Play: vision statement and action plan 2025 to 2030

Executive summary

Scotland’s first Play Strategy was published in 2013. It established Scotland as a world leader in recognising the importance of children’s right to play. The 2013 Strategy set in train many positive changes. Scotland has become the first country in the United Kingdom to incorporate the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child^[2] into its domestic law, including the right to play enshrined in Article 31. The importance of play has been embedded into Scotland’s planning system, through the introduction of Play Sufficiency Assessments to help inform local development plan-making.

The Scottish Government has been supporting opportunities to access play across the country for thousands of children and parents and carers through our Bookbug and PlayTalkRead programmes. More broadly, Scotland has undertaken a review of historic child abuse in care and has made a promise^[3] to all care experienced children and young people in Scotland that they will grow up loved, safe and respected.

The wider context has changed too. The COVID-19 pandemic, environmental changes, the cost-of-living crisis, Brexit and ongoing global conflict have all influenced the wider world that children grow, develop and play in. This Vision Statement and Action Plan seeks to build on progress which has been made and respond to the changed wider context in order to support children of all ages and parents to access play, where and when they need it. It sets out what the Scottish Government and key partners, working in collaboration, will do to achieve our vision for play in Scotland.

Vision for Play in Scotland

Our vision for Scotland is that play is welcomed, celebrated and nurtured. That every child is able to play across all stages and aspects of their life to support their social development, resilience, language and communication development, health, physical and mental wellbeing. Our Action Plan outlines some of the crucial steps we will undertake until 2030 that empower and support more play opportunities for all children in Scotland.

Play Theory of Change

The Play Theory of Change is intended to provide a framework for further improvement in play opportunities in Scotland and to offer a route map for all public and third sector bodies to use to create their own localised strategies, policies and projects.

Theory of Change

Vision

Our vision for Scotland is that play is welcomed, celebrated and nurtured. That every child is able to play across all stages and aspects of their life to support their social development, resilience, language and communication development, health, physical and mental wellbeing.

Aim

By 2030 we will have delivered our actions that empower and support more play opportunities for all children in Scotland.

Impact areas

Parents

Parents have knowledge, time and confidence to support nurturing and responsive play.

• From pre-birth, Parents have the knowledge of the importance of play on their child’s brain development.
• From pre-birth, Parents have the confidence to play with their children and support independent play opportunities for children.
• Parents can access the right information about play opportunities at the right time.
• Parents know how to safeguard and support their children’s play in the digital space.

Place

We live in places that offer safe, welcoming and inclusive play opportunities for all children.

• Play spaces are inclusive and accessible to all in a variety of settings.
• Play spaces offer quality play experiences and are safe and welcoming for all.
• Play opportunities are prioritised when creating all public spaces.
• Play is encouraged in our cities, towns and communities, for people of all ages.

Practitioners

Practitioners have the knowledge and the confidence to support and promote children’s play opportunities.

• Children and Young People workforce feel valued and are recognised for their efforts to promote and facilitate play opportunities for all children.
• Children and Young People workforce understand and support the importance of indoor and outdoor play for all children. Practitioners working with families and children promote play opportunities and engage with families and exchange ideas on play possibilities outside of organised setting.
• Practitioners are supported in taking a children’s rights approach in the design and delivery of play services and play opportunities in their communities.

Theory of Change

Vision

Our vision for Scotland is that play is welcomed, celebrated and nurtured. That every child is able to play across all stages and aspects of their life to support their social development, resilience, language and communication development, health, physical and mental wellbeing.

Aim

By 2030 we will have delivered our actions that empower and support more play opportunities for all children in Scotland.

How we will achieve this

By delivering on our action plan and by engaging with children and families across Scotland.

Who will achieve this

The Scottish Government will retain overall responsibility for the delivery of all actions in our action plan. The Scottish Government will carry out regular reviews of the action plan with critical partners.

Why are we doing it this way

The Play Strategy 2013 emphasised the importance of play and provided the foundation for substantial developments in the play sector.

Substantial changes have transpired since 2013, all of which changed the play landscape.

Views of children and collaborative working with crucial partners have informed this refresh of the strategy.

What supports this approach

The primary drivers align with the Early Child Development Transformational Change Programme (ECD TCP) and Speech Language and Communication Transformational Change Programme (SLC TCP) drivers.

CEYRIS reports by Public Health Scotland (PHS) Report by Dr Briege Nugent “Children and Young People’s views of play”.

Research by the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University.
National practice guidance for early years, “Realising the Ambition: Being Me” and others.

Action Plan

Working in collaboration with our partners, ten main actions have been identified which will support the delivery of the drivers within our Play Theory of Change and, ultimately, our aim and vision for play in Scotland. For each action, the Scottish Government will lead on delivery and will collaborate with key partners to achieve specific tasks or outcomes. The Actions will deliver additional support for parents and carers in supporting their children to access play opportunities, encourage the development of our public places that support children’s health and wellbeing through play and strengthen the delivery of play by practitioners across the health, social care, education and third sector landscape.

As well as supporting the play vision and actions, the Scottish Government recognises that the aim of this Vision Statement and Action Plan for Play in Scotland can also support shared objectives in promoting Early Child Development; Speech, Language and Communication Development; Perinatal and Infant Mental Health; Physical and Mental Wellbeing; Children’s Rights and can mitigate the impacts of child poverty.

The Vision Statement and Action Plan are designed to reflect the vision of play for Scotland for the next 5 years and the steps we will take within that time to achieve our vision and aim.