Publications and research
Playwork Partnerships has published research and a variety of training products.
What is Playwork?
Playwork is a skilled profession that informs playworkers about their role when working with children and young people in their play and leisure time.
Playwork adheres to the Playwork Principles that are the underpinning ethos of the way that we respond to children and their play. The Playwork Principles define what freely chosen play is and its importance to the overall healthy development of individuals and they guide our responses to children playing, our level of intervention, our positive attitudes to risk taking and the importance of reflective practice.
Playwork involves considerations towards the spaces we create for children to play in, the resources within those spaces and advocates for children to play in their own way.
Research
Previous research includes:
Literature review to investigate the evidence underpinning the role of play for holistic health: Matthews, N., Kilgour, L., De Rossi, P., and Crone, D.(2011) Gloucester: The University of Gloucestershire and Playwork Partnerships
Play for a Change: Play, policy and practice: a review of contemporary perspectives – Lester S & Russell W. (2008) London: NCB
Play Naturally: A review of children’s natural play – Lester S & Maudsley M (2006) London: NCB
Play Ranger Case Studies: Rees-Jones D(ed) (2008) Gloucester: Playwork Partnerships
Wild about Play Research Report: Maudsley M & Smith H (2005) Cheltenham: Playwork Partnerships
Get in touch to find out more about our research.
Publications
Playwork Partnerships has developed a variety of playwork training products that have been developed over a number of years.
You can purchase publications below from our online shop, or get in touch for an order form and we can invoice you or your organisation.
Playing on the Wildside 2nd edition
Edited by Martin Maudsley, Playwork Partnerships
The essential resource for people wishing to enable opportunities for children to play freely in and around natural outdoor environments.
Cost: £35 (plus £5 postage, UK)
Getting It Right Legally: Status and Structure for Community Organisations (GIRL1)
Written by Playwork Partnerships & Bates Wells and Braithwaite solicitors
GIRL 1 is aimed at community organisations and those that support them to help navigate successfully through the often confusing guidance available on setting up a voluntary or community organisation. The original publication has been revised from a play and childcare focus to include ALL community and voluntary organisations.
Cost: £18 (plus £5 postage)
Getting It Right Legally: Contract and Grant Relationships between Funders and Community Organisations (GIRL2)
Written by Playwork Partnerships & Bates Wells and Braithwaite solicitors
This publication has been developed as a guide for voluntary and community organisations to understand and develop successful funding relationships with funders to deliver a range of local services. Many organisations can encounter frustrations and difficulties in this area – GIRL 2 demystifies legal issues faced by those running community organisations, providing practical guidance and minimising technical legal content.
Cost: £18 (plus £5 postage)
Take Your Pick: Level 3 tutor resource materials
Edited by Clare Hein, Playwork Partnerships
This double CD tutor resource pack contains information, activity plans and photocopiable resources to support the delivery of underpinning knowledge to NVQ level 3 playwork candidates and CACHE Diploma in Playwork students.
Cost: £8 (plus £1 postage)
Play Ranger Case Studies
Edited by Dan Rees-Jones, Playwork Partnerships
This publication celebrates the achievements and successes of differing open access play ranger projects around England and Wales. It provides contact details for future collaborative working and aims to initiate momentum for developing and sharing best practice for play rangers.
Cost: £5 (including postage)
Free Range Childhood Conference DVD
Torquay 2007
This DVD includes all the inspirational key note speeches from the day plus clips from a variety of the workshops. Speakers included Roger Hart, Michael Follett and Martin Maudsley.
Cost: £10 (including postage)
Playwork Take 1 the Video/DVD
This 35 minute film introduces play and playwork in a variety of settings. The film is split into 5 minute sections, each focusing on playwork in a different type of setting.
Cost: £16 (DVD, including postage), £5 (Video, including postage)