Seventeen years on: Why England needs a new National Play Strategy

2 Apr

Looking back: a bold vision for play

Seventeen years ago, today [2 April 2008] the government launched England's first—and only—National Play Strategy.

"Government pledges to improve children’s play" – The Guardian

📸 Ed Balls and Andy Burnham, then Secretaries of State, quite literally threw their weight behind children’s play—swinging into action at an adventure playground in south London.

Developed by the last Labour government with Play England, the strategy was bold, comprehensive, and forward-thinking. Backed by £235 million, it aimed to create 3,500 new play spaces across every local authority area in England, including 30 staffed adventure playgrounds. More broadly, it sought to embed play in local planning, public space design, housing, education, and community development.

Crucially, it recognised play as a right, not a luxury—fundamental to children’s wellbeing, learning, development and happiness.

What went wrong?

In 2010, the coalition government abandoned the strategy. The result? A steady erosion of play provision and play policy across England.

Seventeen years. That’s an entire childhood—from birth to adulthood—without a national commitment to play. And children have been paying the price ever since.

"Seventeen years without a national commitment to play is nothing short of a generational failure. Millions of children have grown up without the opportunities, experiences and support they should have had if the 2008 strategy had been delivered. We urgently need a new national play strategy that puts play back at the heart of childhood and public policy" – Eugene Minogue, Executive Director, Play England

The case for change

Today, the need is greater than ever. That’s why Play England continues our call for a new National Play Strategy for England, this time underpinned by Play Sufficiency legislation.

Thanks to the persistent advocacy of Play England and our partners, momentum is growing.

Parliamentary momentum builds

In January 2025, Tom Hayes MP led the first Westminster debate on play in over a decade. In that debate, the Minister and MPs from across the House supported Play England’s call for:

✅ A new National Play Strategy for England

✅ Play Sufficiency legislation requiring local authorities to assess and secure sufficient play opportunities

A strategy for today—and tomorrow

The core of the 2008 strategy still holds strong today. Its principles of universal access, inclusive design, local leadership and meaningful participation remain more relevant than ever. We believe every child deserves time, space and opportunity to play.

It’s time to finish what we started—and give children their childhood back.

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Play England Admin