Councils given new advice on play provision

The website  is part of Play Shaper, a national professional development programme, funded by the DCSF, that encourages local authorities to consider children's play when planning towns and cities.

As part of the programme, local authorities will hold one-day 'play shaper' seminars, designed to help delegates understand the importance of play to children, their role in creating child-friendly spaces, how supporting play in their area can help deliver local priorities, and what can be done to encourage children's play opportunities.

A short film featured on the website highlights the role of play in children's lives, and says that supporting play can help local authorities to achieve their targets in areas such as health, crime reduction and sustainability.

After attending a Play Shaper seminar, participants can access an online learning facility on the site and undertake an assessment that will count for ten hours of continuing professional development.

The launch of the website coincides with the most recent TellUs survey of 253,000 children in years six, eight and ten, which is managed by the DCSF, and which found that most children named 'more places where I can go to spend time with my friends' as the factor that would most improve their lives.

Adrian Voce, director of Play England, said, 'Play is a fundamental need for children which requires local, accessible space that parents can trust to be safe but that is also physically challenging, stimulating, attractive and well-maintained. Only by working with police, housing officers, architects, landscapers, road and traffic planners, health and children's services, and local government, will we build playable environments where children can play and spend time with friends, and that will benefit the whole community.'