Play Scotland

Wednesday 5th August is Playday, the national day for play! We’re teaming up with Aberlour Children’s Charity to host a FREE play event, and we’d love you to come! Expect a wide range of fun activities including a scavenger hunt, bouncy castle, loose parts, a sand pit, and so much more! We will also be holding a stall to chat about and get your views on the recent developments to the play parks in Aberdeen.

Scotland’s Play Park Survey is a Scotland-wide consultation on local play spaces. The Scottish Government want to know about your local play park! As part of Scotland’s Play Park Renewal Programme, the Scottish Government want to hear from families across Scotland about their local play spaces. Play Scotland is delighted to be working with the Scottish Government to deliver this research on play park improvements. The questions are mainly multiple-choice: how often do you visit your park?

Woody and Buzz have a new quest: to wrestle with the explosion of digital play. It seems they are not alone in this mission, with 24% of parents of 3‑ to 5‑year‑olds finding it hard to control their child’s screen time. How much screen time is too much? And how can you support healthy habits in your family? With the new Toy Story movie out today, playing in cinemas around the world, we wanted to share some thoughts about play in the digital age.

Credit: Talking Mats What happens when we genuinely listen to children about their play, not just asking quick questions or making assumptions, but really giving them the space, time and tools to share what matters to them? That was the thread running through a recent event, led by Margo Mackay, that I was lucky to attend, where a new ‘Talking Mats’ play resource was introduced.

Wednesday 5 August 2026 is Playday, the national day for play. Celebrated across the UK each year, Playday calls on families, community leaders, play providers, childcare settings, and everyone working with children and young people to promote and champion the importance of play. We are delighted to announce that the theme for this year’s Playday is… This year’s theme highlights the importance of creating opportunities for children to play wherever they are.

We are delighted to invite you to Annual General Meeting and Strategy Launch party! Featuring a drinks reception and keynote speaker, we are excited to share our plans to champion every child’s right to play. Save the Date: Wednesday 28 October, 5:30 – 8pm Play Scotland AGM & Strategy Launch Heart of Midlothian Football Club, Edinburgh

As our wonderful colleague Alex prepares to run the London Marathon for Starlight Children’s Foundation, it felt like a good moment to reflect on why this cause matters so much. Starlight’s work shines a light on something that can too often be overlooked in healthcare settings, that play is not an optional extra or a nice add on, but something deeply important to children’s wellbeing, sense of safety and ability to cope.

“As a child, connection to the outdoors and being able to run around freely with your friends to kick a ball, play tig, build a den or ride on your bike are essential” Iain Monteith, Director at Loader & Monteith Architects, talks us through his world of play growing up in a fourth storey deck access maisonette.

The UK Playwork NOS Consortium is consulting on the draft National Occupational Standards for playwork. The consortium is seeking your views on the draft standards for the roles of support playworker, playworker and playwork manager – as well as on the functional map and glossary. The draft NOS, functional map and glossary can be accessed on a range of platforms: Sharepoint Dropbox WeTransfer. For more information about the consultation and the process, read information sheet #4.

Thursday 11 June is the International Day of Play, and we would love for your school to join in the celebrations. Play is not a break from learning – it is how children learn, connect and thrive. “Play is the highest form of research” – Albert Einstein Play is a child’s right Play is recognised in Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) as fundamental to every child’s development and wellbeing.