Saturday 15 September 2012

The Importance of Play

I have just come back from an excellent family day at Hill End Outdoor Education Centre.  Organised by Oxfordshire Play Association, there were a huge range of activities for children and young people of all ages.  Groups involved in running activities included Elms Road Children's Centre, Donnington Doorstep, Oxfordshire Parenting Forum / Dads Go Wild, the Earth Trust and Oxfordshire Outdoor Learning Trust.

My daughter Rosa says her favourite bit of the day was making tweeter birds with OYAP (formerly Oxfordshire Youth Arts Partnership).

The atmosphere was fantastic and attendance looked excellent.  Having never been before, I was blown away by quite how many people are brought together by events like this.

It also made me reflect, both as a teacher and as a parent on the importance of play and learning through play.  This led me directly on to whether there is more we could do as a union to support organisations like Oxfordshire Play Association and, crucially, centres like Hill End which provide such opportunities for outdoor play and experiences for our children.

If you have any ideas, please do email us at the usual address.

For more information on OPA, visit www.oxonplay.org.uk.

For more information about the Oxfordshire Outdoor Learning Trust, visit www.oolt.org.uk

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