Play: vision statement and action plan 2025 to 2030

Action Plan

Play in all its rich variety is one of the highest achievements of the human species, alongside language, culture and technology. Indeed, without play, none of these other achievements would be possible^[39].

The Scottish Government will lead on the actions in this plan and will collaborate with key partners in their delivery.

Primary Driver – Parent

1.Strengthen the support for play provided in the universal Baby Box Programme.

1.1 Provision of information on the importance of play for brain development of children. (by end of 2025)

1.2 Review the contents of the baby box, in particular items that aid parental bonding and play with babies, and how to encourage parents to incorporate them into their regular interaction with their baby. (by end of 2025)

2. Review and strengthen current programmes that support Early Child Development on the importance of play, engaging with parents and families to ensure we reflect and address lived experiences.

2.1 In collaboration with NHS Education for Scotland’s (NES) learning needs questionnaire with health visitors, which asked about their level of confidence discussing how play can support child development, respond appropriately to any health visitor learning needs around play which are identified through the questionnaire. (by Summer 2025)

2.2 Utilise mechanisms within the Scottish Government’s forthcoming Health Visiting Action Plan to ensure that the Universal Health Visiting Pathway contains appropriate references to the value of play. (by end of March 2026)

2.3 Review the information contained in the Parent Club website on the importance of play to support positive mental health and wellbeing as well as physical health, for both parents and children, and the role and reach of Parent Club in effectively informing parents and families and supporting them to adopt play in their daily lives. (by end of 2025)

2.4 Review and update the Ready Steady Baby digital resource on the importance of play. (by end of Spring 2025)

2.5 Review information and resources available for parents on how to support early speech and language development through play. (by end of Spring 2026)

2.6 Collaborate with Public Health Scotland on the review and development of the Play@home package of resources with a focus on the value of universal provision and appropriate digitisation of content, an increased focus on outdoor play and understand need for capacity building around the relationship between play and health outcomes. Review how to integrate Play@Home Programme with existing Scottish Government universal resources. (by end of Spring 2026)

3. Map opportunities for play, as well as challenges to accessing play, for children in care and on the edges of care, refugees and asylum-seeking children and those not in settled housing. Identifying the specific barriers and obstacles for children and young people who have limited access to play opportunities and how to reduce them.

3.1 Develop guidance and support for partners, including sharing local good practice identified through mapping, to aid children in care and on the edges of care, refugees and asylum-seeking children and those not in settled housing to better access play opportunities. (by end of 2027)

4. Review the support for families on safely adopting good habits for digital play where technology can play a part in meeting children’s needs and aiding development.

4.1 Review and update information available to parents on safeguarding and supporting children’s play in the digital space via the Parent Club website (by Spring 2026).

4.2 SG to work with key partners in NHS Scotland, third sector and academia to identify how we can further support children and parents to safely engage in digital play. (by end of 2026)

Primary Driver – Place

5. In recognition of the barriers faced by low-income families, support the development and provision of free, accessible, inclusive and safe public play spaces, developed in consultation with children and families and in line with the strategic delivery outcomes of the physical activity for health framework^[40].

5.1 Working with our partners in Play Scotland, Smart Play Network, Thrive Outdoors and other third sector organisations to signpost families to free and low-cost play opportunities locally. (by Summer 2025)

5.2 Working with our partners in local government, play and third sector to monitor lived experience of children in accessing outdoor play opportunities in their local places. (by end of 2028)

6. Develop Guidance for Public Bodies to support access to play by specific groups of children, acknowledging their specific needs and obstacles they face.

6.1 Work with relevant partners to identify the specific barriers preventing children in rural communities, older children and children with disabilities accessing play spaces. (by the end of 2027)

6.2 Working with our partners in local government, share effective practice on maintenance and development of free, accessible and inclusive public spaces, including principles for design and maintenance of public spaces to create an environment where girls feel safe and welcome in public play spaces. (by end of 2026)

6.3 Working with NHS Boards, support the uptake of NHS Hospital accommodation for children and young people guidance on creating play spaces for children in health settings (throughout the timescale of this Vision Statement and Action Plan).

6.4 Work with partners in third sector and local government to continue to support delivery of Active Play, ensuring delivery in SIMD 1+2 and rural communities (throughout the timescale of this Vision Statement and Action Plan).

Primary Driver – Practitioner

7. Work with representatives from play and children’s sector to share good practice and innovative ideas that support delivery of our vision for Play in Scotland (throughout the timescale of this Vision Statement and Action Plan).

8. Support the use of play pedagogy in ELC settings and schools, with a continued focus on consistent alignment of practice with the Realising the Ambition: Being Me^[41] guidance. This should support teachers and schools to use play pedagogy as children transition to early primary and throughout their time in school.

8.1 Education Scotland will continue to provide information, local and national support and practical resources such as toolkits for practitioners on Play Pedagogy through their National Practice Guidance. (throughout the timescale of this Vision Statement and Action Plan)

8.2 Play Scotland will continue to support practitioners to build their confidence in using play pedagogy in children’s learning as part of Curriculum for Excellence (throughout the timescale of this Vision Statement and Action Plan).

9. Promote the provision of free learning opportunities for practitioners that emphasise the importance of play for all children regardless of background or personal circumstance and support the provision of play, outdoors and indoors.

9.1 Provision of free online learning resources, by public and third sector stakeholders, to expand knowledge of importance of play, play pedagogy, gender equal play, and play that helps children work through trauma and difficult experiences (throughout the timescale of this Vision Statement and Action Plan).

9.2 Review information, resources, and training available for early years practitioners, teachers, health visitors and other early years workers on how to support early speech and language development through play. (throughout the timescale of this Vision Statement and Action Plan).

9.3 The Scottish Social Services Council will review existing training materials, introduce new materials where necessary and promote access to their online learning portal to support practitioner’s learning on importance of play (throughout the timescale of this Vision Statement and Action Plan).

9.4 The Scottish Social Services Council whilst undertaking a review of the National Occupation Standards (NOS) for Health and Social Care (HSC) and Child Care Learning and Development (CCLD) will ensure that these resources include suitable reference to play (due for completion December 2025).

9.5 Continue to support the delivery of Active Play training to practitioners and volunteers who work with young people, and expand across local authorities, to enable them to embed a culture of physical activity through play in everyday practice (throughout the timescale of this Vision Statement and Action Plan).

10. Support a children’s rights-based approach and children’s right to play and recognise the specific needs that all children face to realising their right to play, in particular, those children whose rights are most at risk.

10.1 Develop and promote a Skills and Knowledge Framework and accompanying training plan to support public authorities to embed children’s rights in public services, aiding a transformation in service design and delivery (throughout the timescale of this Vision Statement and Action Plan).