What is a playscheme?

Playwork: Playwork is the provision by adults of an environment and opportunities that enable children and young people to engage in play opportunities that offer social, physical, intellectual, cultural, creative and emotional development. The values underpinning playwork derive from a clear understanding and commitment to equality of opportunity, the child’s right to play, and the importance of choice, freedom, empowerment, safety and social justice.

Playworker: Someone who’s task is to facilitate, enable, encourage, empower and where necessary intervene to ensure that the play environment and the play opportunities provided for children always start with the child and/or young person’s needs first. Playwork Unit, Sprito (national training organisation for sport, play and recreation in UK, 1999)

Play is the focus Most parents and playworkers know that children of all ages still enjoy books, stories, drawing, music, walks, making things from almost anything, games, and generally playing alone and with others. While much of what happens in a playgroup or an after school club may have similarities with what happens in a playscheme, a child’s right to play is the central focus in a playscheme.

Children choose: Children are consulted, make choices and help run their own play space. The value of play is recognised for its own sake and play is acknowledged as distinct from sports or recreation. While playschemes are carefully structured and have clear boundaries and rules agreed with and among the children, there is not a programme packaged into a series of adult–directed 30 minute activities. Children have time and space to immerse themselves in the play of their choice.

Mixed age/ability Playschemes aim to foster independence, mutual respect and self– esteem among children of different age and ability groups, who might otherwise be separated by the structures of everyday life (pre-school, school age, special needs . . . ). They offer opportunities for children to play together in a stimulating and safe environment, with enough playworkers (one to two playworkers for every eight children is recommended) to help create a rich play environment and facilitate play.

Accessible Playschemes are based on equal entitlement and accessibility. They are usually free or easily affordable by all. They can run from one week in the summer to all year round, usually for school age children, ranging from five to 15 years or for different age groups e.g. five to nine years, ten to 15 years. They can be run for two hours a day or six/seven hours all day. Numbers can range from 12 to 50 and depend on age and abilities of children attending, quality and size of venue, numbers of playworkers and helpers available.

Training Paid staff and volunteers have undergone or are given training in areas such as play and child development, first aid, the role of a playworker, listening skills, health and safety. Trained and experienced playworkers help ensure play is inclusive and meets children’s needs/abilities. Playworkers facilitate play and help create play opportunities rather than direct play

Basic equipment and the play environment
Playschemes are not dependent on lots of equipment. Provision might only include—

• quiet play area


• dressing up clothes and accessories


• story area and books


• active play area


• boxes all sizes for imaginative play, making things


• messy play/art area with water available


• balls various sizes especially beach and foam balls


• crayons, pencils and paints, scrap paper and some larger sugar paper


• some musical instruments perhaps made by children themselves


• puppets, masks some made by children


• junk craft materials, scissors, glue


• construction toys e.g. bricks, lego


• board games


• old socks for throwing games, making puppets

There are more golf courses in Ireland, per head of population, than there are children’s playgrounds.”

Grounds for Play, 1997.

Organising your playscheme

General issues to consider—

• Aims and ethos of the playscheme. Why are we having a playscheme?


• Involving children in planning & running it.


• Who is it for? Ages. Access. Children with special needs.


• Criteria for deciding who attends.


• Free or affordable.


• Creating a local play policy for the scheme, including issues such as policy on child abuse, bullying etc.


• Health and safety issues.


• Venue, inside and outside—access, safety, storage, rent, emergency telephone.
• Staffing—paid staff, volunteers. Who else in the community can offer skills/help.


• Training for paid staff and volunteers


• Numbers—what will venue and staffing levels support in terms of health and safety and in terms of quality of experience.


• Number of days, length of days.


• Insurance e.g one or two weeks summer school insurance to cover public liability and employer’s liability for volunteers as well as staff. Equipment insurance?
• Equipment and supplies—what do you have; what can you borrow; what might you need to buy?



• The play environment—arranging space and equipment e.g setting up a messy play/art room (see also Basic equipment and the play environment above)


• Working out a contract with children and helpers on the first morning


• Building in reviews and evaluations from children, parents/playworkers

General admin and organisation

• Grant applications


• Keeping notes at each meeting including action who agreed to do what


• Organising insurance for scheme


• Checking equipment ( keeping an inventory)


• Buying new equipment


• Designing & sending out booking forms and helper’s forms (remember to include medical/special needs)


• Produce consent forms for trips/specific activities where necessary


• Collecting in forms and money—taking to bank


• Collecting receipts & noting expenditure, checking budget


• Give out expense forms staff and volunteers should be reimbursed for telephone calls, postage, printing, travel etc .


• Producing lists of children, ages and medical needs, emergency contact numbers etc.


• Check first aid & set up accident/incident book


• Coordinating helpers and who is doing what when—producing an overall list of who is at scheme, when, and their roles.


• Planning scheme especially first day—contract and settling in,


• Planning any specific workshops or events e.g. dance, treasure hunts, trips