It All Starts with Play!
Hello! An introduction from Poppy
Hi, I’m Poppy. I’m 12 and I live with my family in a town in England.
My mum tells me how she used to play out all day — in the street with her friends, walking to the park, staying out until it got dark.
That’s not how it is for me. Most days I’m at school, doing homework, on my phone, at gymnastics or indoors. I sometimes play outside on my own — but mostly when a grownup is around. I have a hidden disability, so sometimes people don’t realise that things like play can feel a bit harder for me.
I didn’t even realise my mum and grandparents used to just go out and play, wherever they wanted.
When I helped with this strategy, I realised something: we don’t know what we’re missing. Lots of kids think play only happens in a playground. But it should be everywhere — at school, in the park, at adventure playgrounds . . . even just outside our front door.
This strategy is about bringing that back. Because play isn’t silly. It’s how we make friends, feel free, have fun and just be kids.
And we all deserve that.
Poppy
It All Starts with Play!
This is a strategy so children today can have a proper play-based childhood – like their parents and grandparents did.
What is this Strategy?
This is a 10-year strategy made by Play England. It’s about helping all children in England get more opportunities to play — in more spaces, with more freedom, every day.
We spoke to hundreds of children, parents, teachers and playworkers to understand what’s changed — and what needs to change next.
This strategy is based on your rights — including your right to play, which is protected by the United Nations.
Our big aim is to help build a society where play is seen as normal, accepted and protected — at home, in school, on the street and everywhere else children live their lives.
What is Play?
Play is what you do because you want to, not because someone tells you to. It can be:
Loud or Quiet Inside or Outside On your own or With friends In real life or On devices Creative, active, silly, exciting, risky –or Totally made up
There’s no one way to play. But every child needs play.
What’s the Problem?
Lots of things have made it harder for children to play:
• Too much homework or being too busy
• Traffic and unsafe streets
• Rules that stop children playing – like ‘No Ball Games’ signs
• Being told off for making noise or playing outside your home
• Adventure playgrounds have closed
• Playgrounds that are broken or boring
• Not enough time at school to play
• Grown-ups saying “no” or being too busy
Some children don’t even know they have the right to play.
Some children face more barriers than others — because of where they live, how much money their family has, their background or if they have a disability. That’s not fair, and this strategy wants to help change it.
Our BIG Goal
Our Vision is a society where all children have the freedom to play. Our Mission is to make play a normal, accepted and visible part of everyday life once again.
To make this happen, every child needs four things — and this is called STAR:
We want to bring back play – so all children can have a proper play-based childhood, like their parents and grandparents did. That’s our big goal for 2035. We use STAR to guide how we make change happen.
What Do We Want to Change?
1
Spaces to Play
We want all children to have fun, safe, local spaces to play — like parks, playgrounds, streets and nature. We’ll try to:
• Make sure play is part of how towns and cities are built
• Fix up and look after play areas, especially adventure playgrounds
• Get rid of ‘No Ball Games’ signs
• Make indoor and digital play spaces better too
• Help schools make playtimes more fun
• Make sure children help design spaces that work for them
2
Skills for People who Support Play
Play doesn’t happen because adults tell you what to do — but it helps when they make space for it and stand up for your right to play. We’ll try to:
• Support playworkers, teachers and carers to learn more about play
• Help playground designers make spaces that include everyone
• Value parents, grandparents and volunteers who support play in their own way
What Do We Want to Change?
Systems That Back Play A Society That Accepts Play 3 4
Play must be part of how decisions are made in government, schools and local councils. We’ll try to:
• Ask for a new law to protect play in every area
• Work with health, education and housing leaders
• Help get funding so communities can improve their play spaces
• Make play part of the big national strategies — not just an afterthought
We want everyone to understand that play is not a waste of time — it’s how children grow up well. We’ll try to:
• Run public campaigns to change how people think about play
• Stand up for children’s right to have time for play
• Support adults to feel confident saying “yes” to play — at home, in schools and in public
• Share stories and ideas from children themselves
• Help parents feel more confident letting children play out, on their own
• Celebrate play on big national days like Playday and the International Day of Play
What About Children?
You’re not just part of this strategy –you help lead it!
We’re setting up Children’s Assemblies — where a group of children from different places, ages and backgrounds, come together to:
• Share their views in a safe, welcoming space
• Be listened to by adults who can make change
• Help decide what’s working, what needs to change, and what should happen next
Every three years , we’ll go through a big check-in. We call this:
Reflect – Reinvigorate – Renew
• Reflect on what’s happened and what children say is most important
• Reinvigorate the energy behind the strategy and share it with everyone
• Renew our focus, goals and next steps — based on what we’ve learned
This way, this strategy doesn’t just sit on a shelf — it grows with you. So, your ideas will always be part of the journey.
Our Promise
We believe a better society — one full of joy, trust and imagination — starts with play.
And we’re working to make sure all children, in every place, gets that chance.
Because it all starts with play!
