political will to make it real.
This UN International Day of Charity, we’re reminded that generosity – whether in time, resources, or spirit – is a powerful force. But in playwork, it’s also a lever for wholesale change for children of this generation and the next. Every hour volunteered, every community volunteer, and every act of advocacy builds towards a future where play is not a luxury, but a guaranteed right.
Share your stories of advocacy, community action and volunteering by joining us for Playwork in Progress – every Friday from 3pm.
Playworkers across these islands are in the thrust of arguably the busiest times of the year, and usually the warmest.
Whether you chalk it up to global warming or chalkier theories, hotter summers are no longer anomalies – they’re becoming part of the seasonal rhythm. As heat becomes less exceptional and more expected, the clickbait tips will fade – but the need for thoughtful, place-based guidance will only grow.
So, with the help of Stockholm-based playworker Suzanne Axelsson, we’ve compiled some facts, figures, and field-tested strategies to help you not only respond to high temperatures, but anticipate them – in your budgets, your resources, and your site design.
Children are at risk of burns when surface temperatures exceed 50℃, or when skin is exposed to 45℃ for long periods. Surface temperatures above 50℃ can cause severe burns in seconds – especially on young skin.
Playground surfaces and equipment (particularly plastic) can reach these high temperatures on bright, dry days in the high twenties. Slides, poles, guardrails, swing seats, barriers, tabletops, decking and slabs are just some examples of the surfaces that can pose a burn risk when exposed to direct sunlight in these temperatures.
Top tips:
Test surface temperatures before each play session, including flooring.
If you don’t have a thermometer, use a hand test: if you can’t keep your hand comfortably on the surface for 5 seconds, it’s too hot for play!
Recheck temperatures throughout the day. Using a timed checklist can help monitoring during hot spells.
Prevention
Avoid south-facing equipment (especially slides) to limit sun exposure during peak heat.
Offer natural shade – trees can cool surrounding areas by up to 8℃ – and consider cooling surfaces down with water.
Use natural materials. Synthetic grass and rubber surfacing can burn children’s feet, especially darker colours.
On hot days, encourage children to keep shoes on and avoid prolonged contact with hot surfaces, including when kneeling or sitting.
Heat hacks
Keep hydrated:
Make sure there is access to drinking water.
Sweating is the body’s way of keeping cool (and it’s pretty effective), but water lost through sweating needs to be replaced, which is why keeping hydrated is so important.
Some children won’t realise they’re dehydrated, so reminders will help.
Add a little fruit juice or cordial to encourage those who “don’t like” water to stay hydrated.
Cucumbers, tomatoes, oranges and watermelon are all good ways to keep hydrated.
Electrolytes help to stay hydrated – these are found naturally in coconut water, milk, fruit juices, and smoothies.
Ice-lollies are better than ice-cream for cooling off – the milk and creamy fats of the ice cream use energy to digest, increasing your body temperature.
Keep cool:
If you have a choice, play outside early in the day and late in the afternoon to avoid the worst UV radiation at midday.
Lots of locomotor play going on? It’s not the playworker way, but try encouraging breaks in the shade to bring down core temperature and rehydrate.
Fans can bring immediate relief to sweaty faces, but they also speed-up dehydration(!), so make sure there’s plenty of drinking water. Misting sprays are a good choice.
Water fight! Nothing cools better than water, but do consider the environmental impact of excessive water use (and your water bill!).
Cool-rags (wet cloth), wet towels and bandannas help cool hot bodies down.
Encourage children to wear loose, light-weight, light-coloured clothes. Caps and hats can protect from harmful UV rays, but they can also increase body temperature, so encourage time in the shade to take them off.
Encourage everyone to sun cream for UV protection.
Heat, humidity & health
Humidity is how much water vapour in the air.
Low humidity means surfaces will feel hotter. But high humidity makes it harder to regulate body heat increasing the risk of heat-related illnesses, like heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
These heat-related illnesses can be serious and potentially life-threatening. They can also be brought on or intensified by physical activity.
Hydration and cooling down the body are the key to treatment and recovery from such illnesses. Recognising the signs and symptoms early will help avoid serious illness.
Below is a unified checklist drawing on NHS (England), nidirect (Northern Ireland), NHS Inform (Scotland) and Public Health Wales guidance:
Heat Exhaustion (early stage)
Excessive sweating
Pale, clammy skin or development of heat rash
Muscle cramps in arms, legs or abdomen
Intense thirst and dry mouth
Weakness or fatigue
Headache or throbbing headache
Nausea, vomiting or feeling sick
Dizziness or light-headedness
Rapid heartbeat (tachycardia) and fast breathing (tachypnea)
Dark or reduced urine output (sign of dehydration)
Heatstroke (advanced stage; medical emergency)
Core body temperature above 40 ℃ (104 ℉)
Skin that may feel hot and dry—or paradoxically cold/clammy—despite high temperature
Children will react to heat in different ways. Some are more susceptible to heat than others.
Children with excess body weight, who have congenital conditions, or who are taking medication could be at increased risk of negative effects.
Even age can have an impact. For example, children under four years of age are at an increased risk because younger children produce more metabolic heat, are less able to sweat, and have core temperatures that rise faster during dehydration.
Disabilities and health needs may also play a role in the impact of heat extremes.
Having Fun in the Heat
Instead of gathering around the campfire, congregate around the camp-pool – find some shade and have a shared pamper-sesh with you feet in soothing, cooling waters. Maybe offer some slower activities to encourage rest (e.g., art & craft, finger string games or board games) or set-up some hammocks.
Murder She Soaked – swap chalk and crime scene tape for the cooling spray of a hose-pipe. Lie on the floor or sit against a wall, and use your body create a dry silhouette. Wet clothes will help cool off.
Jur-ICE-ic Park – submerge dinosaurs or other “artifacts” in water and place in the freezer overnight. Once frozen, give your budding paleontologists toffee hammers or other suitable utensils to slowly chip away at these cold (and cooling) time capsules – watch out for ice burn by holding for too long.
Curate a cool art exhibit – add non-toxic paint to water and freeze overnight Now you’ve got a frozen paintbrush! Again, watch out for ice burns.
Put your cooking on ice, and make home-made ice-lollies with fresh fruit and juices.
To create cooler outdoor spaces for play during hot days, prioritise shade, utilise water features, and select appropriate materials.
Shade
Natural Shade: Plant shade trees to strategically to block direct sunlight and create cool microclimates. Deciduous trees allow sunlight to filter through during winter when it is needed.
Shade Structures: Install pergolas, gazebos, or shade sails to offer focused areas of shade over seating or play areas.
Adjustable Shade: Consider using umbrellas or retractable canopies on pergolas for flexibility in adjusting to the sun’s position.
Water Features
Misting Systems: Misting systems can create a refreshing cool mist, especially effective in warmer climates.
Water Play: Incorporate features like water tables, sprinklers, or even a small splash pad/paddling pool to offer cooling and fun.
Materials
Light-Coloured Surfaces: Use lighter-coloured surfacing materials (e.g., light-coloured concrete, pavers, or mulch) as they reflect more sunlight and absorb less heat than dark surfaces.
Reflective Materials: Consider using materials with solar reflective properties for roofs to deflect solar radiation.
Natural Materials: Choose materials like wood or bamboo, which tend to absorb less heat than synthetic materials.
Ground Cover: Use materials like sand or bark for soft fall areas, which can reduce surface temperatures.
Other Considerations
Ventilation: Ensure good airflow through the space by incorporating design elements that allow for natural ventilation.
Hydration: Provide access to cool drinking water and encourage frequent hydration, as sweating is the body’s natural cooling mechanism.
Time of Day: Schedule outdoor activities during cooler parts of the day, like early mornings or evenings when possible.
Strategy: Create an extreme heat and hot weather strategy, so that everyone is aware of measuring temperature routines, when to limit high intensity play and games, when and where to create cool-down and hydration areas, what symptoms to keep an eye out for etc.
Check air and WBGT temperatures. If too hot consider play limits or cancelling/postponing.
Check surface temperatures of ground and equipment (regularly throughout the day). If too hot cordon off the area/equipment that is too hot to be safe. If the entire area is too hot for play – cancel/postpone or offer a small area with calm activities where children can hang out and keep cool.
Check accessibility to shade and the ability to cool down. If there is nowhere to cool down then play sessions in weather of 26℃ and over should be evaluated from a safety aspect. Invest in flexible shade if you can, so that it makes it possible for children to hang out together.
Create a cool down area.
Encourage children engaging in high intensity physical play to take breaks and cool down regularly.
Ensure there is easy access to drinking water or other sources of rehydration.
Stock your first aid kit with electrolytes suitable for children, as well as burns treatment. Medicinal manuka honey is an excellent way to naturally treat minor burns.
Ensure you have a plan to support staff, children and parents in case of a medical emergency concerning heat stroke and serious burns.
In the next week or so, adventure playgrounds in Great Britain should receive an email from our friends and colleagues at Roanoke College, Virginia, USA, inviting them to participate in a survey to support and celebrate adventure playgrounds across Great Britain.
Roanoke College’s Data, Communities, and Playgrounds (DCPg) Project has developed a new interactive map based on data collated by London Play, Play England, The Playwork Foundation and individual volunteers including Jackie Boldon and Mick Conway. For more information about the origins of our list, visit playwork.foundation/apliststory.
This new combined list formed the foundation of Roanoke College’s subsequent desktop research, which gathered publicly available information to create a unique profile for each adventure playground to be featured on the StoryMap.
Now, we need the help of adventure playgrounds to validate and improve the information about their sites. There will also be the opportunity to add extra details and resources to enrich each adventure playground’s profile.
Why get involved?
💸 Participation is completely free – Roanoke College will host and update the map annually 📍 Put your adventure playground on the map (literally!) 🌍 Be part of the “live” picture of adventure playgrounds across Great Britain 🤝 Connect and collaborate with other adventure playgrounds 📣 Share your listing with your communities, funders, supporters, and boards ⏱ The survey only takes about 10 minutes to complete
The StoryMap is expected to go live this Autumn 2025. Once it’s launched, we’ll share the link with the Adventure Playground Network and post it on our website – and from there, it’s free to share far and wide!
If you’re an adventure playground and don’t receive an email within the next week, please contact PCRGroup@roanoke.edu to request it again.
As part of Scotland’s Play Park Renewal Programme, the Scottish Government and Play Scotland have launched the first nationwide consultation on local play parks.
The survey asks families and carers across Scotland to share their experiences of local play parks by considering questions like:
How often do you visit?
How long do you stay?
What works well in your local park?
And, what improvements and new features would you like to see?
The survey aims to evaluate current play park facilities to inform future Scottish Government policy and ensure funding to renew play parks reflects the needs of local families and their communities.
Though only open to people accessing play parks in Scotland, if you’re south of the border, you can help reach colleagues, family and friends in the Land of the Brave by sharing the survey.
A ready-made comms pack is also available that includes posters and template newsletter pieces and social media posts to help spread the word.
A petition launched by play-based learning consultant Ruth Lue-Quee is urging the Westminster Government to make play and enabling environments statutory for children aged 5 to 7 in England’s Key Stage 1. With over 31,000 signatures already secured – triggering an official government response – it now aims for 100,000 signatures to force a parliamentary debate.
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), for children aged 0 to 5, ensures providers deliver learning and development requirements that embed play and have regard to “enabling environments”, where resources support child-initiated and adult-supported activities.
“Play is essential for children’s development, building their confidence as they learn to explore, relate to others, set their own goals, and solve problems. Children learn by leading their own play, and by taking part in play and learning that is guided by adults”
Department for Education
However, at Key Stage 1 (KS1), Years 1 and 2 (ages 5 to 7), there is no statutory requirement to maintain these play-orientated, child-led approaches. This petition seeks to bridge that gap by embedding EYFS principles into the statutory KS1 curriculum.
By extending the EYFS entitlement into Key Stage 1, schools in England would have to ensure areas for play-based learning and open-ended resources are always available to children aged 5 to 7 in school. It would also bring alignment with Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, where play and enabling environments remain central to primary curricula:
🟨 Northern Ireland
Learning Through Play at Key Stage 1 from the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) outlines how play supports all areas of learning in Years 1 and 2.
Statutory guidance Building the Ambition from the Scottish Government provides a national definition for “play and learning” as referred to in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014.
🟥 Wales
The Curriculum for Wales, introduced in 2022, embeds play across its 3 to 16-years-of-age framework. Developmental pathways such as exploration, communication and well-being provide a child-led foundation that continues throughout early education.
The Early Childhood Play, Learning and Care (ECPLC) Plan from the Welsh Government sets out principles, workforce standards and quality indicators to support play-rich environments across early childhood settings.
Encourage colleagues and parents and carers to add their voices
Contact local schools, nurseries and other childcare providers
You can also contact your local parliamentarians and politicians:
Contact your Member of Westminster Parliament (MP), and Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) or Member of the Senedd (MS) as applicable
Contact your local Principal Council Councillors
Contact your local Town and Parish Councils (England) or Community Councils (Wales) and their Councillors
Enter your postcode below:
function clearDefault(el) {
if (el.defaultValue==el.value) el.value = “”;
}
function fillDefault(el) {
if (el.value==””) el.value = “Your Postcode”;
}
The child wearing is was confident and chatty. She was laughing and climbing and joking with her mates. And all the while, she was talking to us, a group of visiting adults, showing us how the site works and what children do there.
She really belonged there on that Playground. Really belonged. She was in her element. She was like sunshine bouncing off rippling water. She was happy with who she was.
I told her I liked her hoodie and asked if I could take a picture. She was happy with that, very happy. I said I wanted to have a picture without her face in it, so I could share it with random people and tell them the story of her hoodie. She laughed and we said goodbye. Then she went on playing.
Join us on Fridays at 3pm for Playwork in Progress – a reflective practice conversation for Playworkers all over the world.
Bring your own story.
Or stories.
We love to hear your stories.
This is how we learn, from our source material. From children.
Penny Wilson is a Trustee of The Playwork Foundation and voluntarily chairs Playwork in Progress – a free weekly online reflective practice session for playworkers anywhere in the world. This usually takes place each week on a Friday afternoon 3-5pm BST (until 26/10/25 when it will revert to GMT).
PETC England is looking for its next Chair! If you’re passionate about playwork training and ready to influence its future, this is your chance to step into a crucial leadership role.
The Playwork Education and Training Council for England (PETC England) plays a pivotal role in shaping playwork training, and qualifications. Bringing together sector leaders, trainers, employers, and practitioners, the council drives discussions on the big challenges and opportunities facing playwork in England. With secretariat support from The Playwork Foundation, PETC England aims to ensure that the playwork workforce has a strong, united voice in policy development, best practice sharing, and professional standards.
Bringing the Sector Together
One of the Chair’s responsibilities is to ensure PETC England remains a dynamic and effective platform for collaboration. This includes fostering productive engagement with Playwork Education and Training Councils in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, ensuring transnational learning and the sharing of best practices.
Beyond leading discussions, the Chair supports the council in taking action – helping to translate ideas into progress, whether in qualification development, employer engagement, or responding to emerging challenges within the sector.
The Right Fit?
Individuals with expertise in playwork, qualifications development, employer perspectives, or FE/HE training environments are well-placed to contribute to PETC England’s leadership. The Chair should be confident in facilitating discussions, balancing diverse viewpoints, and ensuring structured dialogue leads to meaningful outcomes.
Expressions of interest are now open for PETC England’s Chair position, with applications invited until 27/06/25.
Play England describe the ideal candidate as having experience and knowledge of:
The playwork sector
Training and qualifications in England, including further and higher education
The needs of playwork employers
The development and accreditation of qualifications
They also describe the responsibilities as including:
Chairing 2-4 online meetings per year
Being unbiased in the role of chair
Communicating with other PETCs across the UK
Following-up on actions from meetings
Those interested in taking on this key leadership role should submit a statement of interest and a CV to PETC@playengland.org.uk by 27/06/25.
Job Description and Terms of Reference for PETC England below:
The opportunity to lead PETC England is more than just chairing meetings – it’s about making a lasting impact on the future of playwork education and training. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply and be part of a sector-wide effort to ensure playwork professionals receive high-quality training, recognition, and support.
The Playwork Foundation 
