As July begins to come to an end, it means one of our favourite days of the year is creeping round the corner. Every year Play England organise a National Playday where thousands of children across England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland are encouraged to get outside to play at hundreds of community events. From small-scale community events to thousands of children taking part in events organised in parks and open spaces - Playday is celebrated by each community in a way that suits them.
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This year’s Playday takes place on Wednesday 3rd August 2016.
The Playday site has filled up with lots of amazing events all over the country. Follow this link and simply click on the region near you. Get involved in everything from story book trails across National Trust properties to open air cinemas in parks. There are so many ways to get out and play to start your August with a smile.
If it’s too late for you to organise your own event this year, the wonderful thing about play is that it can be enjoyed any day. The Playday website has a very useful guide to help you organise the perfect Playday at your school or in your local community.
Can’t make it to your local event? We’ve got a few ideas to help you celebrate on your doorstep…
- Pebble Village. Turn your garden into a whole village with just some pebbles and paints. Turn stones into skyscrapers or rocks into restaurants with a few licks of paint. Grab your toy cars or favourite characters and let them explore the new garden village.
- DIY Sprinkler. Feeling the heat? We love this guide to creating your own sprinkler. Poke plenty of holes into a plastic bottle, tape it securely to your garden hose and let the sprinkling commence!
- Mud Kitchen. The best Playdays involve getting your hands dirty. Mud Kitchens are the perfect way to connect with nature and have fun doing it. This list has loads of great ideas for turning children into chefs.
- Ball Games. Forget the phones, tablets and fancy plastic toys for a minute, sometimes all you need is a ball. Practice your coordination and keep active by playing your favourite ball game in the garden.
There are so many great ways to get involved in Playday this year, so many in fact we created our own Pinterest board to put them all in one place. Have a look here and see if you can find your favourite way to play.
Follow all the Playday chat on Twitter and keep an eye on the #Playday2016 hashtag for ideas and events near you.