Over the years, the chances for children and young people to play, ‘hang out’ and have a choice about what they do and when they do it have reduced. Children and young people have problems using public spaces; cars are everywhere, adults fear for their children’s safety, and there is sometimes too much focus on structured activity. This strategy helps to give children and young people the space, time and choice to play, socialise and enjoy their lives and spare time. We have listened to children, parents and carer’s views and here are some of our findings:

You said...

“We do not think our children are safe when playing unsupervised”

“Most play sites are poor”

“We want more play and active leisure activities”

“We want to decide how to play and make up our own games”

“We want to take risks”

We will...

• Tackle bullying and discrimination through increased staff presence where children play using Play Rangers and Street Play work
• Open up school grounds outside school hours for children to play
• Improve the quality of parks and open spaces
• Increase opportunities for children to play where they want
• Ensure play opportunities have acceptable levels of risk, challenge and stimulation

You said...

“We want workers who are above all else kind and friendly”

“We want up-to-date information on Play”

“We want places where we feel included and belong”

“We want access to play for vulnerable groups”

We will...

• Ensure our workforce is skilled and motivated
• Improve training and volunteering opportunities for local people and involve parents and carers in children’s play
• Increase provision for vulnerable groups and develop targeted support based on children’s needs
• Work with parks and playgrounds to provide local facilities for all sectors of the community

To download a copy of the Nottingham Play Strategy click here
To download the leaflet about the strategy click here