tākaro

play

Play is where children practice life.

Play is essential for children’s cognitive, physical, social and emotional development. It builds fundamental physical literacy, fosters creativity and innovation, and builds ability to identify and manage risk. Play contributes not only to children’s lives but also the wellbeing of their families, whānau and wider community. Play is:

• spontaneous – it will happen anywhere

• freely chosen and self determined

• fun, accessible, challenging, social and repeatable

• for no purpose.

Why is this important?

• Children spend more time in food retail outlets than at structured sport and outdoor recreation locations combined

• 88% of Lower Hutt children do not play every day

• 53% of our local barriers to place are parental fears of traffic, strange people and loose dogs

How we’re increasing play

Play in the Hutt is a partnership between Hutt City Council, Sport NZ and Healthy Families Hutt Valley. Together we have engaged with our communities to better understand their experiences of play in our neighbourhoods. From this engagement we’ve documented our insights and findings in a report, Tākaro to play. The report includes local data, insights from whānau and recommendations about how to make Lower Hutt a city which invites tamariki and rangatahi to play.

We’re taking a broad approach to making our cities more playable. This mahi has been integrated into Healthy active streets and spaces.

Take a look at Hutt City Council’s Active in the Hutt page to find out more about play opportunities in Lower Hutt communities, as well as the work Council is doing to support and empower the Lower Hutt community to understand and appreciate play. 

Imagine if our neighbourhood spaces supported our tamariki to get outside, be active and play.