News from the Team.

We are all still buzzing from the amazing atmosphere at the 1^st Asia Pacific IPA Play Conference hosted by Play Australia at the end of June. So many great new friendships and collaborations forming and we are delighted to hear people are staying in touch and momentum is growing. We are still working on processing all the content and reviewing next steps – but rest assured you will be kept in the loop. Thank you to all who participated and to our wonderful sponsors The Play Collective, Coverforce and Vic Health.

Thank you also for the tremendous response to the State of Play report launched on June 11. The resharing and requoting has been amazing and we have seen member using it to present cases for play across the country. Our next step is taking up the recommended actions.

Play Australia is just a small team of 3 in the office so we have been pacing ourselves to keep up the advocacy. Our Board is currently working with us on the new 2025 – 2030 Strategic Plan plus we are working on moving towards a registration as a Company Limited by Guarantee to better reflect our national presence and focus (currently we are incorporated in Vic).

Coming up soon is a suite of webinars including some “encore” presentations from our Asia Pacific Conference that are sure to inspire you!

Happy Reading

 Robyn, Peter and Patricia

Pick My Park Program - Time to mobilise our Victorian Communities

Tell the Victorian Government your ideas on park upgrades at your favourite parks – you might like to make it a wish list for great play spaces to transform underused publicly accessible land into vibrant greenspaces or a parklet or from our point of view PLAY SPACES

The Pick My Park program is offering grants of $20,000 to $250,000 for park upgrades and new parks in eligible areas.  

In late 2025, land managers (for example, local councils, Parks Victoria, and community groups) will use the local insights to shape project applications and applications will be assessed against the program guidelines and alignment to community feedback. 

In early 2026, Victorian residents will be able to vote for their favourite park projects. 

         Funding announcements will be made in mid-2026.

            Find out more about Pick My Park here, or contact them                                  at pickmypark@transport.vic.gov.au. 

Playwork Principles Survey

For members adopting a playwork approach and using the Playwork Principles, this one is for you! 

Marking 20 years of Playwork Principles, the Childhood Development and Playwork Team  at Leeds Beckett University has been commissioned by our colleagues at Play Wales to undertake a survey on how and where the Playwork Principles are used.

English language version: Playwork Principles Survey

The latest issue of the International Play Association (IPA World)'s flagship Play Rights magazine is out!

In it, we explore the increasingly popular concept of “Planning for Play” that city governments use to create more playful cities within the larger approach of planning child friendly cities.

Featuring articles from Barcelona), Leeds, Mexico City, Bhubaneswar,  Bratislava, small municipalities in Sweden along with an opinion piece on rethinking planning for play in the age of screens, this collection examines the motivations and achievements of diverse cities in promoting playability as an urban quality. Key factors include strong political will at different levels, the integration of child rights into planning, a data-driven understanding of children’s play needs, and city council endorsements that prioritize and scale up planning for play as part of existing local government systems and structures.

We have added a new section to the magazine called "Spotlight on Publications," where we will share classic and new publications related to the theme of each issue. If you want your published research spotlighted, please get in touch!

Whilst Play Rights is a benefit of IPA membership, International Play Association (IPA World) recognises that a key role of is KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER, so we are inviting all our membership to share this edition, and our previous one with colleagues.

Check out all the IPA Publications here - https://issuu.com/ipaworld

Coming Up:

2025 Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play 

This statement which will be officially launched on September 25, 2025 in Ottawa, ON, Canada. 

This Statement serves to extend the 2015 Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play by expanding its reach worldwide, broadening its content, and emphasizing inclusivity across all ages. The 2025 Position Statement highlights the benefits of active outdoor play for people of all cultures and abilities, communities, environments, and the planet. The 2025 Position Statement reflects our commitment to promoting the health of humans and the environment, and we believe it represents a vital step forward to the sectors that intersect with outdoor play including, but not limited to, health, education, urban planning, environment, child development, recreation, and climate change. By offering a shared foundation grounded in evidence and equity, this Statement encourages cross-sector collaboration to advance the well-being of individuals, communities, and ecosystems.

Organisations, such as Play Australia and our organisation members carry significant weight in advancing this cause, and our member organisations will be invited  to get involved in the coming weeks. 

Your support, whether through endorsement or sharing with your networks, or will help strengthen the collective voice for active outdoor play and inspire action globally.

A free global webinar will be hosted by IPA World in early October and we will circulate the recording to members.

National Position Statement on Risky Play

Over 250,000 have accessed this statement since launching in June at the Asia Pacific Conference!!  On August 25 at 4pm (AEST), Play Australia will host a free members webinar with the authors Rachel, Helen and Sue, to chat about the paper and have a live Q and A with members.

To register

https://www.playaustralia.org.au/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=543

New Book On Risky Play..

Risky Play  is certainly a hot topic and last week this included the launch of Risk and Outdoor Play: Listening and Responding to International Voices. Part 1 Edited by Play Aus Members Tonia Grey, Marion Sturges and Jaydene Barnes, they have assembled chapters authors from around the globe.

The book was conceptualised by the Editors while undertaking a small seed grant from Western Sydney University’s School of Education to complete research.

The initial idea expanded into 34 chapters with so many authors contributing from faraway places. This was then broken into two books: Part 1 comprised of 14 chapters with an international flavour and Part 2 with 22 chapters.

In the words of Tonia “ The book you hold in your hands or read on the screen can only be credited to our remarkable co-contributors. Sculpted by grit and determination, and then chiselled with love and patience, this manuscript is the culmination of our collective journey.”

Play Australia will be hosting a webinar on the book in the coming weeks – date to be advised!

The book is available for purchase online from the Nile Bookshop.

Play 32 – Creating a Legacy for Play.

Play Australia is excited  to be part of Play 32, a Queensland-based coalition of leaders, organisations, practitioners, academics, and collaborators united with one shared purpose:

To ensure children’s play and voice are a lasting, inclusive legacy of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Through Play 32, we’re working to ensure that every Australian child, from birth to 24 years old, benefits from a legacy that prioritises their right to play and be heard.

What’s Next?
Join the campaign and be part of this transformative movement! 

Visit the website to learn more.  https://play32.org.au/

Please like and follow, and feel free to repost or share on your own social media.

Play Australia is hosting a webinar to learn more about Play 32  and how you can be part of the campaign. 

To be held at 1 pm (AEST)  on Tuesday 2^nd September. 

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89080263454 

Together, we can make the Brisbane 2032 Games a milestone for every Australian child.

The Voice of the Child

The Centre for Community Child Health has launched a new tool kit on child and young persons involvement.  This is an important document for all people involved in working with or for the best interests of children.  Highly recommended for designers, local government, educators.. in fact everyone in our membership wold benefit from the insights in this resource!

To read more:   

https://www.ccch.org.au/resource-hub/toolkit-and-guides/voice-of-the-child/

To watch the recorded webinar: https://www.ccch.org.au/resource-hub/webinars/launching-the-voice-of-the-child/

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