Up to 5,000 children and their families will turn Harvey Hadden Sports Centre in Bilborough into a giant fun park on Thursday (August 7) for this year’s Nottingham Play Day - the biggest yet and one of the main events in the City's first Children's Festival.

The free event opens at 10am to children of all ages and their and continues until 3.30pm. Last year 5,000 children and adults attended. Children under 8 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.

Nottingham Play Day is organised by Nottingham City Council along with it’s partners in play who include Nottingham Play Forum and Bulwell Community Toy Library As well as an array of play, sports, games and arts and crafts, there is also the chance to have a go at some more adventurous activities such as fire writing, cooking pop corn and bread sticks on braziers, climbing wall and stilt walking.

It comes the day after the National Play Day that has focussed on giving children the freedom to learn about taking risks.

Councillor David Mellen, Nottingham City Council's Portfolio Holder for Children's Services, said: "Children need to learn how to take reasonable risks when they play. This year the focus of the national play day is on helping children learn about taking these risks in their play, and the City Council have certainly included a few adventurous activities in its programme for Nottingham Play Day. I’m sure this event will be a great success as it has in the past.”

A dance and performance stage has been erected on the site, and other activities at Harvey Hadden Sports Centre include story telling, inflatables, face painting and a selection of workshops.

Nottingham Play Day is one of the major events in the city calendar highlighting the importance of play and play work and gives Nottingham children an opportunity to have a fantastic time together. This year Nottingham was awarded £2.5 million by the Government as one of 15 Play pathfinder local authorities for its ground-breaking work providing play opportunities and last month City Council officers presented details of Nottingham’s approach to play work to an all-party committee of MPs.

"Play and the value of play as a vital part of a child's healthy development is moving up the political agenda nationally, with Nottingham being singled out for some ground-breaking work," said Councillor Mellen. "The City's first Play Strategy has also been published this year setting out how organisations across all sectors in the city will work together to develop the very best play opportunities for children over the next five years. The strategy has helped the City secure £865,000 of Big Lottery money to deliver six Play initiatives across Nottingham over the next three years.

Nottingham Children's Festival opened with the Play Day for disabled children on the Victoria Embankment on Friday and continues with Broadmarsh by the Sea this week. There is a film festival based at the Broadway Cinema, activities in the Old Market Square and in local parks and the Children's Festival ends on August 17 with a Global Picnic at Wollaton park.

For more information please visit www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk.