Making Space to Play
Healthy, nurturing places to play, especially outdoors in nature are vital to children’s health, development and happiness.
Children’s well-being is shaped by where they live and the spaces they spend time in, but access to green space and the quality of spaces is not equal for all children.
Choose Play supports children’s right to space for play in healthy, safe spaces by:
- supporting children to voice their ideas and views to influence spaces for play
- working with the Local Authority and other partners for better, more inclusive and accessible public play spaces
- providing practical support to schools and community groups
- offering community-based play opportunities in all year round.
Read on to find out more about what we’re doing for better spaces
to play.
#SparkthePark. #BlueGreen. #ListentoChildren #RighttoPlay
“We have a play park and a field. I’m allowed out by myself, you can see lots of other people to play with. They can look after you and you can look after them.”
Child, St Mary’s RC Primary School
BlueGreen
Choose Play wants to improve access to outdoor spaces for children with additional support needs (ASN) and to stimulate best practice on inclusive and accessible outdoor spaces in East Lothian.
Children from Sanderson’s Wynd Primary School and Ross High took part in a series of creative opportunities ahead of planned redeveloped of our local greenspace by East Lothian Council.
We used creative, fun and participatory methods to get to know the greenspace on Lindores Drive, Tranent and to think about what matters for designing an inclusive play space.
The children explored questions like: What is important to us about a play space? What makes it friendly and welcoming? What should be done differently?
The children showcased their findings by inviting colleagues from East Lothian Council to join a session ahead of the play park development.
Our Blue Green principles!
Blue = water, sky, inclusion, openness to ideas.
Green = landscape, nature, being environmentally friendly.
BlueGreen is supported by the People’s Postcode Lottery Trust.
Watch the short film the children made to find out more about their views, ideas and suggestions.
Spark the Park
Spark the Park is an ongoing programme of creative, play and collaborative opportunities aimed at re-imagining the spaces we spend time in.
Spark the Park has included:
• animating an overlooked greenspace in north Tranent with seasonal play and community activities
• experimenting with siting a shipping container on the space as a playful, green hub
• inviting guest speakers to the Spark the Park seminar to share inspiring examples practice
• working towards new design ideas for accessible and inclusive community play and gathering spaces
• sharing what we have learned with others in East Lothian and further afield.
“Build homes but don’t destroy habitats.”
Child at Dirleton Primary School
Consultation and engagement
Choose Play has developed considerable experience in engaging with children and young people using fun, creative and participatory methods. Their views and ideas inform all of our work.
We help to ensure children’s views influence matters of importance to them.
We worked with East Lothian Council planners to collect children’s views on what is important to them about where they live, and to understand children’s views on the future of East Lothian.
In partnership with CanDo, we highlighted the perspectives of disabled children and their families for Play Sufficiency Assessments. Our report focused on the useability and play value of play areas in East Lothian.
Creating child-friendly information and resources, and tailored opportunities, we follow the Lundy Model of Children’s Participation – Space, Voice, Audience and Influence.
Can we assist you with engaging with children?
Contact us on info@elpa.org.uk
“Safe places to play on scooters at houses, that would make me happy.”
Child at Aberlady Primary School
© 2025 Choose Play, East Lothian Play Association. ELPA SCIO, Scottish registered charity SC050202.
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