Explore Play Wales
The Welsh Government has published its final Ministerial Review of Play report. The From Ambition to Action Final Report shows the progress made and actions taken in response to the Ministerial Review of Play Steering Group recommendations.
This report outlines the progress made in implementing actions between February 2025 and May 2026 and actions to be progressed beyond May 2026. It also includes an update on ongoing strategic work across policy areas.
The in-depth and collaborative review was undertaken between 2019 and 2022 with the steering group making key recommendations and suggested milestones for the Welsh Government to consider in building on the progress made in being a play friendly country. The government responded to the report and outlined the actions to be taken forward to achieve the steering group’s anticipated results, with a progress report published in February 2025.
The Welsh Government has also published a children’s version and young people’s version of the final report.
Emphasising its commitment to children’s play in the report, the Welsh Government says:
‘This report provides an update and examples of the continuing activity associated with these actions, recognising that embedding play across government and a broad range of policy areas requires sustained commitment and collaboration. Creating and maintaining opportunities for play is an ongoing process rather than a discrete set of actions…
We want to build on this progress and maintain Wales’s status as a leading nation in championing children’s right to play. We will take on board learning from the Ministerial Review of Play and implementation of actions.’
Welcoming the publication of the report, Play Wales said:
‘Congratulations to the Welsh Government on the progress made in implementing the Ministerial Review of Play, particularly through the establishment of the Play Champions Network and the Play Review Implementation Board, which provide important leadership and momentum for securing children’s opportunities to play across Wales.
We were proud to act as report writers for The Ministerial Review of Play Steering Group Report and accompanying Background Paper. We were privileged to gather rich evidence and experience from a cross-professional steering group of play and playwork specialists and policy officials from across the Welsh Government.’