Play is for everyone. It is essential to children’s development, shaping the way they interact with the world around them. It enables them to learn new skills, make friends and build self-confidence. Play is also important to the health and wellbeing of people of all ages, abilities and cultural backgrounds.
Play is important for all children. Through play, children develop the skills they need for life. It teaches children to socialise and interact with others. It allows them to develop creativity and imagination and helps with emotional and cognitive development. Play gives children opportunities to take risks and challenges.
Besides the obvious benefits of movement, exercise and fitness, physical play also provides the building blocks for a child’s complete development, from balance, vision and hearing, to tactile learning and sensory integration.
Play is not just focused on young children. Young people and the young at heart also benefit from playspaces. So inclusive design needs to consider more than the needs of young children. Everyone Can Play ensures people of all ages have places to be active and have fun.
Providing inclusive playspaces is crucial given 1.3 million people in NSW live with a disability, our ageing population is increasingly involved in the everyday care of grandchildren, and our multicultural society has almost 100,000 overseas immigrants arrive in NSW annually.
Playspaces are key community assets, designed to bring everyone together in a fun, welcoming and comfortable environment.
Everyone Can Play will ensure NSW playspaces invite all people to participate in a variety of play experiences, in ways that challenge, excite and promote an active and healthy lifestyle.
Play is a vital socialisation opportunity for children and their parents or carers. Communities come together, connect and build relationships in playspaces. It is very important to consider this in planning and designing of playspaces.
Creating playspaces that allow people of all ages, abilities and cultural backgrounds to play together is essential for community harmony, building a society of tolerance and understanding is a value of inclusive playspaces in our community.