SAPCA and Play England have joined forces to launch the first-ever National Play Conference in 2026 – a landmark one-day event designed to bring the play sector together at a pivotal moment.
The conference will take place on Friday 9 October 2026 at The Slate, University of Warwick.
The evening before, on Thursday 8 October 2026, the same venue will host the inaugural National Play Awards, celebrating excellence, innovation and achievement across the play sector.
The Slate is a fantastic lakeside venue
The Slate combines award winning contemporary architecture and sustainable design
The Slate was built with sustainability and versatility in mind
The inaugural National Play Conference will bring together the people, places and systems that shape children’s play.
Grounded in Play England’s strategy, “It All Starts with Play!”, the conference will explore how we create the conditions children need to play: places and spaces that welcome play; skills that enable and support play; systems that protect children’s right to play; and a society where play is accepted as a normal part of everyday life.
The conference will connect planning, design, construction and play provision with policy, local government, health, education and community leadership, creating a shared agenda for accessible and inclusive play, so that every child has the time, space, freedom and opportunity to play.
The conference will provide a unique national forum for everyone involved in creating, enabling and advocating for play, from designers, playworkers, contractors, manufacturers and local authorities to educators, playground operators and policymakers.
Through a carefully curated programme of keynote addresses, panel debates and practical learning sessions, the event will explore the most pressing issues shaping play today and into the future.
Confirmed speakers and contributors
- Tom Hayes MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Play.
- Dr Naomi Lott, Lecturer in Law at the University of Reading and Associate Fellow at the University of Oxford’s Bonavero Institute of Human Rights. She will explore how her STAR framework – Space, Time, Acceptance and Rights – can help put children’s right to play into practice.
- Dr Michael Martin, Lecturer in Urban Design and Planning, and Dr Paul Brindley, Senior Lecturer in Landscape Architecture, at the University of Sheffield. They will introduce Playces, the national digital dashboard developed with Play England and SAPCA member Passport365, and explore how spatial evidence can guide investment and tackle inequalities in play provision.
- The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), with a contribution on the £18 million Playground Fund and the role of play in the National Planning Policy Framework.
Amber Ogunsanya-William and Oscar will host the day, bringing together the programme’s conversations on policy, evidence and practice.
Discussions will span the political landscape around play, wellbeing and public health, as well as topical issues such as adventure playgrounds, the ongoing challenge of getting children more physically active, the realities of the current planning climate and funding issues.
The event will also act as a showcase for the latest innovations that are redefining how play spaces are designed, delivered and experienced.
With insight, inspiration and practical takeaways at its core, the National Play Conference aims to inform, challenge and connect the entire play community.
For anyone working in, or alongside, the UK play sector, the National Play Conference will be an essential date in the diary.
Accommodation Booking Information
Accommodation at Radcliffe, Warwick Conferences for Thursday 8 October 2026 is now sold out.
If you still require overnight accommodation, please see the list of alternative hotels nearby using the link below. Please contact your chosen hotel directly to check availability, confirm rates and make your booking.
