Useful Publications
Please find below a list of useful publications collated for ease of use. Click the learn more link to download the resource or visit the relevant website.
API: The State of Outdoor Play in Primary Schools – A Summary for Educators – Spring 2025
Our latest national survey reveals the state of outdoor play in schools across England. From declining provision in KS2 to gaps in inclusion and investment, the findings are essential reading for any school looking to improve its outdoor spaces.
API: Statement In Ground Trampolines
The API and RPII have issued a statement following some localised concern over the use of in-ground trampolines within children’s playgrounds. This type of facility found in children’s playgournds are designed to comply with the British Standard EN 1176-1:2017+A1:2023 and are known in that standard as ‘bouncing facilities’.
API: A Brief Insight into Timbers used in the Construction of Outdoor Playgrounds.
(Revised)
Having received various queries over the past year regarding the use of timber as a manufacturing material we collaborated with the RPII to produce a technical guidance document. This has now been supplemented with a user friendly summary of the various different types of timber and outlines the various advantages and disadvantages.
API: Surfacing Code of Practice – Provision of Impact Attenuating Surfaces – Updated
The API has published a revised Code of Practice: Provision of Impact Attenuating Surfaces document. The Code of Practice has been produced to provide prospective clients and specifiers with guidance on the types of surfacing options available. The document includes useful information on basic construction requirements, specification and maintenance currently employed in constructing impact absorbing surfaces in playgrounds.
API: Position paper on Covid-19 Guidance for managing playgrounds and outdoor gyms
On Friday 26 June the Government published its guidance for managing playgrounds and outdoor gyms. The Association of Play Industries has been inundated with queries about the guidelines and has released its own interpretation of the guidance.
API: Planning a new playground or play area? Don’t know where to start?
Here are 5 good reasons to choose an API member…..
API: API at A Glance
The API has published a document which gives an overview of what the Association of Play Industries is all about and includes 10 good reasons why it pays to choose an API member, along with details of membership benefits.
API: 6 Reasons to use an API Member
The Association of Play industries (API ) provides practical advice, information and a directory of compliant member companies.
API: Top Tips for Finding a Quality Play Provider
To combat misuse of the API brand and highlight the benefits of using an API member, the API has created a new resource for schools, communities and local authorities.
API: Adult Outdoor Fitness Equipment standards guidance – Updated
Planning to install Adult Outdoor Fitness Equipment? Confused about what it is, who it’s for or which standards apply? Here the API provides practical guidance.
API: The Politics of Play – The Importance of Play to Children and Wider Society
This document examines the importance of play to children and also to wider society. It outlines an action plan which gives the API’s views on how to build on the success of the National Play Strategy to ensure that we maximise its potential to improve the health and well- being of all our children.
An Essential Guide to BS EN 1176 and BS EN 1177
This popular publication does exactly what is says on the tin! This value for money guide is essentially a condensed version of the full standards. A good starting and reference point for all playground owners, operators, designers, builders and manufacturers.
All Party Commission on Physical Activity: Report: Tackling Physical Inactivity
This is the first of two reports from the All-Party Parliamentary Commission on Physical Activity, which was set up in 2013. Here they set out the scale and scope of the problem, mapping out the specific areas in which there needs to work for change. In the second report there will be some tangible suggestions on how we can begin to tackle this epidemic.
APPG Fit and Healthy Childhood: The Mental Health of Children and Young People Report
As Parliament awaits the Government Bill to reform the 1983 Mental Health Act, Baroness Frances D’Souza, Honorary President of The Children’s Alliance believes that ‘It’s time to deliver for children.’ Introducing ‘The Mental Health of Children and Young People,’ she said: ‘This new Children’s Alliance evidence-based report shows that it’s time for the forthcoming new Bill to deliver for children and young people. Demand for truly national mental health services covering the full range of need was high before the pandemic but now it’s off the scale. We can’t turn back time but we can start early with the legal protection provided by a fully-funded National Strategy for Mental Health. The earlier the intervention, the less likely that successive adult societies will pay a human and economic bill for mental illness.’
With NHS data showing a 90% increase on 2020 figures in the number of children referred for urgent mental health treatment (2,260 in June 2021 alone)
APPG Fit and Healthy Childhood: Play
The All Party Parliamentary Group on a Fit and Healthy Childhood are lobbying for government to adopt a holistic strategy to support child development. Launched its report to Parliament on the 15th October 2015 the group’s co-Chair, children’s advocate Baroness Floella Benjamin, called on politicians from all parties to acknowledge the vital role of play in children’s lives and particularly in helping tackle the physical inactivity crisis.
APPG Fit and Healthy Childhood: Wellbeing and Nurture-Physical and Emotional Security in Childhood
The latest report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on a Fit & Healthy Childhood says that ‘funding of public playgrounds should in particular be a priority as they fulfil a unique role in improving children’s movement, social interaction, fitness, physical & mental health.’
APPG Fit and Healthy Childhood: Mental Health In Childhood
In 2017 government green paper entitled ‘Transforming children and young people’s mental health provision’ was seen by many as a welcome recognition that, in reference to child mental health facilities in England, the euphemism ‘could do better’ should be replaced by ‘now fit for purpose‘.
APPG Fit and Healthy Childhood: Food in Schools and the Teaching of Food
‘Food in School and the Teaching of Food’ is the third in a suite of reports published by the All Party Parliamentary Group on A Fit and Healthy Childhood. Read in conjunction with its predecessors, ‘Healthy Patterns for Healthy Families’ and ‘The Early Years’, it advocates a governmental policy focus on childhood as a time to spend wisely and well, thus avoiding burgeoning costs to health, social services and the criminal justice system over the life course.
APPG Fit and Healthy Childhood: Healthy Patterns for Healthy Families report
According to NICE (May 2014) obesity in the United Kingdom is rapidly becoming the norm. More than a quarter of adults are now defined as obese and an additional 42% are overweight. Obesity is a family affair and it starts early. This report offers recommendations to the Government to help tackle this issue.
APPG Fit and Healthly Childhood: The Early Years
Investment in children’s earliest years is the key to health and well-being in later life, argues a new report. The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on a Fit and Healthy Childhood has called for a holistic approach to the early years and for a new government department, Children and Family Life, led by a cabinet minister for children. Play features strongly in the report with calls for the National Play Strategy (2008) to be revised, with plans for play in schools and public spaces. It includes a call for statutory performance measures of children’s play using EU indices of child health and well-being.
Civil Rights Association for England: Civil Society alternative report to the UN Committee
Children’s charities launched a damning report highlighting how Government policies and spending decisions have failed to prioritise children. Based on the evidence in the report, children’s charities are asking the Government to put children at the centre of decision- making, including in the forthcoming Budget.
CPSF – Including Disabled Children in Play Provision
All children need and have a right to play. Play is vital for children’s health, wellbeing and happiness – particularly for children facing barriers like discrimination and exclusion.
CPSF: Managing Risk in Play Provision: Implementation guide (second edition)
The Play Safety Forum has produced Managing Risk in Play Provision to help strike a balance between the risks and the benefits of offering children challenging play opportunities.
Design to Move: A Physical Activity Action Agenda
Just a few generations ago, physical activity was an integral part of daily life. In the name of progress, we’ve now chipped away at it so thoroughly that physical inactivity actually seems normal. The economic costs are unacceptable, the human costs are un-forgivable. Designed to Move is founded on a robust evidence base. The science is clear. The debate is over. Urgent priority must be given to dramatically increase the world’s commitment to physical activity.
Fields in Trust : Planning and Design for Outdoor Sport and Play
This guidance aims to support those responsible for developing, delivering and maintaining innovative natural play spaces into parks and play spaces.
Heritage Lottery Fund: State of UK Public Parks report
Accompanied by a detailed research report and data sets, this is a study of the current state and future trends in the condition of the UK’s public parks.
National Trust: 10 year strategy (including points on preservation of public parks and green spaces)
This report looks at the ambition needed to meet the challenges and expectations of a fast-moving world.
Public Health England: Change4Lifeevidence review
This rapid evidence review aims to identify relevant literature on the physiological, psychological, social, and behavioural outcomes of physical activity participation among children aged 5 to 11 years, and provide an indication of the strength of the evidence for each outcome.
Public Health England: Everybody Active Every Day framework
Public Health England (PHE) wants to drive a step change in the public’s health. We recently identified seven priorities for the next ten years to tackle the behaviour that increases the risk of poor mental and physical health.5 Tackling physical inactivity is critical to delivering many of those priorities (eg, dementia, obesity and giving every child the best start in life).
SENSE: Case for Play
For three months between September and November 2015, Sense undertook a public inquiry into the provision of play opportunities for children aged 0-5 with multiple needs in England and Wales. The inquiry was established in response to feedback received from families of children with multiple needs who had expressed concerns that they had fewer opportunities to access play services and settings in comparison to families with non-disabled children.
Sport and Recreation Alliance: Reconomics report
The Reconomics report brings together all the existing information, research and evidence relating to the impact of outdoor recreation and provides a compelling case to politicians of the true value of outdoor recreation.
The Parks Alliance: The National Playground Growing The Next Generation
The Parks Alliance (TPA), the UK’s voice of parks, today published ‘The National Playground: growing the next generation’ on the importance of parks to family life. The current squeeze on budgets is putting our parks and green spaces at risk and data highlighted in the report show that parents with children under 10, are most concerned about the impact of budget cuts on local parks, with 7 out of 10 worried about the prospect of cuts.
UK Active: Generation Inactive report
Generation Inactive establishes the state of the challenge ahead and highlights how little grip we currently have on the scale of the problem of childhood inactivity. It explores the current understanding of children’s physical activity in Primary Schools and investigates the measures that are uses to track the activity and fitness levels of pupils.
Youth Sport Trust: #Classof2035 report
The report which explores children’s attitudes to sport and predicts the future of school sport. With the revelation that many children view playing video games with friends as a form of exercise, the YST report’s key argument is that it will be important to harness the power and appeal of technology if we are to encourage children to be physically active over the next 20 years.