Thursday 21 October, come and chat with Jill Rice, the Executive Officer of Play Aotearoa, the New Zealand branch of IPA World. ‌ 

Jill will explore how designs always need to respond thoughtfully to the unique attributes of a space and the aspirations of local communities to achieve the best outcomes for children and young people.

This is a Member only event. Not a member? Join now to access all the sessions for free!

Book for the whole Online Learning Series here. 

On VLGA Connect, Chris Eddy was in conversation with Kieran Brophy, Assistant Director of Play Australia, discussing 1000 Play Streets and how this national movement is able to reconnect socially isolated communities and encourage more play for all on our quiet residential streets.

Check out the full interview here and our free 1000 Play Streets toolkit below for local governments, which offers lots of great advice on how to support temporary street closures for community play streets.

The national pilot of 1000 Play Streets was the culmination of many community events over 18 months across four states!

Here are the top 3 findings:

1/ 1000 Play Streets builds play and physical activity in communities, providing an immediate opportunity for movement outdoors.

2/ Play Streets connects people, acting as a catalyst for neighbours to engage in more informal conversations post-Play Street. 

3/ Growing the Play Street movement starts with valuing people within Local Government, community organisations and most importantly, communities. 

The Early Childhood Outdoor Learning Network (ECOLN) exists to promote and support outdoor learning for preschool children in Australia. 

Plans are well under way for the ECOLN 2022 conference. Set aside these dates now as it will be worth the wait!

Friday 25 & Saturday 26 March 2022 - Online and face to face at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. 

Two of Play Australia's favourite people, Robyn Monro Miller (IPA President and Play Australia Board Member) and Scott McKenzie (National Play System Lead at Sport New Zealand) are presenting at the National Sport and Physical Activity Conference, held from 11 November to 9 December.

Robyn's topic is based on 'Play is of fundamental importance for survival of a species.' 

Scott will be discussing 'Local Government Strategy That Integrates Play, Recreation and Sport'. 

It was a great day in SA when 75 people got together in Adelaide and discussed Inclusive Playspaces! It was a terrific opportunity to hear from Helen Connolly the SA Commissioner of Children and Young People and included a DHS
Presentation of the Inclusive Play Guidelines.  

If you are in South Australia and would like to know how to join the SA Branch, send an email to play.sa@playaustralia.org.au

One of the key concerns coming out of the COVID-19 lockdowns is the issue of children's mental health. There have been many stories of the detrimental effects and the importance of recognising the signs and how to provide support as parents and caregivers. 

The Raising Children network has a great resource 'Good mental health for children: 3-8years'  to help with what to look for and some ideas to promote children's wellbeing. 

"Good physical health is important for mental health. That’s because being active helps your child stay healthy, have more energy, feel confident, manage stress and sleep well."

If you are a Play Australia Member, you can profile your Member affiliation with Play Australia and importantly, promote the value of play.  The following resources are available for your use:

• Play Australia Member Logo (updated in 2020)
• a range of digital assets to promote the value of play for use on your organisation’s website or signature blocks
• our personalised member signage for your order
  

Promote the Value Of Play Today!

Become a Play Australia member now, to help us protect the rights of children in Australia to ‘play today’. Membership starts from as little as $22 p/yr for a student OR $66 p/yr for an individual.

Benefits include:

• access to the Online Learning Series 
• be profiled in our Member Directory
• receive our quarterly Member Newsletter and Special Bulletins…and much more!

View our full list of benefits here to find the Membership package that is right for you.