The Association of Play Industries has launched a new Community Hub website to give schools, parish councils, families and community groups the latest news on play funding and a host of resources to help them create new play opportunities in their area.
The “Hub” is designed to be accessible for everyone and includes four key sections which will be updated on a regular basis.
The site includes API How-To Guides, a series of resources produced by the API to give communities information on how to go about creating a playground. These resources range from funding guidance to using social media to promote play projects. API How-To Guides can all be downloaded as ready-to-print PDFs.
It also promotes the value of play. Everyone from Government ministers to teachers and parents recognises that play is an important activity for children. The API aims to explore the social, health and wellbeing benefits of providing children with accessible playgrounds in their community.
Much like adults at work, children spend a significant part of their day at school. And in this environment we expect children to learn and develop skills – play is an essential part of this development process. Modern playground equipment provides children with a diverse set of learning challenges and research has shown that regular exposure to the outdoors and physical activity throughout the school day improves children’s ability to concentrate, both in and out of the classroom.
Finally, the API blog allows the API, its member companies and other members of the play sector, to pass on direct advice to communities through interviews, columns and reports on the latest schemes and developments.