Developing play and early years provision in Gypsy and Traveller sites

Author: Play Wales
Date: December 2025

A toolkit designed to provide clear and concise information to help create opportunities for play for children on Gypsy and Traveller sites.

The tooklit features information intended to help understand and address issues of concern. It provides practical, step-by-step tools and templates for undertaking work related to removing the barriers to accessing opportunities to play faced by Gypsy and Traveller children. It is divided into three sections:

• Importance of play – this section includes information about the immediate and deferred benefits that access to play brings to children, as well as a description of a rich play environment.
• Models of provision – this section identifies the benefits and key features of seven different models of play provision.
• Tools to support – this section includes a range of resources to audit, assess and plan for play, and features ideas for engagement with children and parents.

The toolkit has been designed for anyone who takes responsibility for, or is involved in, managing or developing new and existing Gypsy and Traveller sites. This may include planning departments and officers, architects, local authority Gypsy and Traveller liaison officers, consultation and participation managers, site wardens and managers, play development teams, neighbourhood policing teams, and Gypsies and Travellers.

This is a reviewed and updated edition of a good practice guide developed by Play Wales and Travelling Ahead, published in 2015. For their support to this new edition, thank you to Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council Childcare & Play team, There and Back Again Gypsy & Traveller Awareness, and Travelling Ahead: Wales Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Advice and Advocacy Service.