Playday

Playday 2010 Press release template

We have been asked to prepare a press release template to assist groups who are hosting an event in 2010.  Should you wish a copy please click here.

On 1st June we hosted, in partnership with Midlothian Association of Play, a Playday Organisers Seminar.  A report has now been published on this and the outcomes discussed.

Playday Seminar Report

Appendix to report 

We want to know what it's like for children across Scotland to play out!  Please click here for drawing template and further details.

For a list of Playday events click here.  We would be grateful if you are hosting an event to register this on the Playday Website.

We're pleased to announce the Playday 2010 campaign theme will be: ‘Our place'

The Playday ‘Our place' campaign puts children at the heart of our communities, and asks everyone, young and old, to help create better places for all of us to live and play.

The Playday ‘Our place' campaign will launch in the new year, and will build up to Playday on Wednesday 4 August. We really hope you're able to get involved, coordinate Playday events and local campaigns, and make 2010 celebrations the best ever.

Thanks to everyone who gave suggestions to our theme consultation. The top suggestions were play in our communities, intergenerational play, playing outdoors and free play. We felt the community theme was a strong and timely choice and it also allows us to combine the other top three suggestions within it.

Under the ‘Our place' theme, we will promote children as valued members of our communities. The campaign recognises the benefits of being part of a community and will encourage opportunities to get to know each other, across the generations. The campaign puts children's needs at the heart of our community spaces and aims to support children to develop their own independence and freedom to play outdoors where they live.

In the run up to Playday you may wish to coordinate a local campaign, highlighting issues specific to your community that stop children being able to play.

Last year, you celebrated Playday by coordinating over 830 local events and we hope you'll be able to do the same again this year. Playday events provide an opportunity for children, families and whole communities to celebrate children's right to play, and make a massive difference to community spirit at the same time. Over the coming months we will be providing ongoing support to Playday event organisers. 
Playday website http://playday.org.uk/ or contact Amanda Godsell email: amandagodsell@playscotland.org

We are seeking young reporters for our Playday 2010 magazine.In a repeat of last year's success, and to help celebrate Playday 2010, we are recruiting a team of young reporters to cover the campaign for a special Playday 2010 magazine that will feature stories, photos and all the excitement from the big day across the UK.   

What it involves:

The team of young reporters will help us build a picture of how Playday is celebrated across the UK. The reporters can get involved in a number of ways.

 Individuals, or small teams, can:

• Write a review of a Playday event.
• Take photos at a Playday event.
• Conduct an interview e.g. with an adult or young person who has organised a Playday event, special guests at an event, or local decision makers, adults, children or young people.
• Write a comment piece about this year's Our place campaign.

For more ideas, download last year's magazine from the ‘Media' pages on the Playday website at http://www.playday.org.uk.

 Although we can't pay contributors, they will get a chance to see their work in print in the Playday 2010 magazine to be published in September. Due to space constraints, we can't publish all contributions in the magazine, but will do our best to publish those we are not able to use on at the Playday website. 

Play England staff will be available to offer advice and support those who would like to get involved.

How to become a young reporter:

Children and young people (or an adult on their behalf) can simply email playday@ncb.org.uk including their name, age (we are looking for children and young people of all ages), telephone number, contact email, and details about how they want to be involved.

Further information and advice about becoming a young reporter will be sent out to those who respond.

We look forward to hearing from you.

The Playday 2010 Get organised! guide is now available!The guide is full of useful information that will help you organise a Playday event, raise awareness of local issues, and give children, young people and whole communities a chance to get out and play. The comprehensive guide has everything you need to know to organise a large-scale public event, and is equally useful if you're organising a smaller event - just pick and choose the bits that you need.

To download your free copy of the guide, go to http://www.playday.org.uk.

Free printed copies are also available. To order, contact us at playday@ncb.org.uk including your name, delivery address and quantity required.

Playday 2009 - Make Time!

Playday 2009 was hosted on 5 August 2009.    This year theme was Make Time! and we were asking everyone, from  parents, carers, teachers, policy makers and planners to make time for play.

In our busy and overscheduled lives it’s easy to prioritise other things over play, and to think, play is something children just do. As adults, we all need to make time and space to enable children to play freely, and this is what we aimed to highlight with the Playday 2009: Make time! campaign.     

Playday 2008 - Give us a go!

• Giving children and young people the same challenging play opportunities that us adults had when we were growing up.
• Children and young people's voice asking adults to give them a chance to make their own judgements.
• Evokes an exciting play opportunity with children keen to have a go.
• Children's voice, what they would say to each other whilst playing.
• Positive message.

The development of this year's theme and title follows consultation with Playday organisers, Playday update subscribers, children and young people, parents and wider play networks.