Play Street Carousel

Grandma’s Footsteps

Sponge bombs

Elephant

Rainy day play

London to Paris (or Istanbul, or… ?)

Chalk obstacle course

Publications Category: Games

 

Our Play Street Carousel project helped strengthen neighbourly bonds through the power of play, even while lockdowns and restrictions on public life physically kept people apart.

A suitcase full of art materials and audio-visual equipment was passed between households on a street, on the ‘Play Street Carousel’. Each household used the materials to document a street game of their choosing. A cornucopia of games was collected from across generations, cultures and household types.

We made a film to capture the joy of this project!

And we put the best contributions made on paper into this wonderful booklet of street games – click the cover to download inspiration!

DOWNLOAD: Games collected during lockdown 2021
Games for the street
Give children the space - and freedom - to play, and they will do just that. No need for lots of equipment or organised activities. But if you want a few tricks up your sleeve, here are some ideas.
Read More
Information
Play Street Pointers
Check out our Play Street Pointers for tips and ideas for making your play street awesome!
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Free tips and resources

RESOURCES FOR ORGANISERS
 

Your real Grandma is likely to know this one.  A classic sneaking game

One player is ‘grandma’ and stands with their back to the rest. Everyone else starts trying to creep up on grandma, freezing when she turns around suddenly. If grandma catches anyone moving she can send them to the start. Mix it up with some dress up and you’ve got yourself a blast.

ADAPT FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING: draw a chalk circle 1m radius around grandma for players to reach

GAME: Grandma's footsteps
PRINT FRIENDLY INSTRUCTIONS: Grandma's footsteps
Games
Hula blockers
Target practice on the street - social distancing friendly as long as everyone washes their hands!
Read More
Games
Chalk obstacle course
Chalk challenge and creativity to cover your street
Read More

How does it work in your borough?

London is as diverse as it is wonderful and so it follows that the process for starting a play street varies a bit between boroughs. Click through to our interactive map and find out how it works where you live.
PLAY STREETS BY BOROUGH
 

Wet sponges, slopping buckets and moving targets: three games for hot days

Play Pong or Bullseye and throw wet sponges at the targets AND CERTAINLY NOT AT EACH OTHER, OH NO WE WOULD NEVER…

GAMES: using sponge bombs
PRINT FRIENDLY INSTRUCTIONS: Sponge bombs
Games
Hula blockers
Target practice on the street - social distancing friendly as long as everyone washes their hands!
Read More
Games
Chalk obstacle course
Chalk challenge and creativity to cover your street
Read More

How does it work in your borough?

London is as diverse as it is wonderful and so it follows that the process for starting a play street varies a bit between boroughs. Click through to our interactive map and find out how it works where you live.
PLAY STREETS BY BOROUGH
 

The most fun you can have with a pair of old tights and an orange (or tennis ball)!

Split the players into two teams and line up behind two rows of plastic bottles filled with water.

The first player of each team takes a pair of old tights and places an orange (or a tennis ball) into one foot of them before placing the tights on their head. Each player walks up their line of bottles trying to knock them over using only their head. The first one to knock all the bottles in their row is the winner – or make it into a relay and have the whole team repeat one after the other.

GAME: Elephant
PRINT FRIENDLY INSTRUCTIONS: Elephant
Games
Hula blockers
Target practice on the street - social distancing friendly as long as everyone washes their hands!
Read More
Games
Chalk obstacle course
Chalk challenge and creativity to cover your street
Read More

How does it work in your borough?

London is as diverse as it is wonderful and so it follows that the process for starting a play street varies a bit between boroughs. Click through to our interactive map and find out how it works where you live.
PLAY STREETS BY BOROUGH
 

“There is no such thing as the wrong weather, only the wrong clothing.” So say our Scandinavian cousins, and they are no strangers to bad weather. So what are you waiting for, get outside and enjoy the additional excitement that playing in the rain brings!

Lets face it, rain is part of life on our little green island. It happens, and it happens often. So why let it dampen the fun? As long as children are wearing proper wet weather gear, rain can actually add to the opportunities for creative play.
On rainy days it can help to have a few activities and props up your sleeve. Download our Rainy Day Play info sheet below for some ideas to get children out playing – even in a deluge.

INFO: Rainy day play
INFO: Rainy day play
Covid
UPDATED: Risk benefit guidance for post-lockdown play streets
To help residents minimise the risks of spreading Covid-19 on a play street as much as possible, London Play has compiled this risk-benefit guidance and template, based on those used in professional play settings.
Read More
Information
Loose parts play
Never mind bouncy castles or giant jenga. If you must provide 'stuff', a few cardboard boxes and some old curtain material will go a long way on a play street.
Read More

Free tips and resources

RESOURCES FOR ORGANISERS
 

Start (of course) in London – but where will you end up?

Draw two long parallel lines with chalk (do the whole street if you are feeling energetic!) about a metre apart. Then draw lines across to make a ‘train track’. Each player throws a stone as far down the tracks as they can, ensuring that it lands inside a space. They can then move the stone on from there but only by kicking it along while hopping, using the same foot. If the stone goes outside the lines, or they put their foot down, they must stop and the next player goes.

First one to Paris (or Istanbul, or Cairo or…. ) wins!

GAME: London to Paris
PRINT FRIENDLY INSTRUCTIONS: London to Paris
Games
Hula blockers
Target practice on the street - social distancing friendly as long as everyone washes their hands!
Read More
Games
Chalk obstacle course
Chalk challenge and creativity to cover your street
Read More

How does it work in your borough?

London is as diverse as it is wonderful and so it follows that the process for starting a play street varies a bit between boroughs. Click through to our interactive map and find out how it works where you live.
PLAY STREETS BY BOROUGH
 

Chalk challenge and creativity – and easily adapted for social distancing if necessary.

The street is divided into (connected) zones. Each participating child (or team) gets a box of chalk and is assigned a zone to draw obstacles, challenges and instructions. Once finished, everyone takes turns completing the full course – time each other, try it in different directions or even walking backwards for an additional challenge!

GAME: Chalk obstacle course
PRINT FRIENDLY INSTRUCTIONS: Chalk obstacle course
Covid
UPDATED: Risk benefit guidance for post-lockdown play streets
To help residents minimise the risks of spreading Covid-19 on a play street as much as possible, London Play has compiled this risk-benefit guidance and template, based on those used in professional play settings.
Read More
Games for the street
Give children the space - and freedom - to play, and they will do just that. No need for lots of equipment or organised activities. But if you want a few tricks up your sleeve, here are some ideas.
Read More

How does it work in your borough?

London is as diverse as it is wonderful and so it follows that the process for starting a play street varies a bit between boroughs. Click through to our interactive map and find out how it works where you live.
PLAY STREETS BY BOROUGH