Improving children’s lives through the power of play

We work with schools, communities, and businesses across the North East to give children amazing play opportunities.

About us

Get in touch

An orange and purple Playful Schools character standing next to each other.

What we do

Playful Schools is a platform to bring amazing play to schools across the North East. Whether you’re a primary school headteacher who wants to improve outcomes for your children or you’re a business owner who wants to invest in your local community, this platform is for you.

Find out more

School improvement through play

OPAL North East delivers the award winning school improvement programme to schools across the region.

The Opal logo, which is colourful and represents children playing.

Discover OPAL

Celebrating play across the North East

By sharing play news, advice and guidance from across the region, we inspire schools and their communities to prioritise play.

Explore news and resources

Connecting people to support play

Through projects such as turning business waste into children’s treasure, we help businesses support play in schools.

Find out what you can do

A purple playful schools character.
A green and a pink playful schools character standing next to each other.
A blue playful schools character.

The power of play

The benefits of play are well-documented. Play increases physical activity and improves mental health. It supports children to manage risk and develop social skills. Importantly, play is fun and integral to a happy and healthy childhood. For children with SEND, play can: Increase attention on return to classroom, especially for children with ADHD; Help develop communication, self-regulation, coordination and social skills; Help children to self-regulate, manage emotions and develop resilience. Learn more about how planning for play leads to inclusive playtimes.