Events Content

Playday 2011

For more information on Playday 2011 please click here.

Play Conference 2011

“Setting the Scene for Play”- A Conference on creating and using environments for play with children.

Midlothian Association of Play (MAP) with Midlothian Early Years and Childcare Partnership held the 2011 Midlothian play conference on Saturday 14th May at Beeslack Community High School, for people working with children in Midlothian. The conference title was ‘Setting the Scene for Play’ and the programme focused on ideas and knowledge for creating and using stimulating play environments, whether indoors or outdoors. Councillor Margot Russell, Depute Provost of Midlothian, opened the conference which was attended by over 100 people.

The conference offered delegates the choice of six workshops and the chance to try their hand at making rope swings and campfires, creating nature play environments indoors, playing with water and air, designing outdoor play spaces, and learning about the links between play and learning.

The feedback from participants was excellent, with comments including ‘Brilliant day, lots of exciting ideas I can’t wait to try’, and ‘The conference gave me more ideas in creative play and has inspired me to go and forage for more interesting natural, artistic products’.

Shirley Neill, Development Manager at MAP said ‘The opportunity for children to get hands on experience of the world is essential to their development. Although children can play anywhere, enriching spaces full of interesting things to explore really help maximise the benefit to children from play. This conference aimed to show people what can be achieved and encourage people to have a go at things they thought would be too difficult or risky, like a rope swing, but that are actually quite achievable. There was a real buzz and a feeling of “can-do” as people came away from their workshops.’

MAP will follow up on the conference with free-play training dates in the autumn.