Hi, I’m Geordie and I’m a trained playworker. But what is a playworker many wonder? Simply put, the term playworker is used to describe “trained and experienced play advocates who work with children in a respectful and meaningful way using the lightest touch”. In the simplest of terms, playworkers like myself create playspaces in community locations that give children the opportunity to play freely and in their own way. As a playworker, my job is to support children’s play, not direct it. Play is fun, but it can take many forms and sometimes it involves risk and conflict, so it’s also our job to make sure that the children are safe. This involves subtle interventions to redirect play so that the it can continue safely.
AccessPlay operated a Pop-Up Adventure Playground at the Edmonton Downtown Farmers Market since July 1, 2023, until the market closed on January 31, 2024. During our time at the market we hosted more than 300 kids and their parents in our pop-up and the experience was nothing short of magical! Kids know how to play and in our pop-up they recognized right away that the space was made for them to play in and have fun!
Our ultimate goal is to establish permanent Adventure Playground sites in our local area and we’d love the Adventure Playground movement to take hold everywhere!
All the best,
Geordie
