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    • The Next Play Ranger / Outdoor Setting meeting – 26th May Thank You! I wanted to take a moment to say a massive thank you to everyone who joined our recent informal chat about outdoor play. It was truly wonderful to hear your insights, challenges, and triumphs. From discussing appropriate rope for ziplines (not climbing rope!) to sharing our struggles with the recent Scottish weather (and the weather that's yet to come), it was great to see how passionate we all are about promoting play in outdoor settings. Thank you also to those who shared links and resources during the chat. For anyone who missed them, here they are again: • Animated Knots: https://www.animatedknots.com/ • The Play Ranger group and forum: https://engage.smartplaynetwork.org/groups/the-play-ranger-group/ • #Playchat on 26th April @ 10:30am: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwrduyhpjIrGtFvqj9inA1qj5abbUqa_cmz • All Weather Play Training in Edinburgh on 23rd March: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/all-weather-play-tickets-557784818407 Also - The fabulous pictures of kids playing in Tyneside from the 70's I believe: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/history/gallery/tyneside-children-playing-outdoors-10-24678051 We're keen to grow this meeting and host another soon, so please do keep an eye out for a discussion thread on https://engage.smartplaynetwork.org. And if there's anything we can do to support, share, or promote your play initiatives, please drop us a line. I have scheduled the next online meeting for 11:00, Fri 26th May: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0qceivrjojGdxslywWnYxZ6dwlojTvfET2 Thanks again for your time, ideas, and enthusiasm. Let's keep championing outdoor play! Best regards, James

      Started by: James Coupe in: Outdoor Play Settings including Play Rangers

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    • 3 months ago

      James Coupe

    • Play Rangers Networking Meeting Smart Play Network would like to organise an online networking meeting for anyone involved in a Play Ranger group.  It would be an opportunity to have an informal chat with others who do a similar work, allowing you to be able to share any challenges or ask questions.  We have found this to be such a benefit in the past and keen to re-start the group again.  Please let us know any days or times that work best so we can factor this into our planning.

      Started by: Sharon Smith in: Outdoor Play Settings including Play Rangers

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    • 3 months ago

      James Coupe

    • Plastic Bags Storage / Feb Network Meeting Hi, As mentioned on the February Networking meeting - we talked briefly about storage and clear plastic bags. Here's Ann-Marie sharing an example of what the plastic bags look like: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=770322197553586&extid=NS-UNK-UNK-UNK-IOS_GK0T-GK1C&mibextid=2Rb1fB&ref=sharing We'd love to hear of any smart storage solutions that anyone may be using.... What do you use? Share some below

      Started by: James Coupe in: Toy Library Group

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    • 3 months ago

      James Coupe

    • Cataloguing & Toy Libraries At our February Networking Meeting we discussed about different cataloguing systems.  Here's some links to different toy library cataloguing systems to give people an ideas.  If you are using a different cataloguing system that is working well, please share it in the comments as it's good to learn from one another. https://libcat.renfrewshire.gov.uk/iguana/www.main.cls?p=13961a65-033a-4fdd-b6b1-cd91360ede1d&v=dbd2f500-fdf3-4bd3-9595-bf8f03377225 https://www.derbyshiretoylibraries.org/shop/ http://playplustoylibrary.lend-engine-app.com/ https://www.lend-engine.com/

      Started by: James Coupe in: Toy Library Group

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    • 3 months, 1 week ago

      James Coupe

    • Funding for Toy Libraries Here's a useful list of links that might be a good starting point if you are looking for funding.  If you come across any others, please feel free to share and add to it. https://www.asdafoundation.org/foundation-grants   https://tescocommunitygrants.org.uk/   https://www.morrisonsfoundation.com/grant-funding-request/ https://causes.coop.co.uk/  https://www.kfc.co.uk/kfc-foundation-community-grants?fbclid=IwAR25g1ZUASue0snEC-IYwahFFFQciDb4-Qv0mUYwT5EeIp1PAtnu3FMcsHo https://stirlingboaroundtable.co.uk/grants/ https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/programmes/grants-for-community-led-activity https://www.foundationscotland.org.uk/apply-for-funding/funding-available/baillie-gifford-community-awards https://www.bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/grants/apply/https://funding.scot/ 

      Started by: James Coupe in: Toy Library Group

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    • 3 months, 1 week ago

      James Coupe

    • Unlocking the Funding Puzzle: A Forum on Finding the Right Funding for Your Grou Funding is always a topic that we find many groups are interested in hearing more about it.  There are lots of different funding options that groups can apply for.  It really depends on the group set up and what you are looking to fund to know which one is right for you.  I have shared a few links below that might be helpful as they are funding directories providing a list of many options: https://funding.scot/ https://www.youthlinkscotland.org/funding/funding-directory/ https://www.communityscot.org.uk/resources/grow/funding For small amounts of funding National Lottery, Awards for All and local supermarket funds are good starting points. It would be good to hear from others on how your projects are funded.

      Started by: James Coupe in: After/Out of School Group

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    • 4 months, 1 week ago

      James Coupe

    • Exploring the Potential of Loose Parts in Afterschool Clubs: Share Your Experien Happy New Year! At our last #Playchat there was some discussion around loose parts and how it could work for afterschool clubs.  Some groups already use loose parts and others have not come across the concept.  Below are some links that help explain the thoughts behind loose parts. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/smart-play-network_loosepartsplay-naturalplay-creativeplay-activity-7018943750764646401-scbp?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop https://www.smartplaynetwork.org/_files/ugd/33d2a7_fcc7412aa907445182ed93437d5d2a71.pdf http://www.inspiringscotland.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Loose-Parts-Play-web.pdf #Playchat It would be great to hear about others thoughts on how loose parts help in your settings or if you have come across any challenges using them.

      Started by: James Coupe in: After/Out of School Group

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    • 4 months, 1 week ago

      James Coupe

    • 🎉 Welcome to the After/Out of School discussion group! 🤔💬 We are thrilled to have you here as a part of our community. This forum is a place for you to ask questions, share queries, and exchange information and best practices with others. 💡🧑‍💻 Feel free to share any relevant information that you think other groups might be interested in. Let's make this a productive and engaging space for all of us to learn and grow together. 🌱🌟 Let's get the conversation started! 🗣️🤗" Title: "🚀 Join the Exciting After/Out of School Discussion Group! 🚀 #Questions #BestPractices #InformationSharing #CareerAdvice #AcademicSupport #Networking #CommunityBuilding #SuccessStories #ChallengesandSolutions #Opportunities

      Started by: James Coupe in: After/Out of School Group

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    • 4 months, 2 weeks ago

      James Coupe

    • Play and Mobile Phones I recently attended a webinar where we saw a presentation from Dr Chris Martin who had recently completed his thesis on play and technology.  I found it interesting, but did not necessarily agree on all he said.  For example, he spoke of an observation within an adventure playground where two girls were filming each other climbing a tree.  The girls were later witnessed reviewing the footage, laughing and generally having fun together with their phones and footage – it was suggested that this was just an extension of the tree climbing and that the phones were another play tool.  I then read today that a school cluster in Seattle USA had launched a law suit against some of the major social media platforms such as Tik Tok, claiming their children’s education was suffering due to social media pressure which was leading to poor mental health and online addiction.  My guess is that they are both not 100% correct.  It would be great to hear peoples views on play and technology and in particular phones – are they hindering play, are they being used as an extension for play, or are the affects of being drawn in to engage by algorithms and peer pressure not only leaving less time for play, but causing poor mental health and wellbeing?

      Started by: Lesley Fox in: #PlayChat

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    • 4 months, 2 weeks ago

      Megan Purvis-O’Gorman

    • Play and Mobile Phones I recently attended a webinar where we saw a presentation from Dr Chris Martin who had recently completed his thesis on play and technology.  I found it interesting, but did not necessarily agree on all he said.  For example, he spoke of an observation within an adventure playground where two girls were filming each other climbing a tree.  The girls were later witnessed reviewing the footage, laughing and generally having fun together with their phones and footage - it was suggested that this was just an extension of the tree climbing and that the phones were another play tool.  I then read today that a school cluster in Seattle USA had launched a law suit against some of the major social media platforms such as Tik Tok, claiming their children's education was suffering due to social media pressure which was leading to poor mental health and online addiction.  My guess is that they are both not 100% correct.  It would be great to hear peoples views on play and technology and in particular phones - are they hindering play, are they being used as an extension for play, or are the affects of being drawn in to engage by algorithms and peer pressure not only leaving less time for play, but causing poor mental health and wellbeing?

      Started by: Lesley Fox in: Toy Library Group

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    • 4 months, 3 weeks ago

      Lesley Fox

    • February Networking Meeting Happy New Year! I'm really looking forward to our online meeting on the 23rd February to hear how everything is going with your projects.  At our next meeting we are going to have focused discussion on funding and cataloguing - if you have any particular questions or thoughts please let us know on this thread. Our Play Plus Toy Library is currently funded by Edinburgh City Council and have been for many years.  We have also implemented a new online cataloguing system, Lend Engine.  It's working really well for the project and very use friendly for both staff and families.

      Started by: Sharon Smith in: Toy Library Group

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    • 4 months, 3 weeks ago

      Sharon Smith

    • Join the #Playchat Community: Free Online Chat Session on Wednesday 1st Feb! Hey play pros! 🎉 Are you looking for a fun and informal way to connect with other play professionals in Scotland? Well, look no further because #Playchat is here! 🤗 We're excited to announce that we'll be hosting an online chat session on Wednesday 1st Feb from 11.30-12.30. It's completely FREE to join and a great opportunity to share ideas and network with like-minded individuals. 💡 You can register for the chat here: https://bit.ly/3DBfyBA But that's not all, we've got plenty of other resources available for you to check out too! We've got groups, forums, e-learning courses, in-person training, and even a podcast! 🎧 Check out the links below for more information: Groups: http://engage.smartplaynetwork.org/groups/ Forums - Welcome and Introductions: https://bit.ly/3jYLdIv E-Learning Courses: New Course - Little Explorers: https://bit.ly/3GVjrWp All Weather Play: https://bit.ly/3iAXvXh Course Waiting List for Externals: https://bit.ly/3GxEQnf Coming soon - Carbon Literacy In-Person Training: https://www.smartplaynetwork.org/training-courses Podcast: https://spoti.fi/3nFpRyp Hope to see you all at #Playchat! 🤗 #PlayInspiration, #PlayProTips, #PlayCommunity, #PlayInnovations, #PlayConnect, #PlayEducation, #PlayDesign, #PlayNetworking, #PlayLeadership, #PlayCollaboration, #PlayCommunityBuilding, #PlayEmpowerment, #PlayAdventure, #PlayCreativity, #PlayConnection,

      Started by: James Coupe in: #PlayChat

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    • 4 months, 3 weeks ago

      James Coupe

    • #PlayChat details Hi All, For those needing the link to register for #Playchat or any future #Playchat, here it is: https://bit.ly/3DBfyBA @aimeehunt, @ellie-swanston, @deborahmcleod, @cristian-nemeti-baba - Any of the following people may be able to help should you have any questions or trouble registering :-) Excited to see you all on #Playchat #networking #informal # online #chat

      Started by: James Coupe in: #PlayChat

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    • 1
    • 8 months ago

      James Coupe

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