Blog | AIPlay

Play Blog

Have you got a play story which you want to share?
Email it to us at hello@australianinstituteofplay.org

Why Play Matters More Than We Think

Rethinking childhood, creativity, and community through the lens of play By Gabrielle Ivinson - Professor of Education and Community, Education and Social Research Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University. This is a full record of the interview with Professor Ivinson in creation of the Neighbourhood Backyard documentary. Gabrielle shares her beautiful, compelling and insights narrative into the depth of what children are getting from a space such as Joomunjie Land. We s

6 days ago7 min read

Our Neighbourhood Backyard Is Changing Lives

Words by Tahnie Pearl Togo - Based on an interview with Tahnie for the Neighbourhood Backyard Documentary Tahnie Pearl Togo - Proud First Nations Playworker in Joomunjie Land Neighbourhood Backyard When Tahnie Pearl Togo talks about their Neighbourhood Backyard called ‘Joomunjie Land’, it’s clear she’s not just describing a space for play. She’s describing something far deeper — a place of belonging, healing, security and transformation — built on children, family, culture, a

Neighbourhood Backyards

Jun 167 min read

More Than Just a Place to Play: How Neighbourhood Backyards Are Rebuilding Childhood and Community

By Dr Sara Branch, Senior Research Fellow Communities for Children – Logan | Griffith University This conversation is a record of Dr Branch's interview for the Neighbourhood Backyard documentary. Play is often spoken about as something nice for children — a bonus, a break between the “important” parts of life. But decades of research, and now lived community evidence, tell a very different story. Play is not optional. It is foundational. My work as a Senior Research Fellow fo

Neighbourhood Backyards

May 134 min read

Five year journey...

Eagleby South State School has enjoyed a five-year adventure in offering high quality play.

Neighbourhood Backyards

Dec 11, 20243 min read

Free to be me: the importance of play friendly communities for childhood wellbeing

This quarter, staff at the Pathways to Resilience have been exploring the impact of play friendly communities on children’s well-being. As part of the Logan Communities for Children collective vision for children’s wellbeing, we were invited by Hyahno Moser from the Australian Institute of Play, to visit their site at Joomunjie Land. Located at Eagleby South State School, Joomunjie Land is described as, “an imaginative play space, here children just play, be creative and hav

Neighbourhood Backyards

Sep 14, 20233 min read

THE CALL OF THE POST COVID CHILD Emerging Unnamed Trauma

My name is Hyahno. I am writing to you because I find myself in a unique and uncomfortable position. It is however, one I have...

May 23, 20238 min read

Yolla Neighbourhood Street Play

A local play champion - Bec, shares her reflections on Yolla Neighbourhood Play Network. Local play, every day!

Mar 8, 20236 min read

Diarrhea Hands & Restorative Play

Another Playworker and I, were creating a play provocation in the form of a tyre mountain/pyramid in Joomunjie Land. Joomunjie Land is a 'Community Backyard' for local children to play, after school ond during schools holidays. It's purpose is to provide children with a space to engage in creative, constructive, self-directed free play, with local friends. Just be children. During this play session, our plan was to make the tyre mountain about 3 or 4 metres high, tiered to av

Neighbourhood Backyards

Feb 10, 20234 min read

10 Weeks of Play - Curious Communities

This is such a great story of the community leading the way to increase play after witnessing the power of play to support their children

Sep 20, 20224 min read

18 months of Playful Service to Logan Children & Families

Since March 2021, AIP has solidified its place in the Logan community. The AIP Board's aim is to build the capacity of Logan residents,...

Sep 5, 20223 min read

Joomunjie Land: The Warrior Within

If you spend any amount of time with groups of children, it’s easy to start creating labels for the stereotypes you might encounter - the children often know these labels too! There’s the cool guy, maybe a class clown, we’ve all met a chatterbox, the star athlete and the popularly depicted quiet kid or wallflower. * This story isn’t about any of those, it’s about a new subcategory which seems to be more prevalent now… I call them, “The Worrier”. ____________________________

Neighbourhood Backyards

Jul 15, 20225 min read

JOOMUNJIE LAND - Queensland's first free Community Backyard

Imagine, being a child and there is place embedded in your local community being created for children to gather, be wild, play, explore, connect, have fun and be free. Imagine that this space was designed and constructed by local children. This is Eagleby’s new monster adventure Play Space. The children called it Joomunjie Land. It is the community backyard helping to secure the health and wellbeing of local children, and it is being led by local children. Joomunjie Land is a

Neighbourhood Backyards

Jun 14, 20225 min read