Congratulations to Islington's Toffee Park, Adventure playground of the Year 2011
Monday, 31 October 2011
Tuesday, 5 July 2011
Street Play book 'When London Played' - NOW IN PAPERBACK
Preview or order your copy here
When London Played is the new publication from London Play, a first hand account of the award-winning Street Play project written by project coordinator Paul Hocker.
Funded by the Big Lottery, the project’s aim was to create 100 Street Play events across London. In the face of opposition from motorists, a minority of local authorities and a handful of unwilling neighbours, Hocker vividly charts the ups and downs of the project and includes extract from a diary that follows the uphill struggle to stage a street party on his own street.
Other contributions come from the project’s partners Play Association Tower Hamlets, Westplay, Lambeth Play Association and an exclusive contribution from Dr Meyer Hillman, author of the seminal One False Move. The forward is by Melian Mansfield, chair of London Play’s trustees and a champion of the project.
The story is told in the main through the stunning images caught by Ben Jones during the second summer of Street Play events which capture the exuberant play each party generated. A selection of the photographs went on display in London’s City Hall in a major exhibition described by Mayor Boris Johnson as, ‘Splendid stuff!’ The full colour images are annotated with facts, statistics and insights collected during the project’s lifetime.
One child summed up the transformation to his road in Haringey, when the traffic stopped and the play started;
‘There were no cars, so it was safer and bigger and everyone was together in the street’
When London Played is the perfect conclusion to a popular project that street party veteran, Chris Gittens of Bristol’s Streets Alive, noted ‘influenced the nature of Street parties in the UK, away from children being very passive participants to being active contributors’.
Funded by the Big Lottery, the project’s aim was to create 100 Street Play events across London. In the face of opposition from motorists, a minority of local authorities and a handful of unwilling neighbours, Hocker vividly charts the ups and downs of the project and includes extract from a diary that follows the uphill struggle to stage a street party on his own street.
Other contributions come from the project’s partners Play Association Tower Hamlets, Westplay, Lambeth Play Association and an exclusive contribution from Dr Meyer Hillman, author of the seminal One False Move. The forward is by Melian Mansfield, chair of London Play’s trustees and a champion of the project.
The story is told in the main through the stunning images caught by Ben Jones during the second summer of Street Play events which capture the exuberant play each party generated. A selection of the photographs went on display in London’s City Hall in a major exhibition described by Mayor Boris Johnson as, ‘Splendid stuff!’ The full colour images are annotated with facts, statistics and insights collected during the project’s lifetime.
One child summed up the transformation to his road in Haringey, when the traffic stopped and the play started;
‘There were no cars, so it was safer and bigger and everyone was together in the street’
When London Played is the perfect conclusion to a popular project that street party veteran, Chris Gittens of Bristol’s Streets Alive, noted ‘influenced the nature of Street parties in the UK, away from children being very passive participants to being active contributors’.
Friday, 10 June 2011
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
Grab your popcorn! This film's a good 'un.
Click below to watch a truly inspiring film from a community in Queens, New York who overcame obstacles to create a play street enjoyed by everyone.
A Car-free Street Grows in Queens
A Car-free Street Grows in Queens
Sunday Play Streets - We have a logo!
Visit London Play's new Sunday Play Street page:
http://www.londonplay.org.uk/document.php?document_id=1618
For your free Sunday Play Streets: The Facts! download:
http://www.londonplay.org.uk/file/1618.pdf
Tuesday, 7 June 2011
Back to the future: Sunday Play Streets
In May 2011, Anne Milton, Minister for Public Health, proposed an initiative to get children more active in a bid to counter the rise in childhood obesity.
"On Sundays they close certain streets (in Colombia) so that everybody can play in them. That is an outstanding idea," the minister said, adding, "Before constituents email to complain about their streets closing, I should say that I accept it would not work everywhere."
Sunday Play Streets are a low cost, yet valuable play opportunity that can provide children and their community with a few hours each week to play out and socialise in a safe space. We have seen through the Street Play project that children playing locally and going in and out of each others homes is a key contributor to better neighbourhood relations.
The currently dormant Play Street legislation is already available for local authorities to use to close the street to general traffic once a week for a few hours. Just to be clear, residents are free to use their cars during this time and visitors and deliveries can also enter and leave but at 5mph, the non-bleed speed.
See a BBC news film on the subject here.
Also please support the online campaign to try to get Play Streets introduced nationwide:
http://uservoice.com/a/iw90F originated by Dave Miller - South Vale, Croydon
Finally the Street Play Conference/party/finale at Coram Fields, Kings Cross on Saturday July 2nd (10:30am - 3:30pm) will be looking at playing in London and Sunday Play Streets. For free tickets (free lunch and free Play Street book and goodie bag included) email events@londonplay.org.uk. This is a child-friendly event in a child-friendly green space so please bring all your family.
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
Crunchy Numbers
If, for some strange reason, you actually wanted your child to be abducted in England, how long would you have to leave him outside, unattended, for that to be statistically likely to happen?
About 600,000 years.
Warwick Cairns, author of How to Live Dangerously
About 600,000 years.
Warwick Cairns, author of How to Live Dangerously
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