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News from the Play Australia team...

Hang on to your hat’s folks!! It is going to be a whirlwind few months as we head into the end of 2023!!

Play Australia is launching several new initiatives and resources and the team have been incredibly busy preparing. We are planning a world of surprises and events so our membership across Australia can feel inspired to help us build healthier communities through play.

Online learning modules for local government are launching this week and bookings have opened for our event with Tim Gill. If you have not yet booked and are going to be in Sydney grab a spot!

Play Today is sent to all members and subscribers fortnightly. If you are receiving this and liking being a part of the Australian play community, we encourage you to sign up your organisation to membership, or if you don’t belong to an organisation, take out an individual membership. From November 1, subscribers will no longer receive the fortnightly news updates and will be switched across to a monthly round up.

Yours playfully,

Robyn, Kieran, Joanne, and Pete.

Tim Gill In Sydney!

Restoring Children's Freedoms

The Australian Children’s Week Oration

If you missed the social media posts, then here is news for you!

When:
Thurs 26th October 2023

10am till 12.15pm

Where:
Level 11, 60 Market Street Sydney, NSW

How can parents, educators, campaigners, and decision makers build the case for outdoor play, and for a balanced, thoughtful approach to risk? Based on his influential books No Fear: Growing up in a risk averse society and Urban Playground: child-friendly planning and design can save cities, Tim Gill will make the case for expanding children’s horizons, starting in their own homes, schools, children’s services settings, and neighbourhoods.

Tim’s presentation will be followed by a panel of Australian leaders and audience reflection and discussion on what action we need to take to create a case for play and where does play fit in the National Wellbeing Agenda?

Presented by Play Australia and the Children’s Week Council of Australia

In-person Event Tickets $75 per person (Play Australia members $50)

We will be love streaming the event across Australia however it will not include the panel discussion. Links for the live stream will follow later.

Plus, later that day we will be hosting A Masterclass with Tim!

Child-friendly planning - A Masterclass with Tim Gill

The masterclass will be attended by a cross sectoral group of people with an interest in urban design, research, local government, and community development…. And maybe you??

Tickets at $175 for members and $250 for non-members.

To express interest in attending, drop Robyn an email on ceo@playaustralia.org.au

Children’s Week – Shining the spotlight on PLAY

Children’s Week will be held from 21-29 October 2023 and the theme is one we will all get into – children’s right to rest, play and take part in activities they enjoy.

Play Australia will be sending out to members links to our new campaign pack on 1 October so we can collectively harness the energy of us all to advocate for play

Looking for another reason to take out membership?

Introducing the Play Australia Conference Club!

Play Australia is delighted to announce a new series of MEMBER only webinars where members will have the opportunity to share with us their key play learnings from international conferences they attend (and some national ones too!)

These webinars will be held whenever we have a member who has been on a PD adventure!

To kick start our series off we are delighted to have Daniel Burton, CEO & Co-founder of Educated by Nature join us in our new online Play Australia Members clubhouse to tell us about his recent PD experience in Colorado, USA!

Conference Club with Daniel Burton

Daniel is the co-founder of Educated by Nature (established 2014), a qualified primary school teacher, an education consultant and passionate nature connection mentor. Daniel was one of 500 delegates at the 2023 Inside-Out International Conference, hosted by The Children and Nature Network Colorado. The conference brought together leaders from a broad range of disciplines, all committed to the health and well-being of children and communities. Daniel joined delegates from around the glove to explore best practices for creating inclusive and equitable outdoor experiences — and proven strategies for turning our indoor society back out to the benefits of nature.

Click here for our member-only
Conference Club with Daniel Burton webinar

Coming up at Play Australia Conference Club

…. in November

Date Wednesday 15 November 12pm

Kylie Brannelly from NOSHSA and Queensland Children’s Activities Network (QCAN) will be sharing with us her PD adventures in Bern, Switzerland, where she attended the Extended Education Conference. The conference title “Between school and recreation- Quality in Extended Education” provides an opportunity to share current global perspectives on where play fits into that gap.

… In December

Tuesday 5 December at 12 pm

Robyn Monro Miller from Play Australia will be sharing her recent PD adventures in Brussels, Belgium at the Child Friendly Cities conference (Nov 20-22) and in Wales at the Play Wales conference (Nov 23).

What's in the News?

Stand back and avoid saying be careful: How to help your child take risks at the park

This article from The Conversation.com on risk was released this week and we're delighted that Tonia, Marion and Jaydene will be joining us at the Tim Gill seminar on a panel to chat with Tim following his presentation!

Spontaneous play ...is it disappearing?

Explore this article from the UK Why parental pressures are taking the fun out of children's play.

Jumping Pillows are in the news!

Fundraising for Cubbies History is still Going!

Funds are being raised to help get the Adventure Playground History published. We are close, can you spare some cash to make a tax deductible donation? Give Now - Cubbies Adventure Playground History

Are you game?

Do you remember this game from childhood?

Spud

Every player gets a number and crowds around the person who is "it" for that round.

"It" then tosses the ball straight up and the other players run away. As the ball reaches the top of its toss, "it" calls out the number of one of the other players and then runs away also.

The player whose number was called must run back and catch the ball (or chase after it if it is bouncing around).

Once that person has the ball, they yell, "Spud!" Then everyone else must freeze.

The person with the ball must try to hit one of the players with the ball. If they do, that new person gets a letter (first S, then P, then U, then D) and is now "it." If they miss, the person who threw the ball gets a letter and is "it" for the next round.

Keep playing. When a player gets all four letters, S-P-U-D, they're out. The last player standing is the winner.

We must have been bred tough – those balls could hurt!!