Charter for Children's Play

The Charter for Children's Play sets out a vision for play.It aims to be a catalyst for individuals and organisations to examine and improve how they provide for children and young people's play and informal recreation. 

The Charter sets out the abiding principles on which the play sector is founded, and signing up to the Charter is a pre-requisite for all Play England members and staff. 

The Charter states: 

• Children have the right to play
• Every child needs time and space to play
• Adults should let children play
• Children should be able to play freely in their local areas
• Children value and benefit from staffed play provision
• Children's play is enriched by skilled playworkers
• Children need time and space to play at school
• Children sometimes need extra support to enjoy their right to play 

These statements shape the way Play England works, the projects we invest in, the campaigns we support - ours and others - and help us focus on the issues that matter. 

A range of support materials are available to promote the charter:

Charter for Children's Play: Children and young person's version - a pocket sized fold-out version of the charter to help children and young people understand how the charter principles work to protect their right to play. Children can carry the charter around easily and refer to it when needed, and provides an excellent tool to help with children's consultation.

Charter for Children's Play: Poster - a colourful A2 poster highlighting each of the eight charter statements in a child-friendly and engaging way. It can be used to highlight the importance of play wherever you need to promote this message.