A GUIDE FOR PARENTS AND CARERS

During times of crisis, play has an important and extremely valuable role in supporting children's mental and physical wellbeing. 

Play Australia has released a free resource offering timely guidance on how best to support children's play during challenging times. 

Written by Robyn Monro Miller (Board Member Play Australia, and President IPA World), this simple fact sheet provides five simple strategies that will engage and support child through play.

Thursday 24 March, 11am to 12noon AEDT.

This is a unique opportunity to meet our Play Australia Team, as Barb Champion, Executive Director shares our organisational priorities, strategy, campaigns and actions that promote the Value of Play and how these relate to your industry and sector. 

This is a Member only event. 

This session will also discuss how we support our Members in their PLAY focussed work and outline the resources at your disposal.  

Thursday 07 April, 4pm to 5pm AEDT

This FREE Early Years Series presentation is an open event for everyone.

Kim Knersch is the Wyndham City, Coordinator, Early Education and Care Services and will lead a conversation with one of Wyndham’s most extraordinary Early Years Teachers, Michelle Shaw.

It will outline the pathway to YES.... in order to develop and deliver a kindergarten based program at Werribee Mansion, a first for Council. 

It's time to hit your local streets and connect with your neighbours!

SUNDAY 27 MARCH is NEIGHBOUR DAY. 

Relationships Australia are celebrating the 20th year of this great event. 

'Help address loneliness across Australia and build the communities you want to live in, one relationship at a time.'

Play Australia is very proud to be a Very Neighbourly Organisation. We encourage you to participate in this community activating event. 

Earth Watch Europe has released a report to provide insights into nature-based solutions for urban planners, councils and businesses. 

'To tackle the climate crisis and mass biodiversity loss, it is imperative that towns and cities embed the protection and restoration of nature into the heart of urban planning.'

There is so much more to providing a 'nature based' outdoor program than just access to trees and grass.

We are becoming so much more aware of the advantages to children's mental and physical wellbeing through connecting with nature. 

There are also the complementary advantages of demonstrating environmental sustainability to children, opening their experiences and knowledge.  

A good read here from the Children & Nature Network 

It is always great to see what our play counterparts are doing around the globe.  Play Scotland has excelled themselves with a new resource, designed primarily for primary school children, the PLAY WELL OUTDOORS PACK. 

Developed with Save the Children, it also includes the Scottish Government's 'eight indicators' to support a common understanding of wellbeing.  Well worth looking through this impressive initiative. 

The community sports and recreation industry will congregate in Melbourne, en masse for the first time in three years, to re-connect with a focus on growing participation sustainably and inclusively at the 2022 National Sports & Physical Activity Convention (NSC22).

The two-day conference program includes:

• Sustainability and Climate Change Impact on Sport and Sports. 
• The Move Away from Win at All Costs to Valuing Integrity, Good Governance and Culture.
• How Do We Activate the Community to be More Interested In Sport and Active Recreation Ready for 2032.
• A Blueprint for the Next Decade – Redefining and Leveraging Major Sporting Events to Benefit Community Participation.

Play Australia is offering its very popular two-day face-to-face training program again in 2022.

Delivered in Templestowe, Victoria, this extensive training enables participants to access and understand both best practice and current Playground Standards applicable to the management, development, design and maintenance of playspaces throughout Australia today.

All participants will receive level 1 & 2 certification.

Maintenance Requirements for Early Years Outdoor Play Areas

Wednesday 6 April 2022

This one-day program will focus on the risk management requirements and Australian Standards for the management and maintenance of outdoor playspaces in supervised early learning services in Australia.

Your presenters, Alison Curtis and Barb Champion are highly qualified and experienced practitioners in playspace and equipment design and risk management.

Play Australia membership provides support for all different sectors and industry who are part of the PLAY network. 

From Landscape Architects, Early Childhood Educators, play equipment Manufacturers, Local Government playspace teams, students, or just someone who cares about children's health and wellbeing,  Play Australia membership has something for everyone.

Membership starts from as little as $22 p/yr for a student OR $66 p/yr for an individual.

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