Playtime is often seen as the lighter side of school life, but research shows play is at the heart of how children grow, learn and thrive. In the primary years, the quality of play opportunities can shape a child’s confidence, emotional wellbeing and ability to manage challenges. With thoughtful strategies, schools can transform playtimes into rich learning spaces that build resilience, spark creativity and bring joy to the school day.

Why schools need play strategies

Every child spends a significant proportion of their school day in play. According to Play Wales, this time is far more than a break between lessons: it is an essential part of development where children practise social skills, test boundaries and recharge their focus for learning (Play Wales, 2020).

Yet without a clear strategy, playtime can become a missed opportunity. Many schools report recurring issues such as disputes, accidents, or boredom. These are signs that the environment has not been set up to support their natural drive to play. By adopting a whole-school approach, leaders can create playtimes that are joyful, safe and support children’s development.

A strategy can also help staff feel more confident. When there is no shared vision, supervisors may fall back on limiting rules to keep control, inadvertently restricting children’s opportunities. A clear play strategy empowers staff to support play positively, reducing conflict and making playtime a highlight rather than a headache.

If you are curious about how your own school’s play provision compares, try OPAL’s simple playtime audit tool. It is a quick way to see your strengths and where improvements could be made.

Building resilience through play

Resilience is not taught in a classroom; it is nurtured through repeated experiences of challenge and recovery. Outdoor play provides the perfect setting. When children climb, balance, negotiate rules or resolve conflicts, they are developing coping strategies that carry into every part of their lives.

The Education Endowment Foundation highlights that play-based learning helps children practise problem-solving and perseverance in low-stakes situations (EEF, 2023). A strategy that encourages acceptable risk-taking, such as using loose parts, natural materials or climbing structures, supports resilience by allowing children to face small challenges and succeed.

Practical ideas:

• Introduce a variety of play zones with different levels of challenge.
  
• Adopt an approach to risk management that takes into account the benefits of play as well as the risks.
  
• Use regular reflection circles where children can share what they found tricky and how they overcame it.
  

These approaches help children learn that setbacks are not failures but steps towards growth. Over time, pupils build the confidence to take on new challenges both in and out of the classroom.

Want to see how other schools have embedded resilience through play? Explore OPAL’s case studies and evidence.

Unlocking creativity with free play

Creativity flourishes when children have freedom to explore. Too often, playgrounds are dominated by fixed equipment or narrow rules that limit imagination. A strong play strategy shifts the focus from control to opportunity.

Play Scotland’s national play strategy emphasises the need for environments that inspire exploration and invention (Play Scotland, 2023). Loose parts such as tyres, crates, fabric, or natural items allow children to construct, imagine and collaborate in ever-changing ways. These resources do not dictate play but spark countless possibilities.

Practical ideas:

• Create a rotating stock of loose parts that children can combine in new ways.
  
• Encourage storytelling and role play by offering props such as capes, chalk, or simple costumes.
  
• Celebrate children’s creations, whether it is a den, a performance or an invented game.
  

When schools take creativity seriously at playtime, they often see the benefits ripple into classroom learning. Children who have space to experiment outdoors bring fresh ideas and greater confidence to lessons indoors.

Looking for inspiration? Download OPAL’s free programme brochure and discover how to give children space to imagine, invent and thrive.

Supporting development through thoughtful play design

For some children, playtime is not always joyful. Busy playgrounds, noise and social pressures can create stress or overwhelm. A strong strategy ensures there are spaces for every type of play, active, creative and restful.

The Department of Education in Northern Ireland stresses the importance of inclusive spaces that allow children to self-regulate (DfE NI, 2023). Quiet corners, reading zones, or sensory play areas help children who need downtime to recharge. These are not luxuries but essential parts of a balanced play offer.

Practical ideas:

• Offer activities such as drawing, reading or gentle sensory play.
  
• Train supervisors to spot when a child might need time in a quieter space.
  

Curious about how to design a more inclusive play environment? Book a call with an OPAL mentor to discuss tailored strategies for your school.

The role of staff and school culture

Play strategies do not succeed through playground changes alone. They rely on a shared vision and staff confidence. Lunchtime supervisors, teaching assistants and teachers all need to understand the value of play and feel empowered to support it.

Research from the Centre for Young Lives found that schools that treat play as part of their core culture see stronger outcomes for wellbeing and learning (Centre for Young Lives, 2023). When headteachers and governors commit to embedding play, it becomes a driver of positive behaviour and calmer classrooms.

Practical ideas:

• Provide playwork training sessions for supervisors.
  
• Involve the whole staff team in creating a play policy.
  
• Regularly review and celebrate progress in staff meetings.
  

Staff who feel part of the strategy are more likely to respond positively to challenges, supporting children in ways that enhance play rather than restrict it.

If you want to bring your whole staff team on board, OPAL offers training and mentoring that helps schools build confidence and shared purpose around play.

Listening to children’s voices

Another crucial element of effective play strategies is involving the children themselves. Too often, decisions about play are made without asking the main participants. By consulting pupils, through surveys, play councils or informal chats, schools can design strategies that reflect real needs.

The Institute of Education at UCL notes that children themselves view outdoor play as one of the most valuable and enjoyable parts of their day, yet they often want more variety and freedom (UCL, 2024). Listening to these voices ensures strategies do not just look good on paper but genuinely enrich children’s lives.

Practical ideas:

• Hold regular pupil council meetings focused on play.
  
• Run quick playground surveys asking children what they enjoy and what they would change.
  
• Invite children to help design new play areas or test new resources.
  

When children feel their input shapes playtime, they are more engaged, more cooperative and more invested in making it work.

Want to make children’s voices central to your strategy? OPAL’s programme structure ensures pupil input is heard and valued from day one.

Evidence that strategies work

A growing body of evidence shows that structured approaches to play transform school life. Schools that adopt whole-school play improvement programmes often report reductions in behaviour incidents, improved relationships, and greater teaching time reclaimed after playtimes.

Play is not just a ‘nice to have’, play is a right as set out in Article 31 of the UN Convention on Children’s Rights (UNCRC). This right is championed by international organisations such as UNICEF, who emphasise that play contributes to physical health, emotional wellbeing and social development (UNICEF, 2021). By framing play as a strategic priority, schools not only meet children’s developmental needs but also align with the UNCRC.

How to begin shaping your school play strategy

If your school is ready to improve playtimes, the first step is to treat them as a priority equal to any curriculum subject. Begin by:

• Auditing your current play offer, what spaces, resources and rules are shaping children’s experiences?
  
• Engaging staff, pupils and parents in conversations about what they would like playtime to be.
  
• Developing a play policy that reflects your values and sets clear goals for improvement.
  

Once a strategy is in place, small adjustments can quickly add up to a transformed culture where play is valued and nurtured. Over time, schools see not only happier playtimes but calmer classrooms, stronger relationships and improved learning outcomes.

Ready to start your school’s journey? Take OPAL’s quick Is it right for my school? test to find out.

Call to action: take the next step

If you are inspired to rethink playtimes in your school, there are organisations that can help.

• Explore guidance from Play England and Play Wales for policy and practice insights.
  
• Read about the benefits of whole-school play programmes at OPAL.
  
• Connect with other schools leading the way through play-focused networks and events.
  

Playtime is too important to be left to chance. With a clear strategy, every school can unlock the full potential of its pupils, resilient, creative and happy learners ready to take on the world.