Welcome to the Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) Outdoor Play Campaign Toolkit for local authorities.

This is your Outdoor Play Campaign Toolkit; it is intended to help you plan, deliver and launch communications activities for the parents of children and young people in relation to your capital build, play refurbishment or pre-existing facilities.

About the campaign

The Outdoor Play campaign's main objective is to help local authorities communicate and engage with parents and local communities on issues relating to outdoor play. A number of materials have been specifically developed to provide strategic communications guidance and practical support when planning, delivering and launching play areas at a local level, while also creating consistency in outdoor play communications across the country.

Find out more about this campaign

The play path

This toolkit recognises the different needs of local authorities, and information has been structured to coincide with your current position on 'the play path'.

By this, we mean the stage you are at in designing and developing new, or refurbished, play areas.

Consultation - When you're finding out what play area facilities local people want, and where they want them located
Planning - The plans for your new or refurbished play areas are being implemented - now you can think about scheduling your campaign communications
Delivery - You'll be focussed on your capital build and project management - and keeping all your stakeholders informed of your outdoor play plans
Launch - It's time to launch your new or refurbished play area - and to promote outdoor play to all your local stakeholders

Throughout this toolkit, you will find ideas, advice, case studies and guidance, plus a range of downloadable materials, all designed to support and inspire you to promote outdoor play in your area.

When it comes to using these guidance materials, we are aware that experience in, and facilities for, developing outdoor play communications varies enormously within and between different local authorities. Whatever your level of communications expertise, we are sure that you will find materials within this toolkit helpful in developing and delivering your Outdoor Play campaigns.

Downloadable resources include: parents' leaflets, posters, a briefing on play, case studies, a photo library, Powerpoint files, additional how to guides and ideas for action.

Click through the play path subsections to access the information most relevant to your needs.