UK play sector body launches new research projecs

Two new research projects focusing on children’s play opportunities have been launched by the UK’s main play sector trade organisation.

The Association of Play Industries (API), whose members include all of the main industry stakeholders, including providers of play facilities, announced the new projects at its latest Annual General Meeting.

Dr. Chris Mackintosh from Manchester Metropolitan University presented The true value of play, examining the aims and objectives of new, commissioned independent research into the play industry. It will look at analyse global research, give an overview of the play industry’s size, scope and influence, and estimate its social, health, environmental and economic worth in the UK.

Play in schools meanwhile is centred on plans to raise the profile of API members in the education sector, and was presented by Dr. Amanda Gummer and Nikita Chan of Fundamentally Children. Their key goal is to identify schools’ key concerns around children’s development, learning and wellbeing, including considerations for new playground equipment.

Communication activities will highlight the importance of active play in safe, well-designed spaces, and a resource bank of curriculum-linked activities will be exclusively available to schools commissioning API members.

The meeting was also a chance for members to say goodbye to outgoing chair, Mark Hardy whose ‘expertise and passion have positioned the API as a thought-leader in the industry and raised awareness of the importance of children’s outdoor play’.

Click here for more on the work of API.