YES Ball Games - why playing out is important for children's sport

Do you want to help your child or children to be more physically active and enjoy sport? Do you want to increase participation, inclusion and diversity in sport, or even find new talent? If so, we hope this webinar will offer a useful perspective for you. We look at why opportunities for outdoor free play are important, how things used to be and how they are now, and why all No Ball Games signs should be removed!

Thursday 13th July 2023. Click here for the full recording.

Impact of play streets on Active Travel

Playing Out talked to Olympic Gold Medallist, Chair of Sport England and the first Active Travel Commissioner for England, Chris Boardman MBE.

Wednesday 23rd February 2022. Click here for the full recording.

We have also transcribed Chris Boardman’s top points and published them here for a quick read!

Impact of play streets on Physical Activity

Playing Out talked to GP and leading expert on active lifestyles Dr William Bird MBE, founder of Green Gym and seen on BBC Breakfast, about how active environments and specifically play streets contribute towards his chosen philosophy ‘prevention is the best medicine’.

Thursday 13 January 2022. Click here for the full recording

We have also transcribed William Bird’s top points about play streets and published them here for a quick read!

Impact of play streets on Community Building

The first in our Impact series of webinars featured a conversation with Kim Leadbeater MP, sister of the late Jo Cox, in which she shared her memories of playing out as a child, and we presented the results of our 2021 survey demonstrating how play streets positively impact the strength of communities

Thursday 9 December 2021. Click here for the full recording

Playing Out meets George Monbiot

Playing Out in conversation with writer and activist George Monbiot
Our co-directors and George Monbiot discuss children’s freedom to play, access to space, safer streets, environmental challenges and the importance of collective community action.

Thursday 8 October 2020. Click here for the full recording.

Click here to read reflections on the webinar by researcher Dr Wendy Russell.

Residents' Webinar - play streets and street parties

Do you want to help children play outside safely where you live? Watch this webinar (link to be uploaded soon) to be encouraged, informed and inspired to start changing things for children and community where you live.

Tuesday 28th March 2023. Click here for the full recording.

We are grateful to Sport England for funding us to deliver this webinar.

Play streets for Community Development

Does your work involve supporting communities, particularly those facing greater disadvantage? Watch this short, informal webinar to learn how play streets/playing out can be an empowering community development tool.

Wednesday 15th March 2023. Click here for the full recording.

We are grateful to Sport England for funding us to deliver this webinar.

Play streets for councils

Are you a council officer or Councillor wanting to support play streets? Watch this short, informal webinar to find out how!

Thursday 2nd March 2023. Click here for the full recording.

We are grateful to Sport England for funding us to deliver this webinar.

For parents and residents: How to get started

Interested in organising a play street or street party, but don’t know where to start? Watch our fun, informal webinar where we talked about how (and why!) to go about it.

Click here for the full recording.

Lots more info on how to organise a play street/playing out session here.

Resident workshop

With the friendly team at Playing Out and other parent/ resident play street organisers. 
Learn how to run a play street from start to finish from the comfort of your living room!

Click here for the full recording

Originally broadcast: Saturday 11 July 2020

Supporting residents to run play streets

For councils, community organisations and local activators: How to support residents to make play streets happen in an open and inclusive way, especially where people face disadvantage or other challenges.

Click here for the full recording.

Originally broadcast: Tuesday 4 May 2021

Councils: Get your play street policy right for residents

Q&A with Leeds Council Senior Engineer Gary Pritchard
How can councils ensure their play street policy is simple, accessible and supportive for residents?

Click here for the full recording.

Originally broadcast: Thursday 18 June 2020

How to promote play streets locally

With resident activators from Play.Meet.Street in North Tyneside and Playing Out.
How can you best promote play streets to reach parents and other residents across your local authority?

Click here for the full recording

Originally broadcast: Thursday 25 June 2020

Making streets safer now and for the future

Could the reduction in road traffic during covid lockdowns be an opportunity for longer-term change around streets? With speakers from Lambeth Council, Sustrans, Newcastle University, Cycling UK & Playing Out

Click here for the full recording

Originally broadcast: Tuesday 5 May 2020

Play streets for covid recovery

Find out why play streets are especially needed for children’s health, wellbeing and a positive community-focussed recovery post-covid. This webinar is for councils, community organisations and activists.

Click here for the full recording.

Originally broadcast: Thursday 25 March 2021

Play Streets and School Streets: Why, when and how?

Click here for the full recording

Monday 8 June 2020
With speakers from Sustrans and local authority partners; Tameside, Leeds and Southampton

Q&A document here

Managing streets during lockdown

Our co-director Alice spoke at this webinar organised by Urban Design London, click here to watch the full recording.

Friday 15 May 2020

Other speakers included Dan Johnson (Placemaking), Dinah Bornat (ZCD Architects) and John Allison (StreetGym)