Ten schools across Northern Ireland are the latest recipients of a quality award in recognition of their outstanding outdoor play offer. Awarded by PlayBoard NI, the lead organisation for the development of children and young people’s play, the Taking Outdoor Play Seriously (TOPS) Award is presented to schools for their [...]
We are delighted to share our new podcast - The Play Pod. Listen now on PodBean at http://playboardni.podbean.com or find us on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. Episode 5 - Koulla Yiasouma, NI Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY) joins PlayBoard CEO, Jacqueline O'Loughlin to discuss children's right to [...]
Ardnashee School and College (ASC) in Derry/Londonderry is a participant in PlayBoard’s Taking Outdoor Play Seriously (TOPS) programme, funded by the Department of Education. The staff and students of Ardnashee School and College are committed to developing outdoor play opportunities as part of the TOPS project, with PlayBoard and the [...]
Kilcooley Primary School in Bangor is the latest school to receive PlayBoard's Taking Outdoor Play Seriously (TOPS) Award. The school received the prestigious award for their commitment to children’s learning and development through their dedication to improving their outdoor play provision. Despite the challenges and delays that Covid-19 brought, the [...]
Twenty schools from across Northern Ireland have been selected to participate in a new play programme funded by the Department of Education. The play programme which focuses on Covid-19 recovery, will support the schools to enhance their outdoor play offer and improve children’s school-based play experiences during this academic year. Ten schools will [...]
Congratulations to Ballymena Primary School on achieving their TOPS Award! This week, staff from PlayBoard were delighted to visit Ballymena Primary School to present pupils and staff with their Taking Outdoor Play Seriously Award. The TOPS Quality Assurance Programme and Award for Outdoor Play is aimed at supporting schools to [...]
Outdoor Classroom Day is a global movement to inspire and celebrate outdoor play and learning, at home and at school. Outdoor Classroom Day takes place twice a year, which will be 20 May and 4 November this year. Globally, over 10.5 million children have taken part in the campaign to [...]
PlayBoard has developed new materials for primary schools, highlighting the importance of playing, and playing and learning outdoors as a vital ingredient for a healthy and happy childhood. Time spent playing outdoors is of vital importance to children, boosting their physical and mental health, building their resilience, developing their self-confidence, [...]
** FULLY BOOKED ** Play, the Curriculum and Practical based learning. Returning to school in September 2020 will be a time of change for everyone involved; school staff, school communities and most importantly for school children. PlayBoard, as the lead agency for the promotion of play [...]
This information sheet has been designed in cooperation with the Department of Education’s Play Matters project, to assist teachers, playworkers, parents and those offering care to children in these challenging times, to consider how they might provide quality play opportunities and experiences. Regardless of the back drop it is [...]
