What if play wasn’t just something that happens at break time, but a way of thinking? What if it could make our homes feel happier, our schools more creative, and our streets more welcoming?

PLAY FULL is a creative project led by artists Mimi Dearing (Get It Done) and Emma Martin (Building the Bridge) in partnership with Save the Children UK. In this extremely rich creative project, over the past year we have been working with Year 5 pupils from three primary schools in Longsight, Manchester, finding out how play can make life better for children; at home, at school, and in their communities.

The PLAY FULL project had five aims:

• To champion artistic co-creation, where pupils led their own ideas and shaped how play could come to life in their schools.

• To support youth-led research, giving children the tools to explore the barriers and benefits of play in their worlds.

• To build community connection through cross-generationaland cross-cultural play activities, and shared public celebrations.

• To activate local public spaces like parks and markets through play, transforming them into safe, lively hubs that inspire pride and inclusivity.

• And to ensure a lasting legacy, by documenting our learning and ideas in this very book - a resource for other schools, artists and communities to use across the UK.

Our Creative Crews from three primary schools were transformed into PLAY FULL experts; becoming artists, researchers and campaigners. They went into markets, parks, libraries, playgrounds to gather insights on how play happens in their homes, schools and neighbourhoods, and what's stopping it. Following this, they took time to imagine practical and creative solutions that could make their worlds more playful, proving that children can redesign their environments when given the tools and trust.

After gathering their research, the children went on to co-design creative projects for their whole schools, leading large-scale making days where every pupil contributed to the artworks for the PLAY FULL Parade. In July, these creations filled Crowcroft Park as hundreds of children and families took part in a joyful, noisy, colourful takeover. The parade temporarily transformed a park that many felt wary of using into a lively, welcoming place for play and community connection.

In November 2025, Mimi created the PLAY FULL Book; a practical and imaginative guide filled with children’s insights, creative prompts and low-cost activities that any school or community can adapt. It shares a model for using play as a tool for wellbeing, learning and local change. This can be accessed here.

PLAY FULL has shown what’s possible when children are trusted as researchers, makers and decision-shapers. Their creativity has not only influenced their own selves and surroundings, it now forms part of Save the Children UK’s wider vision for a PLAY FULL World, where all children have the freedom and support to play, learn and thrive.