National Playgroup Week celebrated across the country, reminding young and old to play

National Playgroup Week is celebrated annually in Australia, and has been running from 18 – 24 March in 2024. 

The week is a powerful reminder to all Australians of the value of prioritising committed play time, particularly through connecting with others in the community.

“To live fulfilled, enriched lives, we know that life can’t be all work and no play,” Playgroups Australia Chief Executive Officer Patricia O’Donovan said.

“Play benefits us all, at all stages of life,”

“We need to take play seriously, the evidence is continuing to mount, demonstrating how powerful play is at reducing the risk of developmental vulnerabilities in children, and fostering wellbeing and social connections among people of all ages.”

A recent report found that children who attend playgroups have a head start on being developmentally on track across the five Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) domains. 

“Through really committing to play in the group setting, we’re able to nurture structured play-based learning and improve social-emotional development for children, provide the foundations to build social support networks for parents and carers, and contribute to building connected supportive communities,” Ms O’Donovan said.

“For half a century, playgroups have been an integral part of Australia’s early childhood landscape. Playgroups are more than just fun, they are essential for children’s wellbeing and development using the medium of play to deliver high impact outcomes.”

To find a Playgroup in your State or Territory please see here.