Happy New Year!!

A new year, so we decided a new  look was needed for our E-News – introducing Play Space.

Play Space will be our monthly newsletter updating you on events, ideas, research and opportunities for members. Members are also welcome to submit content. Play Space will be supplemented by our newsflash items when we really need you to know something fast!

The year is getting off to a busy start, but we did warn you in our last E-news of 2025! Hopefully by now you are booking into events and liaising with your diaries to join us at a few events in 2026. We also have released our strategic plan which will guide our work over the next 5 years.

We are super excited about our National Play Summits and the visits we will be hosting of international guests in 2026, kicking off with Dr Naomi Lott in February.

Our team remain small in 2026 – just 3 of us and all part time – myself, Peter and Patricia. We are lucky to be supported by a great Board and committed contractors, along with volunteers from our membership base who lend a hand.  We are as always inspired by the energy and enthusiasm of our members and look forward to working with you all in the coming year!

Yours Playfully,

Robyn

Robyn Monro Miller AM

CEO

Play Australia  Strategic Plan: Our Blueprint for Impact.

Our 2025 to 2029 Strategic Plan “Blueprint for Impact”  has been released!

The Plan sets the directions for our next 5 years and we are on track to set an ambitious agenda driven through collaboration, partnerships and international best practice.

Take a read and let us know how you might contribute or partner with us !!

https://www.playaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/PA_StrategicPlan_2025-2029.pdf

Our Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday 18 February at 1pm, online.

We are submitting a new updated constitution for approval that is consistent with our mission and aims to become a health promotion charity.

We now have enough research backed evidence to provide that play is central to good health and wellbeing. Our constitution objectives need to be updated to reflect this.  The constitution change will also support our plan to apply to become a Health Promotion Charity.

By becoming a Health Promotion charity we have more opportunities to fund our initiatives.

AGM Papers will be sent to current financial members next week.

IPA World News.

The International Play Association has released its next edition of Playrights. Here is the Issue link to Play Rights December 2025: IPA World News

2026 is a big year for IPA World as we are hosting the World Triennial Conference, Aotearoa, NZ, November 2-5,  in Christchurch. The call for abstracts is out now and closes February 19.  https://www.ipachristchurch2026.com/call-for-abstracts

Play Australia is also offering group travel arrangements. We are finalising planning for that now.

New Research

Just before Christmas there was a flurry of new research released by several of our

members!

“Risky Outdoor Play and Adventure Education in Nature for Child and Adolescent

Wellbeing: A Scoping Review”.

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/16/1/5

This review found that all 40 included studies on risky play and adventure education

reported positive associations across multiple developmental domains

(e.g., resilience and confidence, wellbeing, physical skills, autonomy and agency,

nature connectedness, quality play provision, and educator influence). The review

forms part of the evidence base for a project Play Australia is working on this year

to develop a position statement for risky play for 9-14 year olds.

"Measuring play, nature connection, engagement and wellbeing: a new self−report

questionnaire for primary school students."

Questionnaire Link

Is Your Neighbourhood Playable? 

Canadian research may help you work it out!

New research from the University of British Columbia School of Population and Public Health  has resulted in Canada’s first “playability index” to assess how well neighbourhoods support young children’s outdoor free play.

Check it out https://playscore-ca-2-6.shinyapps.io/shiny/

It Is hoped the tool will spark local conversations and provide planners and policymakers critical information to create more child-friendly spaces.

A webinar will be scheduled to discuss this index with the researchers soon!

More Play Streets?

We'd love to see more Play Streets in 2026!

Transport for NSW, have been working to improve guidance to support councils, local businesses and community members to work together to activate local streets. They recently published the NSW Handbook for Activating Local Streets.  You can access NSW Handbook here. 

If you are wanting to access the free tool kits for Play Streets do not forget we have a dedicated website for you! 1000-play-streets and can provide you with support so do reach out!

Play Australia is continuing our partnership with Coverforce, our preferred Insurance broker and referral partner in 2026!

In late 2023, following a many of our members advising of increasing  insurance premiums and cover that was hard to get at reasonable rates, Play Australia undertook to try and support our members to resolve this looming crisis.

Coverforce by becoming  the appointed broker for most of our members, has access to  the claims & premium data which the insurers are wanting to see. The more members, the better they are positioned to provide actual data, which will assist in getting a group insurance facility established to support improved premiums for our members.

Play Australia Members are under no obligation to go with Coverforce, but we encourage you to get a quote as we have had fantastic feedback from members holding insurance that coverage is better and premiums are competitive.

Find out more and get a quote https://www.playaustralia.org.au/civicrm/mailing/view?reset=1&id=2573

“I can say that I found Coverforce far more proactive than my previous broker, and they were able to obtain cover for me at a more favourable premium than I had been looking at.  I’ll be referring others to them when asked.  “ 

Andrew Reedy, Director, Play Check / Board Member, Play Australia

I have found Coverforce to be very easy to deal with, as a team they came to our factory to introduce themselves and find out exactly how Allplay works and any issues we may have. They came up with various options for us which we have not had from previous brokers. Coverforce managed to reduce some costs for us on short notice as our premiums were due. They are diligent and eager to do well, and I would recommend them to the group.

Ian Latchford, Managing Director, Allplay Equipment