The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Play is a cross-party group of MPs and Peers working in Parliament to champion all children’s right to play.
Play is essential for childhood. It supports children’s health, wellbeing, development, and rights — yet its importance is often overlooked in national policy, planning, and decision-making.
The APPG on Play provides a dedicated forum in Parliament to change that — promoting the value of play, protecting play spaces, and ensuring all children, in all communities, can play freely every day.
The group brings together parliamentarians, experts, charities, and children themselves to drive action, influence policy, and help embed play in public life.
Play England is proud to have co-founded the new APPG on Play, working in Parliament to champion children’s right to play. Play England also provides the Secretariat for the APPG.
The inaugural meeting (AGM) of the APPG will take place on Tuesday 22 July 2025 at Portcullis House in Westminster.
At the meeting, members will:
- Elect officers to lead the APPG
- Hear an overview of the history and impact of the first APPG on Play (which ran between c.2005–2010), including its contribution to securing the 2008 National Play Strategy
- Hear an overview of Play England’s new 10-year strategy, It All Starts with Play! (2025–2035), launched at the House of Commons in May
- Shape priorities for future APPG meetings and activity
Tom Hayes MP, Chair-elect of the APPG, said: “Play is essential for every child’s development, health, and wellbeing. But it is too often ignored in policy decisions. The APPG on Play will change that — working in Parliament to champion all children’s right to play and to ensure play is prioritised in communities and national decision-making.”
