About Us | Play Matters Collective WA

ABOUT PLAY MATTERS COLLECTIVE

Here's who we are!

The Play Matters Collective (PMC) is an affiliation of organisations and individuals with a shared vision to ensure children’s and young people’s right to play is supported across all levels of the WA community.

It is based on the principle of using collaboration in the pursuit of positive change and seeks to work with all levels of the community with an interest in supporting children’s need, and right, to play.

Our Value Statement

Play is critical for our wellbeing and lays a strong foundation for healthy growth across all developmental domains including physical, social, emotional, creative, language, cognitive and cultural.

Opportunities for child-initiated, self-directed play are important throughout childhood and adolescence. Play is a fundamental human right, enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (United Nations, 1989) and we owe it to all children and young people to make it a priority in every aspect of their lives.

Statement of Intent

The Play Matters Collective will elevate the status of play and work toward the creation of a WA Play Strategy to ensure all children and young people have access to play opportunities that promote wellbeing and healthy development.

The Collective will achieve this outcome by:

1. Creating the WA Play Charter that establishes principles which can underpin a WA Play Strategy.

2. Building a community of support for the WA Play Charter.

3. Working with Government to leverage support for the Play Charter into the creation of a WA Play Strategy.

4. Serving as a networking body and a reference group for the play sector.

History of the Play Matters Collective Initiative

This project began as an initiative of Early Childhood Australia WA to protect the place of play in early childhood education.

In collaboration with Play Australia, Nature Play WA and the Commissioner for Children and Young People, two open forums were held with participation from collaborators in the broader play/early childhood sector.

Through those forums the PMC mission grew to incorporate the broader nature of play beyond just the early years.

A series of meetings with the Commissioner of Children and Young People (CCYP) have been held to drive the PMC agenda further.

The CCYP drafted Terms of Reference for the Play Matters Collective. A steering committee has been formed to create a draft framework with support and guidance from the CCYP.