Play has been defined by Getting Serious About Play (2004) as:

“What children and young people do when they follow their own ideas and interests, in their own way and for their own reasons.”

Play is a way in which children can learn and understand the world around them. There is evidence to suggest that children all over the world play no matter what their race, culture, gender or ability. It is driven from within a child and you can’t stop it. Positive experiences of play will influence the social, physical, intellectual, creative and emotional development of a child even from a very early age.

What is playwork?

Playwork is an emerging professional field with an increasingly recognised and qualified workforce playwork offers play opportunities to children and young people usually but not exclusively between 4 and 16 years of age. Good playwork will always, by its nature, aim to be inclusive of children of different abilities, ethnic background and circumstances. 

What is a playworker?

Although children may play without encouragement or help, playworkers can significantly enhance the opportunities for a child to play creatively, through the provision of an appropriate human and physical environment.

Playworkers work in a range of settings, both statutory and voluntary, which aim to provide for children’s play, such as out-of-school clubs, play schemes, adventure playgrounds. They may also work in a number of more specialised settings such as hospitals, refuges or family services, in which providing for play has been recognised as an important way of supporting children. 

Benefits of play

Emotional benefits include:

• anxiety reduction
• enjoyment, fun, love of life
• relaxation, release of energy, tension reduction
• self-confidence
• self-esteem
• self-expression
  
  

Development benefits include: 

Cognitive development:

• abstract thinking
• creativity
• imagination
• mastering new concepts
• problem-solving
• social cognition, empathy, perspective-taking

Social development:

• conflict resolution
• cooperation
• leadership skill development (control of impulses and aggressive behaviour)
• sharing
• turn-taking

Physical development:

• gross motor experiences
• fine motor experiences
• physical challenges
• self-help skills

Language development:

• communication skills
• emergent literacy
• story telling
• vocabulary

Educational benefits include:

• allowing children to extend what they are learning;
• allowing for the practice of skills;
• encouraging children to experiment and take risks;
• encouraging children to explore and discover together and on their own;
• making learning fun and enjoyable;
• providing a meaningful context for children to learn concepts and skills; and
• providing opportunities for collaborative learning with adults and peers.

Benefits to families:

• helps with bonding;
• method of communication and interaction;
• provides opportunities to meet other families; and
• supervised settings enable parents to return to work.

Benefits to community:

• play ranger services can make play spaces more accessible and create a feeling of safety;
• promote community cohesion and security; and
• reduced levels of crime and anti-social behaviour.

Supported by the Big Lottery Fund.

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