Real Play Coalition – Expanding the Partnership for Play

This networking event aims to launch the Real Play Coalition (RPC) new partnership model, developed to catalyze play in collaboration with new organizations committed to play, to drive sustainable development, and to foster children’s well-being and development. The RPC’s core members are LEGO Foundation, Arup, National Geographic, IKEA and Unicef, which came together, and have joined resources, skills, and knowledge, as we believe in the power of play as a critical element for children’s well-being and happiness, as well as for their healthy physical and emotional growth. Guided by a collective knowledge sharing and impact driven approach, the Coalition aims to expand their membership’s network and bring together organisations that are committed to play, and work towards the vision of environments that are more playful, and responsive to the needs of and the challenges facing children and youth. The event will invite participants to explore the role of play in driving sustainable change and innovation in cities. RPC will present their latest work and research findings, including their publication on “Nature-based Play”, developed with Play Scotland and the University of Glasgow, along with city authorities and organisations globally; and their new “Real Play Design Guide”, developed in collaboration with Catalytic Action and PlacemakingX. This will be followed by a workshop to present the RPC new partnership model, and to debate and brainstorm the role of partnerships, co-creation and multi-stakeholder initiatives to catalyse play in cities. The event will provide the opportunity for stakeholders to connect, share knowledge and ideas, and discuss principles of a common framework on how to collaborate in the future. This could include: co-development of common targets, indicators and measurement tools, joint research, advocacy, and specific play-focused initiatives in specific cities or countries. The long-term aim is to establish a global platform for civil society actors, the private sector, researchers, practitioners and child and youth organizations working to make cities more playful and fit for children and youth, with benefits for the wider society and the planet. Interested organisations would be given/sign up to receive an application form to submit a formal application to the RPC. After the WUF, the Coalition’s secretariat would review the applications and some organisations would be selected. Event structure: • Introduction to RPC new partnership model, and thinking behind taking a more collective knowledge sharing and impact driven approach. • Launch of Real Play Design Guide and Nature-based Play Publication. • Workshop to take pulse and document foundational principles, and potential areas of networking and collaboration. Participants will share how their work relates to play, children and youth, what they could benefit from a network and what they could contribute. • Closing remarks.