Manchester City Council has announced that there will be hundreds of free activities on offer this week across the city to mark National Play Day. Taking place tomorrow (Wednesday 7th August), libraries, leisure centres, parks, play schemes, galleries and other cultural venues in Manchester will all be getting in on the Play Day action with a whole host of different activities for children and young people of all ages.
The right of a child to play is something that is honoured in Article 31 of the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the child. Each year, Play Day sets out to celebrate the importance of play in children’s lives and to highlight the key benefits of play for children’s happiness, health and creativity.
Venues and parks across Manchester will be joining in the Play Day fun on Wednesday with free activities ranging from Lego in libraries to beatboxing in Burnage, or swimming, soft play and skateboarding, to BMX and balance bikes, books and board games, crafting and cricket, marble runs and racquet sports.
Manchester has a long history of delivering innovative play services for the city’s children and young people, with the city’s first recorded play scheme being established as far back as 1913. According to archive reports, one activity involved sand being delivered to main streets to provide children with the chance to experience beach play.
Since those early beginnings Manchester’s play offer continues to expand as the city works with UNICEF on its journey towards becoming a Child Friendly City. And following feedback last year from over 11,000 children and young people, the council has also committed to further increasing free play and recreational opportunities so young people can meet their friends and enjoy themselves in their local area.
What free Play Day activities are taking place in Manchester?
Hundreds of free activities for children of all ages will be on offer across Manchester for National Play Day on August 7, including arts and crafts, free play, den building, team sports, cycling, drumming, a book club, and more. Plus, there are lots more to get involved in at playschemes, libraries, leisure centres, galleries, parks and cultural venues across the city. Here are just some of the highlights:
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Fun & Float Pool Sessions at Arcadia Leisure Centre, Manchester Aquatics Centre and East Manchester Leisure Centre
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Marble Run at Longsight Library and Learning Centre
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Storytelling at Hulme High Street Library
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Blue Peter Book Club: National Play Day Event at Sackville Gardens and Platt Fields Park
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Soft Play at North City Family and Fitness Centre
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BMX sessions at Platt Fields Park
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Grow and plant workshop at Debdale Park
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Lego, games and craft at Beswick Library
Councillor Julie Reid, Executive Member for Early Years, Children and Young People, said: “Anyone who’s been around children will know how much joy children get out of often the simplest of things when they’re let loose to explore the world around them. You don’t have to be an expert to see that playing is fundamental to children’s development. It helps them learn about the world around them, build resilience, make friends, cope with anxiety, and be creative.
“And it’s for all these reasons that we’re determined to do everything we can to provide as many opportunities as possible across the city for children to play and enjoy themselves, not just on national Play Day, but throughout the year – because in Manchester, we want every day to be play day for our children and young people.”
Discover all of the free Play Day activities in Manchester at loadstodo.co.uk.