Sport Canterbury’s new play trailer is ready for action and available to help communities activate play, and engage and inspire people of all ages to connect as a whānau.

From balls, to tug ‘o’ war ropes, mini stilts, to frisbees, hula hoops, to chalk, and loose parts, the hope is that there is something in there to meet a wide range of play needs.

Play Systems Innovator Adam Gard’ner has a mission as part of the Healthy Families Ōtautahi team: It’s about empowering and enabling a play centric city that supports healthy people and places.

“Play can support towards well people and places.  It is important that we support communities that value play. The play trailer can be a resource that can hopefully contribute towards this.”

The project has been a collaborative effort between Healthy Families Ōtautahi and the wider Sport Canterbury team. The trailer itself is a repurposed Sport Canterbury trailer previously used by the Trust for other purposes. 

The purpose of its development is about supporting communities as they provide time, place and permission for play to occur in their neighbourhoods and communities. It is not only an enabler of play, but also an ‘insights tool’ for play.

The name has been gifted to the play trailer by Puamiria Parata-Goodall from Te Pākura Ltd. Puamiria has a lead role in naming many places and buildings throughout Canterbury on behalf of different rūnanga. The name is Poipoia! Time to Play. Additional background to the naming includes:
Poipoia te kākano kia puāwai
Nurture the seed and it will blossom

As part of Biketober, the trailer was utilised at two local events already – in mid-October and Labour Day Monday.

For the future, the trailer will be bookable - there is currently no fee to hire it (except for missing or damaged equipment or damaged play trailer), instead, we ask the following of the individual(s)/organisation hiring the play trailer to help develop the story of positive impact for play:

- An additional item is to be added to the play trailer (this could be a safe loose parts play piece or a more conventional piece of sports equipment).
- The individual(s)/organisation takes a photo in front of the play trailer with the additional play piece they are gifting to the play trailer.
- The individual(s)/organisation writes a short blurb of their experience using the play trailer and an insight on play/example of positive impact that has resulted through use of the play trailer.

Please contact Sport Canterbury via e-mail to make any play trailer enquiries -  sport@sportcanterbury.org.nz
 

Article added: Monday 09 November 2020