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Play

Tākaro

Play
Play is one of the four ways Sport NZ supports New Zealanders getting active, alongside physical education, active recreation and sport.

A child’s earliest physical experiences are through play and it’s also where they develop and practice life skills. Play allows children to experience fun, joy and laughter in a way that is important to them.

In the resources below, learn more about Sport NZ's commitment to promoting and advocating on the importance of play for tamariki and Aotearoa New Zealand. See the play principles that help guide our work in partnering and collaborating with others interested in play, and find out how you can encourage play and what to think about when designing spaces for children’s play.

Find out about Māori Play in Aotearoa in Tākaro Māori.

The importance of play

Learn more about Sport NZ's commitment to promoting and advocating on the importance of play for tamariki and Aotearoa New Zealand in these resources about play. See the play principles that help guide our work in partnering and collaborating with others interested in play, and find out how you can encourage play and what to think about when designing spaces for children’s play.

The importance of play
Tākaro Māori

Ka toro atu a Tākaro Māori ki ngā tamariki mā roto i ngā wheako whakangahau e hono ana i a rātou ki ō rātou whakapapa mā te pāhekoheko ki ngā whānau, ki ō rātou hoa, ki te taiao anō hoki.

Tākaro Māori engages tamariki through playful experiences that connects them to their whakapapa through interactions with whānau, friends and the taiao.

Tākaro Māori
Kia Hīanga, Sport NZ Ihi Aotearoa Play Plan 2022-2025

Kia Hīanga, Sport NZ Ihi Aotearoa Play Plan 2022-2025 sets out Sport NZ's bicultural vision for play in Aotearoa New Zealand, with the focus over 2022-2025 on play for tamariki 5–12 years of age in a bicultural context.

E takoto ana i roto i a Kia Hīanga, Te Mahere Tākaro o Ihi Aotearoa 2022-2025 ko te whāinga kākanorua o Ihi Aotearoa mō te tākaro ki Aotearoa, me te aro atu i ngā tau 2022 ki te 2025 ki te tākaro a ngā tamariki e 5-12 ngā tau i roto i tētahi horopaki kākanorua.

Kia Hīanga, Sport NZ Ihi Aotearoa Play Plan 2022-2025
Play stories
Palmy – a PLAYful city

Amazing things can happen when you pair passionate people who share a playful vision for their city and those who are dedicated to advocating for play.

Palmy - A Playful City
Soft play equipment sees neurodiverse tamariki bloom

New soft play equipment at a Far North primary school is helping neurodiverse tamariki to grow in confidence and ability. The students now have a safe space for them to freely express their sensory and energy needs while also supporting their physical, social and emotional development.

Soft play equipment sees neurodiverse tamariki bloom
Play stories from around Aotearoa

See what others around New Zealand are doing to promote play and well-being with tamariki. 

Play initiatives
The Neighbourhood Play System

The Neighbourhood Play System is an exciting approach to urban play design that places the key stakeholder – tamariki – at the centre of the process. Supported by Sport NZ, the Neighbourhood Play System brings together a school or kura, local organisations and community groups who work together to bring to life play projects that suit the needs of their tamariki and communities.

The Neighbourhood Play System
Power of Play

The Power of Play is a regional insights initiative to better understand different communities’ perceptions and experiences of play, and what helps – or hinders – children’s play. Sport NZ partnered with the Innovation Unit to help regions across Aotearoa hear from a diverse range of people in their areas about play. Find out about the findings in six regions across New Zealand.

Power of Play
E-learning: Say yes to play!

Learn about play with new e-learning modules. These new e-learning modules will help parents, caregivers, whānau, community members, teachers, and others able to influence play find out how to inspire more play opportunities around them. Sign up for an account on Sports Tutor and start learning at your own pace. 

Sport Tutor
Play Streets

Play Streets are all about providing a safe environment for children and parents to be active in their neighbourhood through play and engaging socially with their neighbours. They are small, resident-led, local events, held on quiet neighbourhood streets during daylight hours. Temporary vehicle restrictions make it easier for residents to organise their own play street events compared with larger scale events. Find out more and see how you can get involved. 

Play streets
Resources
Play tips and resources

Play is easy! It’s fun and gets tamariki and whānau active and doesn’t have to cost you anything! Take a look around your house, garden and neighbourhood and see what you turn into play. It’s as easy as turning a box into a robot or sliding along the grass on it like a sled. Check out some tips to kick off some creative play ideas.

Play tips and resources

Recommended websites

International Play Association Aotearoa
International Play Association Aotearoa
Recreation Aotearoa
Recreation Aotearoa
Healthy Kids NZ
Healthy Kids NZ
Playful childhoods
Playful childhoods
Active for life
Active for life
Play Australia
Play Australia
Play Wales
Play Wales
International Play Association – Global
International Play Association – Global
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