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Summer of sport, summer of play
Whenever we’re rooting for home sports teams, local or national, and wanting those victories, it’s a good time to ask an important question: how and when do children find their way into sport today?...
View ArticleHow playing out helps to build children’s independence
Building confidence for the move to secondary school Recently I’ve noticed that one of the main topics of conversation amongst friends and parents I meet who have pre-teens, is how we go about giving...
View ArticleHow to handle objections and defuse difficult situations on play streets.
A street, estate or block of flats can be like a microcosm of society – a community made up of all sorts of people, all with different lives, views and opinions. When you first start thinking about...
View ArticleRight to Roam Near Home
Last week, 3,000 people gathered on Dartmoor to march in protest at the public’s “right to roam” in England being even further diminished. The Right to Roam campaign brings attention to the importance...
View ArticleThe ripple effects of playing out
I organised a play street for 4 years between 2014-2018 in St George, Bristol. Our street has only 30 houses and isn’t a through road; a core group of 7 households responded to my initial invitation to...
View ArticlePlaying out helps children to make friends across race, culture and backgrounds
This positive feedback comes from a recent community engagement project about playing out close to home. As a benefit it is vitally important – to all children and to growing a fairer, more just...
View ArticlePlaying fair: How does race affect children’s access to outdoor play?
A guest blog by Dulce Pedroso – an ‘expert friend’ to Playing Out who has recently completed a review of existing literature and practice related to race, ethnicity and children’s access to outdoor...
View ArticlePlay streets brought some peace to our rat run
Why Lyndsey organised a play street after lockdown, benefitting children and adults in her local area… It started with beers in the front garden. One of the positive things to come out of lockdown was...
View ArticleWe need a plan for children, not motorists
“We are not a nation of motorists, we’re a nation of families”. These words were spoken by Joanne Colleran, mother of 6-year old Bobby who was struck and killed by a car whilst walking to school. She...
View Article“It’s changed our lives”: how playing out helped my children, my neighbours...
Emma first got interested in play streets seven years ago. Since then, with help and advice from Playing Out, Emma has supported her own street and many other parents and residents across Hull to do...
View ArticleParliamentary Inquiry into Children and the Built Environment: A Golden...
In Spring 2023, Playing Out joined with allies to ask for a Parliamentary Inquiry into Children and the Built Environment. Our proposal to the Levelling Up select committee pointed out that children’s...
View ArticleFrom play streets to parliament – making the case for children to play out
This week Playing Out presented oral evidence to the parliamentary inquiry into children and the built environment, held by the select committee for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and proposed...
View Article“We think about bins and cars more than children”
On Monday 26th February the Parliamentary Select Committee Inquiry into Children, Young People and the Built Environment held its second session to hear oral evidence from a range of experts about how...
View ArticleWho in Government is standing up for children?
Last week, we were back in the Houses of Parliament for the final live session of the select committee inquiry into children, young people and the built environment. Over 100 organisations and...
View ArticleTake over your street for play this Thank You Day!
The Together Coalition is all about building a kinder, closer and more connected society. They approached us about getting involved with their Thank You Day campaign this year and their theme...
View ArticleGrowing up, playing out and freedom for my son
Otis is co-founder of The African Pot project, a central Manchester organisation we and Ubele collaborated with on our project ‘Playing out close to home’ (watch their brilliant film here) . We...
View ArticleChildren and the built environment: Inquiry and next steps
In Spring 2023, Playing Out joined with allies to ask for a Parliamentary Inquiry into Children, Young People and the Built Environment. We pointed out that children’s health and wellbeing is at crisis...
View ArticleA manifesto for restoring children’s freedom and outdoor play
“To be happy and healthy, children need a decent amount of everyday, sociable play and physical activity. To grow into independent, capable, resilient young adults, they need a chance to experience...
View ArticleYes Ball Games – removing signs and welcoming playing out
No Ball Games! We’re all familiar with these signs around housing estates and other city spaces where children and play are not wanted. They sound specific, but in fact they read as ‘no children, no...
View ArticleNational Planning Policy Consultation: Playing Out’s response
The government is consulting on a major set of policies for planning in England, which will have huge impact on children’s lives, including their ability to play out near home. These policies are set...
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