Hi ,

Happy New Year!

The Christmas trees are packed away, my pink flamingo I used in the pool is deflated and the little umbrella in my drink is now soggy – oh dear, summer holidays must be over and we are baaaaack!!!!!! Not quite siting behind our desks, but around them, and the team is busy working on our plans for 2025.

At the end of 2024, we reminded you that as Play Australia members you are demonstrating your commitment to a shared vision to build a healthy community through play which is achieve through advocacy and engagement. As promised the Australian Play Movement in 2025 is going to grow larger and become more influential, after all, it is an election year!

To support this big playful audacious goal we are assembling a range of reference groups in 2025 to help develop networks, ideas and build opportunities for engagement and advocacy, you may as a member wish to join one!

In this edition we are sharing some great opportunities for you to engage with offers through our members and for our members. Take a look, and we hope to see more of you in 2025!

Yours playfully,

Robyn

Robyn Monro Miller AM
CEO, Play Australia

Welcome to 2025, a year of fun and momentum for Play Australia, the oldest advocacy organisation for play in our country (maybe even the world).  

I am thrilled to begin the year as chairperson of a forward thinking and passionate board. Alongside Kylie Brannelly, Don Wark, Andrew Reedy, Kerry Logan and new Board Members, Kim Moroney and David Kutcher, we are excited to see you, our members, new and old, join us in our biggest year of advocacy yet.  

It is such an important role, one where together we put the rights of children and all Australians to experience the joy and developmental benefits of play. We hope to see you at our events across the year and sharing the opportunities with your own stakeholders.  

The standout is the IPA Asia Pacific Conference being hosted by Play Australia in Melbourne, 25-27 June (register here) where we will convene government representatives, NGOs, educators, urban planners, health professionals, designers, and play advocates from across the Asia Pacific to exchange ideas and develop strategies that emphasize the integral role of play in fostering healthy human development and vibrant communities. It will be a hands on, get things done event, and we invite your participation to make it the biggest and most rewarding in the southern hemisphere. 

We are all in extremely good hands with our Play Australia team, led by the magnificent Robyn Monro Miller, the creative Pete Curry and our administrative team. 

What better way to start the year than by asking you to follow our LinkedIn and social channels (if you aren’t already) and start sharing and posting about the work you are doing as play advocates in 2025.

Building a healthy Australia through Play, everyday, 

Carly 

Carly Goodrich
President, Play Australia

MARCS Institute will be hosting Professor Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, renowned expert in child development and educational psychology, as the 2025 Anne Cutler Visiting Fellow from February to March.

Professor Hirsh-Pasek is dedicated to advancing the science of learning and will be headlining two events of public and research interest exploring the topic of Playful Learning Landscapes. These free events will bring together a group of researchers, industry experts, community leaders, parents, and educators, to engage in discussions about re-imagining educational pedagogy and policy in Australia.

As a Play Australia member, you are invited to register for either or both of the following events (numbers are limited):

Public Lecture

Topic:                    Active Playful Learning: Where the Science of Learning Meets Education

Date & Time:    Thursday  6 Feb 2025, 4:00pm – 6:00pm (light refreshments provided)

Location:              Anne Cutler Seminar Room, Level 4, Western Sydney University, Westmead.

Research Conference

Topic:                    Playful Learning Landscapes – Ideas and Implementation

Date & Time:      Friday 28 Feb 2025, 10:00am – 4:00pm (lunch provided)

Location:              Anne Cutler Seminar Room, Level 4, Western Sydney University, Westmead.

Play Australia is committed to ensuing all educators have access to training and information to support their work with play. It can be time consuming and costly to ensure all staff have access to information.

Understanding this, and to support the OSHC sector with orientation to playwork, we have developed a new online self-paced learning program:

Introduction to Playwork Principles

Featuring, Phillip Jaffe from the UNCRC, Dr Anthea Crawford, Kylie Brannelly, Robyn Monro Miller, Kylie Keene, David Kutcher, Judd Walsh and Warrawee Care Centre, the course covers all 8 of the Internationally recognised playwork principles.

This course has been designed to introduce new OSHC educators to the concepts of  playwork. Play Australia recommends that services consider this short, one-hour course – consisting of three modules and a quiz – an essential part the OSHC orientation process, sitting alongside first aid and child protection. Suitable for all educators, this course is an essential for the basic package of training educators need at commencement in a service.

Helen Pentecost from OSHC provider 3Bridges (a loyal PlayAus member!), had this to say about the course:

“This is such a fantastic starting point for all OSHC professionals! Playwork has always been a part of OSHC, but this training really clarifies those concepts and puts them into context”.

 

Remember – Members can access our any of our Online Learning Series presentations for free (valued at $33- per topic for non-members)!
Click on the link below and apply the code Play110624 to access the Series for FREE!

We have more training modules to comes for a range of sectors and look forward to sharing these with you in 2025!

The inaugural IPA World Asia Pacific Conference on Play is set to be a groundbreaking event, bringing together a diverse array of stakeholders from across the Asia Pacific region to delve into the transformative power of play.

Scheduled to take place in Melbourne, Australia, the conference will convene a wide representation of play advocates to exchange ideas and develop strategies that emphasize the integral role of play in fostering healthy human development and vibrant communities.

Forge lasting connections among fellow participants, join a vibrant network of play advocates who are dedicated to driving meaningful change in their communities, and who support the development of healthier, happier, and more connected communities throughout the Asia Pacific.

Interested in becoming a sponsor? Email Robyn at ceo@playaustralia.org.au

Have you heard, we've released the dates for the 2nd round of our Playwork Foundation Practitioner Training course in 2025!

About the course

This course is the starting point for all learners. The course provides a sound introduction to the Playwork Principles, loose parts theory, play cycle, intervention styles, dynamic risk-benefit assessment and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

This training is industry certified by Play Australia and will be offered as a micro credential. The course is designed for those people currently working with children.

The course is broken up into different components including 3 x webinars, approx 3 hours online reading/preparation, a 2-day face-to-face practice workshop and assessments.

All sections of the course and assessment must be completed to receive the certificate. Course assessment activities to be submitted by 1 July 2025.

Webinar Dates:

Thursday 6 March 2025, 7-9pm AEDT
Thursday 10 April 2025 (time to be confirmed)
Tuesday 6 May 2025 (time to be confirmed)

Face-to-face workshops. Register for:

Melbourne – Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 May 2025

Brisbane – Thursday 29 and Friday 30 May 2025

Rockhampton (NEW!) – Sunday 1 June and Monday 2 June 2025

Sydney – Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 June 2025

Members in WA,SA, Tas, ACT and NT may apply for a $200 travel subsidy to support travel costs. Limit of 5 travel subsidies per workshop location.

Prerequisites

Currency – must has at least 2 years’ experience working face to face with children or young people in last 12 months.
Will be able to actively apply the learnings to a school, children’s service, or Youth program and have the support of your management.
Current working with children clearance.
Current child protection training (desirable).

Cost per participant

Members: $984.50 inc gst
Non-members $1424.50 inc gst

The Nature Everywhere conference will be held in May 2025 in Minnesota USA. 
Visit the Children and Nature Network to find out more.

A reminder that travel and conferences for your work are potentially tax deductible. Check with your tax agent for more info.