8) To drive social and policy change

Rich, engaging and ongoing opportunities for free play have a profound impact on children’s experience of wellbeing in the present and future, thrusting play advocacy to the core of our work. Ensuring that play spaces and programs are challenging as well as safe, that opportunities for free play are inclusive, and that play leadership is attuned to children’s purposes in play are essential policy considerations to honour the right of each and every child to play. This theme will highlight the need for efforts to ensure that the right to play is securely embedded in policy and practice, including:

  • Developing play policies and charters
  • Initiating and driving play movements and public play events
  • Play advocacy; making the case for investing in play
  • Partnerships and collaborations; strategies for play policy and program development
  • Lessons from successful play programs, initiatives or policy development
  • Playwork strategies and leadership
  • Play sufficiency
  • Involvement of children and youth in policy development
  • Rights-based framework for policy development