Beverley Hughes, speaking last week at 'Playing Together', a conference organised by the Children's Play Council and 4Children, said that although the Government had 'long recognised' the importance of play, the challenge was now to 'build it into the wider policy agenda'.
She said, 'We value children's quality of life. But it (play) is also important as a vehicle for learning and development and a route to better outcomes.
'I want to make sure that these synergies and broad discussions about play remain prominent in wider debates.'
Adrian Voce, director of the Children's Play Council, welcomed the minister's 'positive view on play'. He said, 'I look forward to the minister and her directorate getting fully involved in the cross-departmental group that has been set up to look strategically at children's play.'
But he warned, 'It remains to be seen how much of an impact this group will have on other policy makers.'
Paul Bonel, SkillsActive's director of playwork, said that it was 'good to see' a lot about play in Government thinking. But he said, 'There is still a gap between the strategy and ambitions and the services on the ground. We need to be mindful of this because there seems to be a barrier to getting excited about long-term goals.'
