Playday

Playday – If you ever needed an excuse to play this is your chance!   But why has a day been dedicated to playing, you might ask?

Well it all started in 1986 when play centres and adventure playgrounds were threatened with cuts.   But Mick Conway, Kim Holdaway and Paul Bonel came up with the idea to have one day of playful activities – to highlight how much of a loss these wonderful places would be.

The date has been a bigger success than they ever would’ve imagined and now here we are!  On 1 August 2018 it will be the 31st annual Playday!

And there is a big similarity between 1986 and 2018 – children’s playing spaces are once again being exposed to cuts!

This means the campaign is focussing on a few specific areas like fighting cuts, saving these areas and encouraging councils and governments to make improvements to the resources we already have.   The organisers also want to raise awareness of the importance of play in children’s lives.

So why don’t you plan something this summer?   When you sign up you’ll receive a toolkit that includes promotional posters, postcards, logos, guides and lots more!

Where do you want to hold your event?   Do you want to make it a huge deal in your town or a more low-key get together with family and friends?

It’s completely up to you and remember this should be play and games for children AND adults.   You deserve to be child-like every once in a while too!   Between working and being busy doing everything else the opportunity doesn’t come often enough, so grab it with both hands!

Last week I was at a dancing event that involved facepaints and bouncy castles.  But they weren’t for kids – oh no, this event was designed especially for adults!  That might help you to bounce off some ideas for the adults too!

Visit the Playday website and find out more about events in your area and how you can get involved.