ABSTRACT
Article 31 of the CRC states that all children have the right to ‘rest, leisure, play, recreational activities, cultural life and the arts’ (United Nations, 1989). In 2016, the Darebin City Council, a local municipality in Victoria, Australia, adopted the Darebin Child Friendly City Framework. This chapter will report on how the City of Darebin undertook a consultation with children, families and teachers to understand how and where children liked to play. The aim of the project was to promote and support children’s development and healthy lifestyle, and for them to have a sense of belonging and connection to community. Through the consultations, Play Maps were designed to support children and families to explore their own local community and across the 14 areas of the municipality. For the City of Darebin, the consultation process also linked to the vision of their Playspace Strategy 2010–2020, to connect all people across the municipality to open spaces. The Play Map Project consultations provided opportunities to understand how the provision of community places and spaces, such as playgrounds, sports ovals, bike paths, waterways and parks, support young children’s right to play.
