In June, I had the great fortune to spend three days in London, England hosted by Tim Gill to visit outdoor play programs and sites around the city and in nearby Bristol. I visited a breadth of children’s outdoor play opportunities including forest school, early learning centres, adventure playgrounds, loose parts play programs in schools, community street play initiatives, and public playscapes. I also joined meetings of the Children’s Play Policy Forum and Play Safety Forum.
Indeed I was wowed by some of the innovations in design and the thoughtful way environments were planned to support risk in play. And I delighted in the faces of children engaged in play and learning come rain or shine. But I have to say I was most impressed by the adults I met and what I perceived to be a deep commitment to children first, even before their commitment to children’s play.
Joel Seath and Mike Dessington, Playworkers from White City Adventure Playground, west London
I saw it in the eyes of playworkers and heard it in their words as they nurtured and supported the complex social interactions of kids at play. I recognized it in the actions of preschool teachers and playworkers who dedicated time to scouring their communities and the countryside to source a myriad of loose parts.
I noted that the U.K. play policy advocates were fundamentally focused on a child’s right to play as per the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). That’s food for thought here in Canada where the prevailing dialogue focuses more on the value of play to reduce obesity and improve health outcomes, or to support play-based learning, or to connect kids to nature. Of course that is a very important dialogue to be having and one the Lawson Foundation is deeply interested in. But I was struck by the broad recognition of a child’s right to play and the adults thereby dedicated to ensuring play provision. Should we be engaging more around a child’s right to play in Canada? I would love to hear from outdoor play stakeholders on this question.
While I spent only a few days in London I felt there was something very special about play in the UK, and I think it begins with adults who are passionate about supporting children. As I start my list of active ingredients to nurture a successful Outdoor Play Strategy in Canada, I am going to put passion for children at the very top. What about the right to play – does it belong on the list too?
Christine Alden
Christine, you highlight many great features of play in England, and the joy including from the adults, is something we relate to from our after school club in the south of England. We are fortunate in that we actually reside and run most of our out of school hours care in Calgary, AB, and feel we are moving the dial in the play sector for school age children. Whilst health and social risk benefits of play are truly important, we believe that more fundamental is the concept of the right to play, and its a global concept.
Thanks Dee – it is wonderful to know that you are applying “playwork principles” in Canada. I wonder if Calgary Child’s Play is the first school age child care program to offer such an approach? http://calgarychildsplay.com/about/playwork-principles/
Thanks for joining this conversation as we expand our relationships with play stakeholders across Canada. Cheers, Christine
Only a Canadian would describe Bristol as being ‘nearby’ to London! It was lovely to meet you at the PSF meeting Christine, and great that you and Tim were able to visit some of our OPAL schools.
Hi Christine,
Yes I am sure the right to play belongs at the top of the list!
Well, Tim did a good job in showing you round and leaving such a good impression! I wish we had a Lawson Foundation here in the UK, but more specifically, England. Outside our play colleagues the dialogue is almost totally around Obesity, health and a little , well being, not quite so positive as I think you were led to believe.
But my comment is really about International perspectives, which I think are so mutually valuable. Like Tim I found our meetings stimulating and was grateful for the opportunity to meet. As a retired volunteer, I am slightly less optimistic than Tim about being at Calgary, but certainly will make it if I can!
YES! Please put a child’s right to play right at the top of the list! Of course combating obesity, learning resilience and connections to nature are important, but I think if the plan is to build a framework for play for this generation and the next it is imperative that we philosophically support play for it’s instinctual existence. Play is naturally occurring in all of us and I think we do a disservice to the outcome of the toolkit to leave out the right to play. I am a part of a group starting an adventure playground in Canada and in looking for material to use for training I am so happy to see that Canada is taking up the call to support play!