Playday is the national day for play across the UK. On the first Wednesday in August, thousands of children, families, and communities go out to play.

Playday 2025: Spaces for play

This year's theme highlights the vital importance of accessible, inclusive spaces where children and young people have opportunities to play freely, spending time, and connecting with friends - and feel valued as part of their community. Children will play anywhere and everywhere, so access to quality playful spaces and places is essential for their happiness and development, offering opportunities to boost both physical health and emotional well-being.

• P is for park - embrace the elements and enjoy the great outdoors! Build a den, go on a nature scavenger hunt or bug hunt, follow a treasure map, create a nature collage, or fly a home-made kite.
• L is for local area - take a playful walk through your local community. Play ‘I Spy’, hopscotch, or a game of kerbsie. Count how many dogs you spot, count colourful doors, or search for street art. When you get home, create a map of your adventure and add to it next time!
• A is for at home - put on a show for your family (and invite them to join in). Create an obstacle course with blankets, pillows, and chairs. Transform empty cardboard boxes into a castle, a race track, or a giant canvas for painting and drawing.
• Y is for your yard - build a bug hotel, try water painting on the pavement, set up a mud kitchen, create a giant chalk mural, make a magical fairy garden, paint a large masterpiece, or experiment with shadow drawings.
• D is for daycare/childcare settings - swap daisy chains with friends, play balloon volleyball, set up a mini sports day, have a hula hoop contest, or paper plane race.
• A is for anywhere and everywhere - turn everyday moments into playful adventures. Jump in puddles, dance in the rain, look for shapes in the clouds, make up silly stories on a walk, or see how many ways can you play with a stick.
• Y is for youth settings - play team games, organise a mini Olympics, obstacle course races, wet sponge dodgeball, tug-o-war, or invent a new game.

Playday 2024: Play - the culture of childhood

Playing is vital for children’s health and happiness. Through play, cultural exploration is encouraged, fostering an appreciation for diversity; children work together, negotiate, and build relationships; and children feel connected to each other and their neighbourhoods.

• P is for creating puzzles - draw a picture on card (the inside of a cereal box will do) then carefully cut it up into differently shaped puzzle pieces and try to put them back together again.
• L is for look in a mirror - what do you see? You are special! There is no one else just like you. We are all different, with different likes and dislikes, talents and hopes. What makes you special and unique?
• A is for animal adventures - line up all your stuffed animals and toys. Imagine exciting stories about their fun adventures together and create art work to illustrate their stories.
• Y is for yarn crafts - make friendship bracelets to give to your friends. You could also create dream catchers or the first letter of your name to hang on your wall.
• D is for designing a paper chain with short gratitude messages or things that make you happy to cheer you up each time you pass by.
• A is for gathering loose parts (bits and bobs) from your house or garden to build costumes to transform yourself into anything you want to be!
• Y is for drawing a chalk mural of your community - what do you like about where you live? Y is also for putting together a mini yearbook of memorable moments you’ve shared with your friends and family.

Playday 2023: Playing on a shoestring - making every day an adventure

Playing doesn't mean expensive toys and activities, the simplest cost-free ideas are often the most fun. Make this Playday, and every day, an adventure!

• P is for painting pebbles to spruce up your garden. Decorate a few with words or short messages and leave for others to find when out walking in your community, to brighten their day.
• L is for the light from the sun which can be used to cast interesting shadows of your favourite toys - line them up outside on a piece of paper and draw around the unusual shapes created. Don't worry if the sun is hiding, it can also work indoors using a lamp or torch.
• A is for asking older relatives about games they played when they were younger and giving them a go. Games like kerbsie, 40 40, elastics, hopscotch and dodgeball are a great way to try new activities and have fun outdoors.
• Y is for yachts and water play - when the sun is shining get splish splashing in your garden. Gather smaller containers of different sizes and build a dam, sail a boat, paint the pavement, or create a mini beach for your toys.
• D is for designing artwork using natural materials found in your garden or on a walk such as shells, sand, flowers, leaves, sticks, pebbles, berries etc. You could make a flower suncatcher, do leaf printing, press flowers, make a nature mobile or wind chime, or create a mosaic.
• A is for an assault course to challenge your family to test their balance, speed and strength. Using the resources and space in your garden you can include different trials such as scoring a goal, weaving through the trees, jumping a log, crawling around the flower bed, then down the slide.
• Y is for yogurt pots and other bits and bobs that you can find at home such as carboard boxes, newspapers, materials for recycling, blankets, milk cartons, old clothes etc. What can you create or build? The possibilities are endless!

Playday is coordinated by PlayBoard NI, Play England, Play Wales, and Play Scotland. www.playday.org.uk