It All Starts with Play!
Hello!
A foreword 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 grown-up 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.
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
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
Our BIG Goal
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 want to bring back play!
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—we call this STAR:
Places where you can play and room to think and be yourself
Free time every day to play — not just when grown-ups says it’s OK
Play should be welcomed, you should not be told off – at home, in school and in public
Play is your right. The rules and law should protect it
A Society That Accepts Play 3 4
Systems That Back Play
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
We want everyone to understand that play is not a waste of time — it’s how children grow up well. We’ll try to:
• Make play part of the big national strategies — not just an afterthought play — at home, in schools and in public
• 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
• 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
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!
