OPAL

OPAL - The Power of Playtime

We are delighted to be part of a programme designed to enhance opportunities for physical activity, social interaction, cooperation, coordination, resilience, creativity, imagination, and—most importantly—enjoyment through better play.

Today, children often lack the freedoms their parents once had, so our goal is to give them back time to truly enjoy and learn through play—because play is a basic human right.

The Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) Primary Programme is the result of over 20 years of research and development, tested in more than 800 schools across countries including Spain, Canada, France, and New Zealand. It has also been adapted for schools in Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Austria through the Play Friendly Schools project. OPAL has received major recognition: in 2018, it won an EU award for Europe’s best active schools programme and two UK national playwork awards. In 2019, Sport England invested £250,000 to expand OPAL to more schools.

OPAL is built on the principle that children learn not only through teaching but also through play. Since playtime makes up 20% of the school day—equivalent to 1.4 years of primary school—we want to ensure this time is as valuable as possible.

One reason we’re introducing this programme is that childhood has changed, and many children no longer have their play needs met outside school. This includes:

• Average screen time per day is six hours.

• Average outdoor play time per week is five hours.

• Percentage of UK children who only play outdoors with other children at school is 56%.

Play is not just “messing about.” It’s nature’s way of helping children learn the things that can’t be taught in a classroom—while having fun! For play to happen, children need a few essentials:

• Clothes they can move and play in

• Things to play with

• A certain amount of freedom

As we continue to work on improvements with play opportunities at school, we might ask for resources, and children will start using more of the school grounds throughout the year. They may get a little messier, face more challenges, and enjoy greater freedom to choose where, how, and with whom they play. These experiences are vital for children’s physical and mental wellbeing and fully align with current best practice in health, safety, and child development.