Play
Playday
The national day for play in the UK Playday is an annual celebration of children’s right to play.
The next Playday is on Wednesday 6 August 2025
Playday was established in 1987 and takes place on the first Wednesday in August.
It is an ongoing campaign that highlights the importance of play in children’s lives, focusing on a particular issue each year. Each year, Playday has a particular theme highlighting an issue or aspect of children’s play – for example:
- encouraging everyone to give children more time and freedom to play
- reclaiming the streets for children to be able to play safely outside their homes.
For information about previous campaigns, see the Playday website.
At Play Wales, Playday gives us a valuable annual opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of children’s play and the need for quality play provision. We use Playday to highlight that play is important and quality play provision is needed every day of the year in all areas of Wales.
Playday is coordinated by Play England, Play Scotland, PlayBoard Northern Ireland and Play Wales.
Playday 2025 theme
The theme for this year’s Playday is:
Spaces for play
This year’s theme highlights the vital importance of accessible, inclusive spaces where children and teenagers have opportunities to play freely, spending time, and connecting with friends – and feel valued as part of their community. Children will play anywhere and everywhere, so access to quality playful spaces and places is essential for their happiness and development, offering opportunities to boost both physical health and emotional wellbeing.
This Playday, we’re calling for spaces for play that:
- Are inclusive and welcoming for children and teenagers of all ages and abilities
- Create safe, playful neighbourhoods where children can play freely every day.
- Maximise opportunities for play in schools, childcare, and youth settings
- Are shaped by the voices, needs, and experiences of children and teenagers themselves.
- Support play that promotes fun, friendship, being active, enjoying nature, and building a strong sense of belonging.
- Encourage families, carers, and communities to come together through play across generations.
Every child and teenager has the right to play — and they deserve the time, space, freedom, and opportunity to do so, every day.
This Playday, we encourage families, community leaders, planners, developers, and everyone who shapes children’s lives to champion better spaces for play. Together, we can create a more playful, inclusive world where all children can grow, thrive, and belong.
Get involved
For the latest updates on this year’s campaign follow Playday on Facebook and Twitter and get involved using the hashtags #Playday2025 and #SpacesForPlay
Our Top tips for celebrating Playday offer practical ideas for giving children plenty of time, space and freedom to play on Playday. The top tips are aimed at those working in all settings where children play.
