Play at the Heart of Bradford’s Culture: Kicking off National Play Day 2025

Bradford’s year as UK City of Culture is a celebration of our rich heritage, vibrant creativity, and proud diversity, and at the heart of it all is PLAY.

 

As we celebrate National Play Day 2025 on Wednesday 6th of August, Rebecca Oberg, Director: Institute for the Early Years, shares Bradford’s rich play history and how it is embedded into our culture. 

When we talk about culture in Bradford, we’re not just talking about celebrated artists or historic landmarks, we’re talking about the city’s children. We’re talking about the powerful role that play has in shaping a cultural legacy that truly belongs to everyone.

In the words of Dr Alexandra Long, course leader and lifetime play advocate, “Children’s play is children’s culture.” And in Bradford, that means recognising the city’s children not just as spectators of culture, but as active participants and future cultural leaders. 

Culture shouldn’t be confined to theatres or galleries. It should thrive in parks, streets, and playgrounds, places where children make friends, and learn from each other. When a city prioritises play, it sends a powerful message: our children matter, and so does their creativity. 

Which is why we are hosting our very own 50 Things to Do Play Day Play Street right in the heart of our Bradford community. We are quite excited to have been granted permission to close our street and turn it into a safe, fun-filled outdoor play space for our neighbours in Girlington.

 

Play Makes Culture Accessible to All

One of Bradford’s greatest strengths is its diversity. From Little Horton to Ilkley, it’s a city of many voices, languages, and traditions. Play is a universal language, a way every child can engage, regardless of background, ability, or culture.

We are really glad that Bradford City of Culture for 2025 is prioritising play with some amazing playful events.  Take Island of Foam: Version #40 , on National Play Day in Centenary Square with an extravagant foam fest, an open invitation for all families to splash, slide, and bond through joyous mess-making. 

We have also had the RedBall Project: a 15-foot inflatable red orb that rolls into parks, streets, and unexpected corners, inviting children and families to laugh, explore, and connect through shared curiosity. Back in April we had Claytime, hosted at The Beacon in Wibsey Park, where children co-created an impromptu clay theatre, dreaming up characters and stories that come alive before their eyes, and one of my favourites, Palette(s), a playful production, which felt like loose part play, showing how everyday objects can become art. 

We have also been playing our part (excuse the pun!) by inviting families of all ages on a playful journey around our city to 25 wonderful locations, focusing on the exciting new themes of: Where to Play; What to See; Where to Explore: What to Find; and What to Make! In partnership with Bradford City of Culture for 2025 we have produced the 25 Things to Do folding map with locations ranging from the Brontë waterfall to Shipley Glen Tramway. 

Our leaflets have been distributed across Bradford and can be found in local libraries and museums and even some local fish and chip shops!  This is also available on our Bradford regional site, with an interactive map.

 

A City That Plays is a City That Grows

By placing play at the heart of its cultural vision, Bradford can lead the way. Dr Alexandra Long, who has most certainly impacted positively on Bradford’s culture of play, told us, in our recent podcast “Bradford has been building its culture of play slowly and steadily. As the first city to publish a play strategy, Bradford responds to the needs of the children and provides them with opportunities to play. Everyone looks to Bradford to see what can be learnt from us.”

 

We are a city that celebrates culture, but we are also one that grows it from the ground up, beginning with the creativity of our children. 

 

Want to know more about...

• Bradford 2025 events: https://bradford2025.co.uk/
• 50 Things to Do Before You’re Five: https://www.50thingstodo.org/
• How to apply for a play street in Bradford: https://www.bradford.gov.uk/transport-and-travel/highways/play-streets/ 
• Learn more about play streets: https://playingout.net/play-streets/what-are-play-streets/