Tending to the Garden of Play - Community Being the Solution Playworkers are a so much more than supervisors of play. PLAY is a unique and individual expression. An authentic means of communication. When we stop and take notice, through their play, children show us themselves, from the inside-out. Also, through their play, Children are holistically growing themselves. Leading their development, intrinsically motivated and self directed. To use the metaphor of a garden, Playworkers watch keenly, this playful expression, sprout, unfold and grow. Playworkers nurture this growth, not by making the plants grow, but by creating conditions for their playful garden to thrive. This is achieved by building relationships with the children, witnessing and acknowledging the child’s play, as well as providing loose parts resources to enable expansion of this self-expression. More than this, Playworker's are protecting this fragile philosophy that make these spaces so attractive and valuable to children. In this regard PLAY is hugely rejuvenating, self-affirming and healing. In a world where free play is in decline, and most of children lives are structured by well-intention adults, implementing their plans to grow these children into the adults they think they should be. In the immense shadow of this dominant force that children are surviving, Neighbourhood Backyards are truly sanctuaries for children and Playworker's are the Conversationalists protecting the rights of the child.

3 years is A Significant Amount of time IN the Development of children. That Equals 3 Years of: - LOCAL PLAY FOR THESE NEIGHBOURHOOD CHILDREN. - Occupying the hearts & minds of Local Children & families - THE COMMUNITY DRIVING THE SOLUTION - Collecting data, EVIDENCE & STORIES - POWERFUL Impacts & Outcomes - PROOF that focusing on increasing localised play results In increasing positive outcomes for everyone

Play and the arts often suffer similar societal marginalisation, dismissed as less important than other learning forms that offer more structured, measurable outcomes. Both are undervalued for their potential to foster imagination, creativity, self-expression and meaning making. When approached from a process-driven, child-centred perspective, play and the arts are deeply intertwined. Their strength lies not in polished products but in honouring process, experimentation, and child-led exploration. When children have freedom to explore, their experience of art and play becomes more than “activities” - it becomes a journey of agency, risk-taking, problem solving and meaning making. For educators, the challenge is to stand alongside (not in front of) children, to value process over product, to truly listen not just to words but to actions and relationships with materials, and to resist imposing control that stifles imagination.

In 2024, AIP opened its second community backyard, Freedom Fortress in Yarrabilba is a child-led play space where imagination, creativity, and choice are at the heart of everything. This has shown us and the community just how powerful play can be. Children have taken the lead, building, exploring, problem-solving, and taking risks creating adventures that are entirely their own. Through open-ended loose parts play, we’ve watched children grow in independence, resilience, confidence, and friendships. Families and the wider community have begun to see that play is a right for every child, and that when we step back and let children guide the way, we get to witness something truly special. Freedom Fortress has grown into more than just a play space; it's a place that sparks curiosity, creates connection, and feels like home. Over the year we’ve welcomed children, families, and learning partners from Yarrabilba, Logan, and beyond all coming together in AIP’s vision of “Local Play, Every Day.” Guided by the Four Play Pillars, we’ve embraced play as every child’s right, recognised that children thrive when their play is freely chosen, reminded ourselves that the role of adults is to support not control, and celebrated play as vital for health, wellbeing, and development. This year, by holding onto these values, children have shaped Freedom Fortress into a space where they choose, experiment, and explore freely, while adults and playworkers observe, support, and celebrate. Hesitation has turned into curiosity, and curiosity has grown into participation. Families are discovering the joy and learning that comes when children lead, take risks, and uncover their own strengths and that’s been the heart of Freedom Fortress.

Play is a necessity for childhood development, and it is essential that we embed play in society for children. There are National Play Policies in countries such as Ireland, Wales and Scotland. These Play Policies exist to protect play and provide more play opportunities. In Australia there is no National Play Policy - but we have to start somewhere! The Australian Institute of Play team has been working in the play space for over 20 years. In that time, they have collected the voices of many children and community members. These voices have been used to create the first step towards a National Play Policy, starting with a Local Level Plan. These plans are available to anyone in Logan, and they can be used as plans to increase play by any individual, organisation or group!

Bush Kindy Teaching began when founder and director, Areta Farrance, saw the incredible green spaces of Logan, Queensland, as a wealth of opportunity for childhood PLAY in 2021. With the support of community partners, the first Logan-based Community Bush Kindy playgroup was launched at Daisy Hill in 2022. Since then, the Bush Kindy Community has flourished across multiple locations, providing opportunities for thousands of children and their families to experience nature play together. Today, child-centred, place-based bush kindy programs continue to grow, strengthening the community.

At The Family Place, we believe children are active citizens whose voices shape the spaces, programs, and services around them. We prioritise children’s participation - from program design to everyday practice. When building our new centre and playground, children shared ideas through drawings, conversations, and play. This helped create spaces where they feel safe, excited, and free to play. We also support children to speak at community events, giving them real platforms to be heard and build confidence. Importantly, their voices are not just for special events - we embed them in our case notes, program planning, and daily work. By listening to children, we design better spaces, deliver stronger programs, and show the wider community that child participation is meaningful and powerful.

From Mud Kitchen to Movement Since 2018, Curious Me has welcomed thousands of families into curiosity-led play. From HQ in Logan Village to adventures with Mavis the Travelling Mud Kitchen, we support agency, celebrate neurodiversity, and nurture growth through authentic experiences. Always outdoors and resourced with real-world materials, our programs are backed by a community of parents, educators, and play champions. We step away from compliance models toward child-centred practice, where play is genuinely seen and valued. Because when curiosity is honoured, children thrive.

We facilitate a dads program called “Dad’s Time”, which is a program for dads and their children to attend our space to engage in various styles of play, from traditional play like toys and crafts, to unique forms of play like risky and child-led play. Running a dad’s program has been a journey of learning what makes for good play between children and their fathers, and what we can learn from this relationship. By fostering an environment for dads and their children to attend in various stages of play, we have created a space that can operate with less protections than most. Here, children can play uninhibited, with loose borders and rules for their play, and alongside their fathers, who are natural protectors, but strong encouragers, of this kind of play.

At The Family Place, we believe every community event should welcome, include and value children. That’s why we always provide children’s activities. Play is not an “extra” – it’s essential to community life. Play is how children learn, grow and connect. Through play they build skills like problem solving, social interaction, creativity and resilience. When children have space to play freely, they explore their world, build relationships and feel they belong. Events with play spaces show families that children’s needs are prioritised. Our activities go beyond a corner with toys – they are designed for quality play that sparks imagination, invites movement and supports choice. This makes events child-friendly, helps parents relax, and sets an example for others. By prioritising play, we model best practice for organisations. Play creates positive energy, brings families together and strengthens community connections. Over time, this builds a culture where play is central to wellbeing. The Family Place is proud to show that play matters. Including play at all events ensures children thrive, families feel supported, and communities benefit.

The community of Central Logan had asked us to share as many opportunities for them to help grow their safe and trusted connections. After consultation with community, partners and others working in the Woodridge and Logan Central space we came up with hosting a travelling playgroup where parents and young children (0–5) meet regularly to share culture through play. Each week features a different country’s games, stories or food, often led by one of the participant families, creating a sense of belonging and pride in cultural backgrounds. By also going around to the different locations to host these playgroups, families are able to see what programs, services and support are being offered at this stop and how they can connect in.