The Playwork Principles – an overview

The Playwork Principles establish a professional and ethical framework for playwork and must be seen as a whole. The Playwork Principles underpin every aspect of playworkers’ work. They define the playwork approach and provide a shared understanding of what playworkers do.

The Playwork Principles describe what is special and unique about play (Principles 1 and 2). They provide a working definition of play and why it is different to other behaviours. They also describe the playwork approach and point of view when working with children and young people (Principles 3 to 8).