Play Scotland

19/06/2026

Woody and Buzz have a new quest: to wrestle with the explosion of digital play ▶️

It seems they are not alone in this mission, with 24% of parents of 3‑ to 5‑year‑olds finding it hard to control their child’s screen time. ⌛️

With the new Toy Story movie out today, playing in cinemas around the world, we wanted to share some thoughts about play in the digital age. 👇️

[Photo Credit: Disney Pixar, Toy Story 5]

17/06/2026

Across Scotland, more schools are asking an exciting question: what could learning look like if play was valued as a powerful part of the school day, not something squeezed in around the edges?

Our August cohort list is now open, and our shiny new dedicated Play Pedagogy Award website is now live! This dedicated website has been created especially for the Play Pedagogy Award, giving schools and local authorities a clear, welcoming space to explore what the Award is, how the journey works, and how to register interest in joining a future cohort.

https://playpedagogyaward.org/

16/06/2026

16/06/2026

16/06/2026

🥳 We're still buzzing from the International Day of Play last Thursday!

Our team attended celebrations across Scotland, and from imaginary cafés, to hopscotch games, to gigantic sandpits, we saw once again how much play really means to children of all ages - in the activity, smiles, and atmosphere.

Play is so important for children's health, well-being, and development, and is every child's right. It also doesn't need to cost anything. With loose parts or everyday materials and some space outside, a child can use their imagination to explore, create, connect, and have fun.

Thank you to everyone who took part in celebrating the power of play!

If your school registered to participate, don't forget to complete our evaluation survey by 23 June to be entered into the £100 prize draw to contribute towards play resources for your school!

📸: Our OPAL Outdoor Play and Learning CIC lead, Laura, said, "Even the heavy downpours didn’t dampen spirits at the parent Stay and Play in Forfar on Thursday! The rain brought a fun dynamic to this International Day of Play" 🌧

12/06/2026

🎨🖌️ Messy, meaningful and full of joy at Baltasound!
There was paint everywhere in the nursery at Baltasound Junior High School today, and that was exactly the point!
Children immersed themselves in a large scale painting experience, exploring colour, movement, texture and creativity with their whole bodies. Bare feet squelched through paint, hands swept across the paper, and every mark added to a shared masterpiece that grew and changed throughout the session.
Experiences like this remind us that play is not always neat and tidy. Sometimes learning looks like experimentation, curiosity, collaboration and a very colourful floor. Through opportunities like these, children develop confidence, creativity, communication skills, physical coordination and self expression, all while having enormous fun!
A huge well done to the team at Baltasound Junior High School for creating rich, open ended experiences where children are free to explore, create and follow their own ideas.
We suspect the washing machine will have a busy afternoon! 🎨✨

11/06/2026

A brilliant day was had today on the ! Our wonderful team attended schools across Scotland to support playful activities and to shine a light on the power of play.

📦 Our OPAL Outdoor Play and Learning CIC mentor Zoe had a fantastic afternoon seeing loose parts play unfold, amongst a magic mix of various types of play, extended playtimes, and playful classrooms.

It was amazing to see everyone celebrating today and speaking out about the child's right to play not just today, but everyday.

🤸‍♀️

11/06/2026

🥳 Happy !

Today we're celebrating at Baltasound Junior High School in Shetland, the first school in Scotland to achieve the Play Pedagogy Award.

Across the school, children have been building, creating, drawing, designing, problem-solving, role-playing, playing chess, sharing stories, and exploring their own ideas and interests.

There is no single way to play, and what makes days like this so special is seeing the huge variety of play experiences on offer. Children engage in different ways and develop a wide range of skills through experiences that are meaningful to them. Every space offers opportunities for children to collaborate, communicate, create, and lead their own learning through play.

The International Day of Play is about championing the power of play to support children's health and wellbeing in so many wonderful ways, and we're thrilled to be playing the day away with the children and staff at Baltasound!

📸 Visitors have been treated to appointments at the Baltasound Beauty Salon, complete with hairdressing, nail treatments, massages, and glowing customer reviews.
📸 The Otters Neuk Café has been welcoming customers with food, drinks, and excellent service.
📸 The playwall reflects the children's love and learning of play and their rights

11/06/2026

Happy !

Thank you to all the schools who have registered to celebrate today. We hope you have brilliant plans, and we can’t wait to see what you get up to!

Tag us in your celebrations and use the hashtag above, or email photos you have permission to share to us at [email protected]

🎈 Happy playing! 🤸‍♀️

10/06/2026

Tomorrow is the ! We're so excited to see everyone's celebrations. If you haven't registered yet, please do so via our website to receive a free information pack 👇

We would love to see your plans for tomorrow! Please tag us or email photos you have permission to share to [email protected]

https://www.playscotland.org/international-day-of-play-schools-celebration/