Championing the right to play for children & young people AGE 0-19 in Oxfordshire
OXFORDSHIRE PLAY ASSOCIATION
Do you remember the
cardboard box that was
a boat ...
or a castle ...
or a spaceship?
Playing is magic for all ages -
it excites, inspires, develops, challenges, raises confidence and, above all, it makes us feel happy and it's good for our physical
and mental wellbeing. The United Nations states that children and young people have a right to play.
If children do not play,
it can have severe consequences for their physical and mental health, behaviour and wellbeing.
Oxfordshire Play Association champions the right of all children and young people aged 0-19 to have access to high quality, inclusive play opportunities in Oxfordshire, including Oxford City, Cherwell, West Oxfordshire, Vale of the White Horse and South Oxfordshire.
Contact OPA about play, playwork, playing, playfulness and any aspect of play in Oxfordshire.
Tel 01865 779474; Email enquiries@oxonplay.org.uk
Contact OPA:
01865 779474
enquiries@oxonplay.org.uk
or by pigeon.
More clicky
buttons
Play Idea of the Week (ish)...
Melted Wax Patterns
Use your old wax crayons to make melted wax pics. Use a pencil sharpener to make shavings of wax in different colours. Put some onto paper, place another piece of paper on top and iron to melt the wax (children love doing this themselves with supervision).
Use a maximum of 4 colours for each picture, as too many collours can turn murky brown!
Previous 'Play Ideas' are saved under 'Play resources' - 'OPA Playful Ideas'.
PLAY SIGNS for sale - only £8 each
(£10 incl P&P). Buy a sign to promote play!
Call OPA on
01865 779474.
“It is paradoxical that many educators and parents still differentiate between a time for learning and a time for play without seeing the vital connection between them.”
L.F. Buscaglia
"If you didn't play, there would be no point in getting out of bed."
Oxfordshire child, age 10
"Creative play is like a spring that bubbles up from deep within a child."
Joan Almon
"It is becoming increasingly clear through research on the brain as well as in other areas of study, that childhood needs play. Play acts as a forward feed mechanism into courageous, creative, rigorous thinking in adulthood."
Tina Bruce
“In play, a child is always above their average age; in play, it is as though the child were trying to jump above the level of their normal behaviour.”
Lev Vygotsky
More quotes on PLAY are available on the 'Play Resources' page.
Oxfordshire Play Association wishes to thank all our generous sponsors:
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Your Comments!
Hi was just having a wee look at your website for inspiration , it is so clourful. Glad you are going well and flying the flag fro Play. May the year of the Dragon be a good one for OPA.
Hello, we are really pleased that you can get some good play ideas from the OPA website. If you would like any further ideas, or want to discuss any aspect of increasing play for all ages in Kuala Lumpur, do just email us on jane.gallagher@oxonplay.org.uk. Best wishes, Jane, OPA Play Development Officer
we really love to get our kids to be involved in these play activities. but sadly my family lives in Kuala Lumpur where we cud not find any similar activities being organised or planned here.. nonetheless your website gives lots of ideas on how i cud plan something for my kids...thank you.
If you find any broken links on this OPA website, I would be very grateful if you could let me know. Tel 01865 779474, or email jane.gallagher@oxonplay.org.uk. THanks!
Just having a look through the site again this morning and it gets better and better. You are doing a fantasic job. If it weren't for the fact that you are such a fantastic Play Development person I would say you had missed your vocation. Any Play or other children or Young Person's organisation who needs a website built for them ASK JANE!!! She is Brill! And it will cost you a fraction of the normal cost.
As an ex Teaching Assiatant I used to hate lunch duty where I felt as if I was contsantly telling children what they were not to do ,rather than letting them have free play and observe what they could do. Our job is to enable children to play.This tool is incrediblely simple aand so effective !!!!!!
very interesting video on play gets a lot over in a little time. Just such an alive website , wish ours was too !!
What a fantastic informative,inspirational website.Great to see OPA back to its best!!!!
Having worked with OPA yonks ago i am delighted to see that it is in full swing, just as it should be, marvellous website representing marvellous things.
Wow, what a difference to your website, full of so much information regarding Play, What great support to us Play Leaders. Keep up the great work.
I am soooooo...impressed Jane did this web site herself. Her skills are fantastic!!!
I really like this , love your quotes and strong statements about the importance of play.
Great Stuff. Well done!
What a fabulous new website. Well done OPA. Don't forget that OPA members get discount prices at Orinoco - The Oxfordshire Scrapstore.
Well done, it looks great with lots of information