Our News Category: London Play Press Releases

Londoners are being invited to ‘swap their cars for spacehoppers’ this September, when at least 200 streets across the capital are hoped to transform into temporary play spaces in celebration of Car Free Day.

The charity London Play is giving away free spacehoppers and other play ‘stuff’ to residents who are keen to ‘jump’ at the chance to try out a play street on their road. Additionally, one lucky group of neighbours will win an on-street go kart build and race workshop on the day. World Car Free Day is on Friday 22 September, and this year will be marked in London between Friday 22 and Sunday 24 September. 

Play streets are simple, resident-organised events where neighbours on a road agree together to close their street temporarily, but regularly to through traffic. This allows children to play, while adults watch on, chat and get to know each other better – or join in.  

With most local authorities supportive of the idea, Car Free Day is an ideal opportunity to try out a play street without committing to regular events. And people across the capital will be doing the same! Applicants will need to consult their neighbours and apply to their council well in advance. The exact process differs from borough to borough, but London Play can advise on this as well as support with promotion and consultation; and provide free play equipment to jump start the fun. 

“Streets make up a massive 80 per cent of the public space in London. Car Free Day is a great opportunity for all Londoners to appreciate the great untapped potential of this space – literally on their doorstep – to build community, have fun and get active with their neighbours. Why not jump in?”

Fiona Sutherland, London Play 

Once residents have seen their street in a new light, as valuable community space rather than just parking space for cars, it is hoped that many will go on to apply for regular play street sessions. For more information contact London Play via info@londonplay.org.uk, call 0203 384 8513 or visit www.londonplaystreets.org.uk  

Riders on (inflatable) horseback brought some regal silliness – and play street inspiration – to Rigdale Road’s Jubilee street party.

TOWER HAMLETS: A new play street could be in the making following a successful Jubilee street party in Rigdale Road. The borough of Tower Hamlets is a late-comer to play streets, having only recently adopted a policy to allow residents to open their streets regularly for play. London Play is working in the borough this year to make sure residents are aware that this is now a possibility, and support them to apply to become trail blazer play streets for the borough.

A Jubilee competition run by London Play invited those planning street parties to enter a PLAY-tinum prize draw and win a ‘polo’ set to bring some regally-flavoured playfulness to their day. Rigdale Road was the winning street and the sight of be-crowned children galloping on inflatable horses, brandishing hockey sticks and with velvet cloaks flowing behind them delighted young and old alike.

The organiser commented:

It was such a lovely surprise to win the London Play Street competition for play equipment for our Jubilee Street Party. The street hockey – adapted by the London play team to be Royal polo! – was a real hit. It gave the children a fun and energetic game to let off steam and great time was had by all.

The organising committee for the street party was really interested to learn about play streets and is keen to work with London Play to explore the possibilities. The organiser added:

Having the opportunity for neighbours to socialise while the children play safely in the street would be fantastic. Hopefully the initiative can be well received across the streets, estate blocks and parks throughout the borough.

Tower Hamlets is one of four boroughs being targeted for support in the final year of London Play’s Playful Communities project.  Islington, Hammersmith and Fulham and Lambeth are the other three boroughs, where residents who are interested in starting a play street will get one to one support and free play street kits.

Contact catherine@londonplay.org.uk for more information.

Playful Communities is a four year project supported by The National Lottery Community Fund. It concludes at the end of October 2022.

The London Play is one of many organisations behind the #SummerOfPlay campaign, to give children the space, time, and freedom to play this summer as Covid-19 restrictions are eased. Can your organisation join the pledge?

For more than a year, children across the UK have been forced to spend time indoors, inactive and isolated from friends due to Covid-19 restrictions. It is not surprising that we have seen unprecedented increases in children’s mental health problems and loneliness, alongside reduced physical activity.

In response, child psychologists, paediatricians and educators have independently and urgently called for play to be central to children’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, and many others agree. Together we now are calling for everyone to help make this summer a #SummerOfPlay for children across the UK.

“After everything children have been through over the last year, we are calling on organisations to sign the pledge to support children’s play this summer.”

To join the #SummerOfPlay campaign, please take the pledge to enable all children, in all our communities, to have space and time for play this summer by supporting fun, friends, and freedom.

Sign the pledge here

From Monday 14 September, it will be illegal in England, apart from at school or work or under other few exceptions, for someone to meet more than five other people at a time.

The government is due to publish more detail on what those exceptions are over the coming days, and London Play will examine this closely before updating our guidance on what the new laws mean for play streets.

However, as far as we are aware, there is no plan at present to close public playgrounds. Given that in legal terms, play streets are simply temporary playgrounds, London Play’s view is that under the new rules play streets should still be able to proceed, with a few minor adjustments.  Children need to play – now more than ever – and a play street is one of the safer options for them to exercise their right to do so.

As always, it is ultimately up to residents and organisers to decide whether they feel comfortable to proceed with their play street plans; and also bear in mind that the situation is liable to change at short notice. For those that decide to go ahead, we would advise as follows:

• As per our previous guidance, the emphasis should be on creating traffic free streets for play; and not on community gathering.  The sharing of food and drink is discouraged.

• Organisers should ensure that all those participating are aware of the ‘rule of six’ and the potential for fines to be handed to those who do not comply;

• Organisers should also make clear that, as usual, adults on a play street are responsible for themselves and their children.  Therefore they are also responsible for ensuring that they and their children do not gather in groups of more than six while the play street is in session.

To help organisers make clear where the responsibility for complying with government legislation lies, London Play has a produced an adaptable A4 poster which can be laminated and affixed to lamp posts during the play street session or posted through residents’ letterboxes in advance. Download it here.

Play streets taking place over the weekend 12/13 September can proceed under the existing guidelines. We will update our play street guidance once the detail of the new legislation has been published.

The Cabinet Office statement on the new rule of six is here.

London Play’s guidance for post lockdown play streets is here.