Practical approach to playtime proves the power of play

Common Threads - 27/06/2007

‘Playtime! – a practical guide to putting play back into the playground’ is based on work carried out by the author, Shelly Newstead, with schools in Wigan on improving the quality of children’s play in schools. The work involved supporting a whole-school approach to playtime which allowed children to direct their own play, to take and manage risks for themselves and to problem-solve and self-manage issues. The remarkable results of the new strategies adopted by the school featured in Playtime! included more teaching time available to teachers, less stress experienced by children and adults as a result of better playtime experiences and a raise in educational standards across the school.

‘To help children get the most out of their playtimes, schools need to focus on children’s play needs first and foremost,’ said Shelly Newstead. ‘There can be far too much emphasis on what I call ‘control and contain’ in the playground. Limiting access to play equipment in case it gets broken, ‘zoning’ areas to determine where and how children play, and organising children in the playground to ‘keep them occupied’ are just a few of the ways that schools are preventing children from playing. Schools which focus on the need for children to play at playtime may need to change the way they do things, but the benefits for those that are prepared to take that risk are huge.’

The Playtime! report is one of a number of initiatives which are currently raising awareness of the importance of children being able to play during the school day. The Playtime! DVD which accompanies the book shows footage of children demonstrating what a really good playtime looks like in practice and also features adults talking about the challenges they faced in putting play back into the playground.

More information can be found at www.commonthreads.org.uk