Play
Play Overview
At A Village for Every Child, Play is not merely a leisure activity; it is fundamental to healthy development and learning in early childhood. This form of engagement offers children a dynamic way to grow and thrive, setting the stage for positive development outcomes. Village partner organisations and strategic planning team members discussed how play is essential for learning, problem-solving, creativity, and logical thinking.
Active play helps develop gross motor skills and coordination, while interactive play enriches social, emotional, and language abilities. It became clear that creating safe, supportive, and stimulating play environments is crucial for children to learn and grow outside of formal early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings. Positive experiences during early childhood promote strong social, emotional, and cognitive development, and overall health and well-being.
Members also identified the pressing need to develop intergenerational play to strengthen family bonding and children’s development.
Scope, Impact & Objectives
*** Please note that the projects outlined here are not intended to be prescriptive giving the Leadership Group and Working Groups capacity to shape and change the focus, steps and direction of projects as per feedback and on the ground learnings and knowledge.
Scope
Play is about creating opportunities for children to engage in play that supports their physical, cognitive, and emotional growth. By working with partner organisations, we aim to make sure that every child has access to safe and supportive environments that nurture their development through play. This includes structured and unstructured play, both indoors and outdoors, and ensuring that parents, educators, and families understand the importance of play in a child’s overall development.
Impact
- In the short term, Play will contribute to raising awareness about the importance of play and creating more safe, accessible play spaces for children and their families
- In the medium term, Play will support partnerships with schools, ECECs, and community organisations to integrate play into early learning and family activities
- In the long term, Play aims to create sustainable play opportunities that promote the well-being of children and strengthen family relationships, ensuring that every child benefits from play-based learning
Objectives
- Increase access to inclusive, safe play environments for children in their homes, communities, and schools
- Promote play-based learning as a core element of early childhood education
- Encourage intergenerational play to strengthen family bonds and support child development
Through these objectives, we aim to create an environment where children can thrive through play, helping them develop the skills and confidence they need to succeed.
What is next?
To effectively address the above objectives, Village will:
- Identify potential partners and stakeholders who share our commitment to Play
- Ensure understanding and alignment of this focus area with individual organisational goals
- Invite partner organisations to form a working group dedicated to improving play opportunities
- Support the working group in developing detailed plans, milestones, and outcome measures
- Offer backbone support through continued communication, mutually reinforcing activities, and methods for measuring success and gathering feedback
Working Group Members
We are in the process of engaging with the appropriate organisations and will update this list as we onboard new partners. We appreciate your interest and support as we expand our collaborative network.
If you or the organisation you represent is located or support families in the Belconnen region and share the passion for collective impact work, we invite you to reach out to us to explore potential collaboration opportunities.
Resources from the ACT Education Directorate
Play-based Learning and Intentionality is a free online professional learning program designed to support educators from a range of experience levels and from a variety of practice contexts, including Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) and Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) services. The program features four self-paced modules along with a comprehensive suite of supporting resources.
