Play

"Play is freely chosen, personally directed, intrinsically motivated behaviour that actively engages the child." (Best Play, 2000).

"All children and young people including those who are disabled or have specific needs should have opportunities to experience challenge and take risks while playing". (Design for Play, 2008).

Find out what Playday activities are happening in your area: Events Calendar|||

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Hear our Playday Jingle||| (MP3, 1.30Mb)

The process for developing a countywide vision for play is essential for the future. Not only for our children's development, but for communities as a whole.

The importance of play reaches all hard to reach groups, including vulnerable children and those who are at risk of being excluded. Play is essential for children and young people's health, well-being and learning. The provision of play areas can also help stimulate economic growth and build social cohesion.

Play has never been seen as so important to the fabric of our society as it is today. It has been recognised that the ingredients for successful development in our children's well being and self esteem is continual investment, workforce reform, and active participation from all sections of the community.

We have a County Play Strategy, demonstrating the commitment of stakeholders to providing play services to meet the needs of all children and young people across the county. We recognise the valuable contribution made by a wide variety of agencies in the statutory and voluntary sectors. Our strategy also recognises that children and young people will benefit from various form of play, ranging from unsupervised green spaces through outreach, youth clubs and supervised play, to specialist groups such as sports clubs, arts associations, Guides and Scouts and Toy Libraries.

Risk-taking is an essential feature of play provision, and of all environments in which children legitimately spend time at play. Play provision aims to offer children the chance to encounter acceptable risks as part of a stimulating, challenging and controlled learning environment. If play is not exciting and attractive to children and young people, it will fail, no matter how "safe" it is.

||| 2010 Play Policy|||