If you have fond childhood memories of playing, and haven’t yet filled in a ‘play memories’ questionnaire, then Flintshire County Council’s Play Unit would still love to hear from you.
The Play Unit has been carrying out a 12 month campaign, aimed at raising the profile and understanding of children’s play. People of all ages across Flintshire have already filled in questionnaires, re-living their play experiences and memories from when they were children.
The ‘play memories’ questionnaire, published by the Play Unit, is aimed at helping prompt people’s memories of playing experiences. The information collected will enable comparisons to be drawn between the games played, level of freedom enjoyed and play experiences. It’s also hoped that the responses will give a clear understanding of the changes in play activities and the increasing need for play provision in modern communities.
Janet Roberts, Play Development Officer, said:
“We have had an amazing response from Flintshire residents – 450 people have already completed our questionnaires, so thank you to those who have taken so much time and effort! It really seems to have ‘touched a nerve’ with people who have spent time writing and sharing some great stories about how enriched their lives were by having the freedom to play and interact without adult supervision and with their friends.
“We’re ‘open’ for responses until the end of the year, and we’re still looking for a wide variety of stories – you can tell us generally about what playing was like for you as a child or share a specific story about an individual adventure you had whilst playing. We want to know where you played, how you played and who you played with.
“Our aim is to highlight how previous generations valued play and also to demonstrate how perceptions of children’s play have changed.”
A full evaluation of the questionnaires will be undertaken as a valuable piece of social history in Flintshire.
The Play Memories questionnaire can be found online at www.flintshire.gov.uk by searching for ‘play memories’. Alternatively, complete a ‘Play Memories’ postcard which can be found in Flintshire libraries, hospitals, doctors, and community centres, or contact Janet Roberts via email [email protected] or on 01352 702456.
