PLAY in Upper Hutt
Play is essential to healthy brain development and enables children to interact in the world around them. Play allows children to experience fun, joy and laughter in a way that is important to them. It’s also where they can practice life skills while developing imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength.
PLAY Week Aotearoa 6 - 12 November 2023
The theme for this year is Play is Everywhere, and Activation has collated a resource pack of ideas for you to Play at home, at school or in the Upper Hutt region. You can find these on our website and Facebook page.
Play Week Aotearoa 2023 promotes the importance of play for everyone – tamariki, whānau and communities – across Aotearoa New Zealand. Play can positively influence a young person’s resilience and wellbeing. We’re encouraging everyone across Upper Hutt to find play, it’s everywhere. Whatever you have nearby – a box, a hose, a tree – then you’ve got play!
Activation has created some Idea Cards for tamariki in Upper Hutt as well as some ways to play outdoors, download them below
Ideas card #1(PDF, 303KB)
Ideas card #2(PDF, 327KB)
Ideas card #3(PDF, 302KB)
Ways to play outside poster(PDF, 176KB)
For some other ideas on where what or how to play, check out the links below
Play at home
Local parks and outdoor spaces
Adventure and Junk play
Takaro play
Everywhere play
The positive benefits of play include:
- Being physically active in a fun way that develops fundamental movement skills
- Encouraging self-directed creativity and innovation
- Improving social and emotional connection
- Improving a young person’s understanding of their relationship with the physical environment
- Improving resilience, independence and leadership by determining their own outcomes
- Aiding better decision-making based around elements of challenge and risk.
More information about the benefits of Play is available on the Sport New Zealand website.
Activation are dedicated to bringing you activities, adventures, events and information about Play in our Region.
Follow Activation on Facebook for regular updates