The Exeter Play Development Service

What is Play?

Here at Exeter City Council, we believe that Play is a biological, physiological and social necessity that is freely chosen, personally directed and intrinsically motivated. That is, children and young people need play to determine and explore their own instincts, ideas, hearts and minds. The Play Development Service supports this by delivering high quality play provision that provides opportunities, support, education and development for children, families and young people in Exeter.

Why Play?

Every time children engage in a play activity, they are discovering something new. Play is crucial to a child as it is through Play (as well as formal education) that children will develop to their full potential - socially, physically, intellectually, creatively, culturally and emotionally. Play allows children to learn through first hand experience, by doing they gain understanding. Through play children learn what no one else can teach them.

Play is not merely a way of passing time, a leisure activity, as many people see it - it is the way in which children learn about life.

What does 'Free Play' mean?

The Exeter City Council Play Development Team believes that the most important characteristic of Play is to make it FREELY CHOSEN. Therefore we ensure that children engage in our free play because he or she wants to, directing his or her own behaviour. A child at play is in control of what he or she does and who with. He or she may adapt their behaviour whenever he or she wishes and this will help the child learn more about new experiences that they discover in their play.

Meet the Play Development Team