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Issue 58 (Winter 2021)
We have put together this issue to highlight how opportunities for playing contribute to children’s wellbeing. The Playing for wellbeing issue includes:
- Opening streets for play, health and wellbeing
- Playing in an adventurous way: for wellbeing and as an antidote to anxiety – featuring a blog post written by Helen Dodd, Professor of Child Psychology at the University of Exeter
- Protecting playtime in school for wellbeing
- Wellbeing research with children in Wales – written by Mustafa Rasheed, a child health researcher at Swansea University
- Winter of Wellbeing – an update from the Welsh Goverment
- Playing into the future – how playing contributes to the Well-being of Future Generations Act
- Summer of Play – round up of Wales wide activity
- Children have their say on Ministerial Review of Play
- An update on the P3 playwork qualifications.
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Issue 57 (Spring 2021)
We have put together this issue to highlight the importance of good quality space for children to play outdoors. The space to play outdoors issue includes:
- Playing outdoors: what’s policy got to do with it?
- Child-friendly streets, towns and cities – written by Tim Gill
- Creating inclusive spaces to play – written by Theresa Casey
- What children say about their outdoor spaces to play
- Playful Communities – examples of how organisations are supporting children’s play in Cardiff, Swansea, Merthyr Tydfil and Wrexham
- Top tips – thinking sensibly about health and safety in play settings
- Developing and managing play spaces – an overview of our new community toolkit
- Chwarae o Safon – an update on our new Playwork Quality Assurance Framework
- Manifesto for children’s play – our calls for the new Welsh Government.
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Issue 56 (Autumn 2020)
The making play sufficiency happen issue includes:
- Coronavirus – what children say about play according to recent research
- Play in lockdown – a child and four teenagers share their play experiences
- Playing out and about – examples of how play teams and organisations continue to support children’s opportunities to play across Wales
- Collaborating locally for health and well-being – a focus on Play Wales projects to deliver neighbourhood-based play provision, including a contribution by a Play Ambassador
- Sufficient playtimes in schools – resources to support schools to be as playful as possible
- Making it possible to do play sufficiency – Dr Wendy Russell gives an overview of a new research study
- Play sufficiency and the role of playworkers – how the playwork profession helps to secure enough opportunities for children to play
- Playwork training and qualifications – an update on online learning and P3
- Fun in the garden – a review by year 6 pupils at Tonysguboriau Primary School
- Playday 2020 – examples of how children across Wales celebrated this year’s national day for play.
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issue 55 (Spring 2020)
The play and being well issue includes:
- Guest Editorial – written by Dr Mike Shooter, Chair of Play Wales
- Safe places to play improves well-being – HAPPEN research
- Playing and being well – physical and emotional well-being
- Playworking and coronavirus – case studies from Torfaen, Cardiff and Wrexham
- The therapeutic superpowers of play – written by Maggie Fearn, Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist and Play Therapist
- Fun in the garden – a new right to play storybook
- Playwork and coronavirus – just keep learning!
- Playful community example – outreach play sessions in Conwy.
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Issue 54 (Winter 2019)
The Our right to play issue includes:
- Play streets are awesome!
- Give us time to socialise and chill in high school
- Play in hospital
- Improving our school playground
- What is a childhood?
- Community support and play sessions
- Spotlight on ... Community Playscheme Playworker
- A child’s experience of the T? Pawb Play-Work Exhibition.
As well as:
- Guest editorial by the Children’s Commissioner for Wales, Sally Holland
- What children say about play in Wales – research findings
- Children’s views on playing out captured in national study
- Ministerial Review of Play – an update from the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services, Julie Morgan AM.
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Issue 53 (Summer 2019)
To celebrate Play Wales’ 21st birthday we are publishing a special additional issue of the magazine. The Child-friendly communities issue includes:
- Guest Editorial written by Dr Jenny Wood
- Making the case for school playtime
- Children’s Right to Play in Wales: six years of stories and change since the commencement of the Play Sufficiency Duty – Dr Wendy Russell
- Time, space and freedom to play – the views of children
- A call for a child friendly approach to planning and urban design – Dinah Bornat
- Right to play in situations of crisis – Sudeshna Chatterjee
- Project Play – an update about our Playful Childhoods campaign
- Playday 2019 and What happened to our 31?
- An update from the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services, Julie Morgan AM
- Playful Communities – Child Friendly Cardiff Pop Up Park.
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Issue 52 (Spring 2019)
The Play in schools issue includes:
- Time, space and permission to play in schools – including an example school play policy
- Supporting play in schools – Torfaen and the Vale
- Loose parts play at Mount Stuart Primary School – written by a teacher using loose parts for child-led learning
- Play and education rights: making the links
- Children and young people’s physical activity
- Research: children’s right to play in schools – an overview by researchers at the University of Manchester
- Joint statement on children’s play – key messages for schools
- An interview with the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services, Julie Morgan AM
- Teenagers need play and leisure opportunities too – written by Seren Leconte, a member of the Children’s Commissioner for Wales’ Advisory Panel
- Spotlight on a Youth and Community Co-ordinator
- Seeking learners for a new playwork qualification
- Playful communities – lunchtime play at Ysgol Ty Ffynnon.
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Issue 51 (Autumn 2018)
The Celebrating the right to play issue includes:
- Promoting the right to play – examples from Wales
- Children’s review of Fun in the dungeon storybook
- Children and teenagers call for more opportunities and safer environments to play
- Children and young people’s right to play in public space
- Tools and structure building training
- Playful communities – school open for Saturday playtime.
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Issue 50 (Spring 2018)
The 50th issue of the Play for Wales magazine also marks Play Wales’ twentieth anniversary. This extended Playful childhoods issue includes:
- 20 years of Play Wales – staff and trustees’ highlights
- Playful Childhoods – a new Play Wales campaign and partnership working
- Fun in the dungeon – a storybook
- Playing in Wales – capturing the views of children
- Playing through childhood – how children play at different ages
- A childhood full of play – parents’ observations on their children’s play
- Playing out and about – a mother and her teenage children share experiences of play in their community
- An interview with the Minister for Children
- Using assistive technology to enable play for disabled children
- 20 years of playwork training and qualifications in Wales
- ‘Yr Iard’ – bringing together play, history and art at St Fagans National Museum of History.
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Issue 49 (Autumn 2017)
The Play: a healthy childhood issue includes:
- Mud and Sparks for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service
- Keeping children safe means letting them take risks – Dr Mariana Brussoni
- Taking risks in the early years – Professor Ellen Sandseter
- Public Health Wales to give every child the best possible start
- Play and health rights: making the links
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Issue 48 (Spring 2017)
The Play and digital technology issue includes:
- Top tips: screen time and digital play
- Play and the plug: A playwork approach to screen time in children’s play
- Myth busting digital play
- An updated UNCRC for the digital age – Professor Sonia Livingstone
- Screen time: who’s really to blame? – Mark Sears, The Wild Network.
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Issue 47 (Autumn 2016)
The Playful communities issue includes:
- Playing out and about – Maisie and her mother Katie
- Playing, striving, thriving – addressing Adverse Childhood Experiences through play
- Play is for the here and now – play and the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015
- Playful projects across the UK – Play England, Play Scotland and PlayBoard Northern Ireland
- Let’s play ball: campaign to remove Aberdeen’s No Ball Games signs – Steven Shaw.
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Issue 46 (Autumn 2016)
The Play – the importance of risk issue includes:
- Risky play for all children – Ally John
- Let us out of the bubble wrap – how adults can support children’s need for risky play
- Wales’ year of adventure – Ken Skates AM, Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism;
- A study: UK and Germany outdoor play opportunities – Ellen Weaver
- Ever decreasing circles – Gill Byrne.
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Issue 45 (Autumn 2015)
The Celebrating play in Wales issue includes:
- Manifesto for children’s play in Wales
- Time, space and permission to play across Wales – example play initiatives
- Supporting a play friendly Wales – example Play Wales partnership projects
- Pre-election play time – Wales’ main political party leaders share their play memories
- ‘Valuable resource’ - a review of Good practice guide for play and early years: Developing and managing Gypsy and Traveller Sites.
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Issue 44 (Spring 2015)
The Playing out and about issue includes:
- Playing out and about – article written by 11 year-old Oscar
- Tips for supporting children to play out confidently
- Fostering outside play – looked after children and the natural environment
- Looking back on the Big Lottery Fund Child’s Play programme
- Review of Professor Fraser Brown’s latest book – Play & Playwork: 101 Stories of Children Playing.
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Issue 43 (Summer 2014)
The Healthy childhood issue includes:
- An interview with Vaughan Gething AM, Deputy Minister for Tackling Poverty
- Design in urban settings with children and nature in mind – by Helle Nebelong
- Play and public health policy
- A day in the life of a playwork trainer
- What’s P3 like for learners?
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Issue 42 (Spring 2014)
The Playing in the public realm issue includes:
- The European Network of Child Friendly Cities
- Child friendly city - Rotterdam; Wales - A Play Friendly Place
- Commit to supporting quality staff
- P3 level 3 - the latest
- Playwork Approaches in Schools
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Issue 41 (Winter 2013)
The Playful places issue includes:
- Play in prison
- Play opportunities for Gypsy and Traveller children
- A more playful museum
- The right to play – worldwide campaign
- An interview with Tim Gill
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Issue 40 (Summer 2013)
The A play-friendly Wales issue includes:
- An analysis of the Play Sufficiency Assessment duty
- Responding to the research (Leopard Skin Wellies, a Top Hat and a Vacuum Cleaner Hose: An analysis of Wales’ Play Sufficiency Assessment duty)
- Innovative approaches to play sufficiency
- Purple Routes schools projec
- An interview with Ken Worpole.
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Issue 39 (Spring 2013)
The Play in Schools issue includes:
- An update about the General Comment on Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
- The use of school grounds out of learning hours
- Providing richer play in schools
- An international article by an early years teacher
- Play training and lunchtime supervisors.
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Issue 38 (Winter 2012)
The Assessing Sufficiency issue includes:
- Guest editorial from the Children's Commissioner for Wales, Keith Towler
- Articles about the Welsh Government Play Sufficiency Duty and the toolkit to support Local Authorities to assess the sufficiency of play opportunities in their areas
- Interview with Judith Hackitt, Chair of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
- P3 update
- Wales - A Play Friendly Place case study.
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Issue 37 (Summer 2012)
The Play: What is good enough? issue includes:
- Guest editorial by Deputy Minister for Children and Social Services, Gwenda Thomas AM
- Interview with Peter Gomer (Interim Policy Adviser, WLGA) about the opportunities and challenges facing local authorities with the commencement of the Play Sufficiency Duty
- What play sufficiency means for different sectors - a variety of perspectives
- Planning Cities with Children in Mind - article by Roger Hart
- Playborhood: turn neighbourhood into a place for play - book review.
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Issue 36 (Spring 2012)
The Play: places and spaces issue includes:
- Play Sufficiency Duty update
- Developing and managing play spaces
- Play spaces: common complaints and simple solutions
- Book review by Ben Tawil
- Ripping up the rulebook article by Bernard Spiegal.
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Issue 35 (Autumn 2011)
The Wales: a play friendly place? issue includes:
- Wales Wins International Award
- Play provision and development update
- Make a Noise for Play
- Volunteer and delegate reports from the IPA 2011 conference
- Article by Marc Bekoff
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Issue 34 (Spring 2011)
The right to play issue includes:
- Play and Children's Rights
- Agenda for children's play in Wales
- Playing into the Future - surviving and thriving - IPA 2011 conference update
- Play and 'Making poverty less damaging for children'
- What's happening around Wales? (play provision and development).
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Issue 33 (Winter 2010)
The Richness of play issue includes:
- Common Sense, Common Safety report
- Interview with Huw Lewis, Deputy Minister for Children
- Safe Places to Play and Hang Out inquiry report - and Play Wales' response
- Why make time for play
- Why investing in play is important.
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Issue 32 (Summer 2010)
The Play - improving opportunities issue includes:
- Editorial by Keith Towler, Children's Commissioner for Wales
- A BIG new adventure begins - Child's Play programme update
- Playworkers at Eisteddfod yr Urdd
- A young reporter interviewing Helen Mary Jones AM about the National Assembly for Wales inquiry into safe places to play and hang out
- Review of Possible Summers: stories and reflections from the playscpace.
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Issue 31 (Spring 2010)
The Play - are we up to the measure? issue includes:
- Safe Places to Play and Hang Out inquiry
- Sufficient Play Opportunities?
- It's our place too
- People Make Play
- P3 update.
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Issue 30 (Autumn 2009)
The Play and Sustainability - Why make time for play? issue includes:
- Play Services and Sustainability
- Raising our profile
- Playday events from around Wales
- P3 available for schools.
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Issue 29 (Summer 2009)
The Play - rain or shine issue includes:
- The natural way to play
- Play and the weather
- Weather therapy
- The ingredients of seasoned play
- Play Naturally book review.
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Issue 28 (Spring 2009)
The Play in the computer age: Play and the Plug issue includes:
- On outdoor electronic play equipment
- Our survey says
- Busting computer myths
- Potential in Playwork - learning and growing.
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Issue 27 (Winter 2008)
The Places for Playing issue includes:
- Places for playing - children's chosen play places
- Making good places for playing
- Design for play: a guide to creating successful play spaces
- Planning and Play
- Play Rangers - making places play friendly.
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Issue 26 (Autumn 2008)
The Play in time and space issue includes
- Children's privacy,
- Hospital play
- Rhodri Morgan on Playday
- Children's Commissioners Report.
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Issue 25 (Summer 2008)
The Celebrating 10 years issue includes:
- Single plans for Wales
- New education opportunities
- Is 'healthy eating' healthy in a play setting?
- 10 years of workforce development
- 10 years of play in Wales.
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Issue 24 (Spring 2008)
The Play and Participation issue includes:
- National Standards for Children and Young People's Participation
- Funky Dragon report
- Participation and playwork - an interview with Roger Hart
- Interview with the new Children's Commissioner
- P3 - the impact.
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Issue 23 (Winter 2007)
The Risk and Resilience issue includes:
- Action on play in Wales
- £2.2 million for play infrastructure in Wales
- Do we dare risk providing for risk?
- Compensation Culture - an alternative approach
- B*lls to Blame and Claim Culture.
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Issue 22 (Autumn 2007)
The Playing in the Streets issue includes:
- Home zones - Legislation and policy in Wales
- Going out to Play
- Tips for supporting children to play out confidently
- New Centre for Playwork Education and Training in Wales
- Play Learn and Grow.
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Issue 21 (Summer 2007)
The All Children issue includes:
- Buddy Scheme in Flintshire
- A traveller child's story from Belfast
- The Torfaen Travellers' Project
- Play in the Mosque
- Penny Wilson discusses her work with disabled children.
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Issue 20 (Spring 2007)
The Play Spaces issue includes:
- Tribute to Peter Clarke
- Playgrounds - getting it right
- Welcome to a Flintshire playground
- Play spaces in Berlin
- Interview with a Playwork trainer.
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Issue 19 (Winter 2006)
This issue includes:
- Progress on the Plan
- The BIG Child's Play Programme
- New Staff
- Commissioning Play Consultants
- Interview with a Playwork Trainer.
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Issue 18 (Spring 2006)
This issue includes:
- BIG lottery news
- Implementation Timetable
- Glossary: What is Play?
- Cwlwm Project Update - New Playwork Materials
- What a Play Strategy means for Playworkers
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Issue 17 (Winter 2005)
This issue includes:
- Play Wales becomes a membership organisation
- Big Lottery funds Play in Wales
- Minister on Play tour
- Playday Fever in Merthyr Tydfi
- Mud and Sparks.
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Issue 16 (Summer 2005)
This issue includes:
- Play in School,
- Play Stratey Consultation Response
- Big Lottery
- Open Access in Powys.
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Issue 15 (Spring 2005)
This issue includes:
- Play Wales - not just for Open Access Play
- Playwork Principles
- Welsh language and Play
- Play Risk and Accidents
- Play and Disadvantage in Romania.
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Issue 14 (Autumn 2004)
This issue includes:
- Big Lottery Consultation
- The Elusive £200m
- Play Wales's response to the Assembly Play Consultation
- New Principles for Playwork.
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Issue 13 (Summer 2004)
This issue includes: Principes for Playworkers, healthy children Play, Adventure in Nuremburg, Families and Play.
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Issue 12 (Spring 2004)
This issue includes:
- Play Values Review
- CSIW recruits playworkers
- Play in Sweden.
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Issue 11 (Autumn 2003)
This issue includes:
- Play strategy recommendations
- Play Debate in Parliament
- Play in Holland
- Ethnic Minority Play Development
- Rural Play
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Issue 10 (Summer 2003)
This issue includes:
- The National Play Review
- Open Acces Play
- Home Zones
- Playing Out.
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Issue 9 (Spring 2003)
This issue includes:
- Play Policy Announced
- Planning inclusive play
- The best den.
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