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Fiona - Play Scotland

@fiplayscotland.bsky.social
2.1K followers 2.9K following 328 posts

Play Pedagogy Lead @Play Scotland. Championing children’s right to play in Scotland, inspiring & supporting educators to embrace play-based learning in schools. MEd student, bookworm, and cake lover. ❤️ All views my own! 🙈🙉🙊

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Fiona - Play Scotland @fiplayscotland.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Why do children repeat the same actions again & again? Each time can bring a small change, a new discovery or growing confidence. Sometimes the best support we can offer is time, space & permission to keep going. The repetition is often the learning. #EduSky #ScotEduSky #SchematicPlay
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Fiona - Play Scotland @fiplayscotland.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
As a parent, I really wish I’d known about schemas! Repeating, filling, moving, wrapping, dropping… it can drive you daft! But repetition can be part of a deeper pattern of thinking. Sometimes the better question is, what’s this child working out? #Edusky #ScotEduSky
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Play Scotland @playscotland.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Day 6: Scottish Children's Health Week! Play helps children realise their rights, and forms the basis of a happy and healthy childhood. What are some good examples of letting children make the decisions? 🤔 linktr.ee/playscotland
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Play Scotland @playscotland.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Scottish Children's Health Week Part 5: Mental health, happiness & emotional wellbeing ☀ Sometimes play is loud and physical and full of laughter. Sometimes it’s quiet and repetitive. Sometimes a child wants to build a den and have a wee space to themselves.
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Fiona - Play Scotland @fiplayscotland.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Absolutely loved this book! I was hooked from the start and couldn’t put it down. A brilliant beginning to Lin Anderson’s new Orkney-based crime series, I’m already looking forward to the next one!
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Play Scotland @playscotland.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Scottish Children's Health Week day 3: How play supports social development 👋 Which of these have you noticed when witnessing social play situations? Find more information and resources on our website: linktr.ee/playscotland
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Fiona - Play Scotland @fiplayscotland.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
What if we looked again? 👀 A repeated action might look distracting or disruptive to an adult, but it may also be persistence, curiosity or enquiry. One of the biggest things I took from my dissertation was this: schema knowledge can give us a reason to pause, notice and look again. #ScotEduSky #EY
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BAPT British Association Of Play Therapists @bapt.info · 06/09/2026
🎭 The Therapeutic Power of Toys in the Playroom: Puppets 🧸 #PlayTherapy Puppets can be silly, brave, frightened, cross, powerful, kind, mischievous — or anything else a child needs them to be. Expressing something through a puppet is easier than “I feel ……….. “
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Fiona - Play Scotland @fiplayscotland.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Delighted to have completed my Master of Education in Early Years Pedagogue at @unistrathclyde.bsky.social & passed with Distinction! 🎓 It’s been a challenging 3 years, alongside helping to launch & grow the @playscotland.bsky.social Play Pedagogy Award. Hard work but proud to see it pay off! 🎉
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Play Scotland @playscotland.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Play is “what children and young people do when they follow their own ideas, in their own way and for their own reasons”. bit.ly/4gHXxXr
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Play Scotland @playscotland.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
🤸‍♀️ As Safe As Necessary: Supporting Children’s Development Through Risky Play, Wednesday 9th of September 🌳 Join us to learn the importance of risky play through a benefit-risk approach, while supporting safe and thoughtful practice. Don't forget our promo code PLAYDAY50! bit.ly/4g6zHpa
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BAPT British Association Of Play Therapists @bapt.info · 29/08/2026
🌱 In My Play Therapy, Do I Really Just Play and Not Talk? 🌱 Your #PlayTherapist understands that play is a way of communicating too. You don't need to explain what your play means. You don't have to answer lots of questions. And you don't have to talk about difficult things before you're ready.
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Fiona - Play Scotland @fiplayscotland.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
My Master’s dissertation is finally handed in 🙌🏼 Mostly just feeling very relieved tonight! It’s been a long time coming and I’m not quite sure what I’ll do with myself now I don’t need to think about schemas, references and word counts every spare minute 😂 Very glad it’s done x
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Education Scotland @educationscotland.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
🧮Apply for the second round of Maths Week Scotland Grant Funding by 5pm on Sunday 30 August! Schools, nurseries, early learning & childcare providers, community & family providers & other educational settings can apply for £250 or £500 towards their #MWS2026 activities! 👉https://ow.ly/MKBW50Zztf3
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Play Scotland @playscotland.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
We recently had a very interesting blog submission: Playing at the Dentist! "Within paediatric healthcare settings, therapeutic play has demonstrated measurable benefits in reducing anxiety and fear prior to medical interventions." www.playscotland.org/the-intertwi...
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Play Scotland @playscotland.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Bookings are now open for our Strategy Launch party, and we would love to see you there! 📅 Wed 21 Oct, 5:30–8pm 📍 Hearts Stadium, Tynecastle, Edinburgh events.humanitix.com/play-scotlan...
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Fiona - Play Scotland @fiplayscotland.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Loved this book!
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Fiona - Play Scotland @fiplayscotland.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
Just started it and already hooked! Loved all the Dr Rhona MacLeod books, so very happy to see Erling Flett getting his own series. I suspect I won’t be getting much else done until I’ve finished it!
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Edutopia @edutopia.org · 02/08/2026
“Teachers, your students don't love you because of your class decorations, clothes, bitmojis, lessons, etc. It's you. They love you for who you are and how you treat them. Just be you.” —Samuel Vo, Teacher
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Fiona - Play Scotland @fiplayscotland.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Delighted to share that I’ve been appointed Head of Services @playscotland.bsky.social 🎉 I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity & really excited to take on the role, support our brilliant team & help build on Play Scotland’s work. 💙 #EduSky #ScotEduSky ##PlayMatters
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Play Scotland @playscotland.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Join us on Wednesday 5th August in celebrating #Playday2026! Register via the link so we can shout about all the wonderful community organisations helping to celebrate the importance of every child's right to play 😍 Play - Here, There, Everywhere! www.playscotland.org/playday-2026/
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Dr. Aaron Bradbury @aaronearlyyears.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
📦 Just 1 day to go until Cardboard Box Day! Tomorrow, we’ll be celebrating something wonderfully simple: a cardboard box.
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Play Scotland @playscotland.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
🤔 What's the best thing about your local park? 🧸 Help shape the future of play spaces across Scotland. 🕖 It only takes 7 minutes 👉 forms.office.com/e/FFXdjuSLfD
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Play Scotland @playscotland.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Discover how play pedagogy can enrich your classroom practice, foster child-led learning, and cultivate a school ethos that celebrates creativity and exploration. This is a two-part training series, designed to inform you all about the play pedagogy approach: www.playscotland.org/schools-chil...
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Fiona - Play Scotland @fiplayscotland.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
Happy 78th Birthday to the NHS 🥳 Feeling especially grateful today. Both my children work in the NHS in very different roles, and I have extended family working across the NHS too. Proud of them all, and thankful for everyone who keeps Nye Bevan’s vision alive every day ❤️
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Dr. Aaron Bradbury @aaronearlyyears.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
Play Matters Needs You! We’re looking for passionate professionals to help shape Play Matters Reimagined. If you believe in the power of play, we’d love you to join one of our working groups. Register your interest here 👇 forms.cloud.microsoft.com/Pages/Respon...
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Ruth Swailes @ruthswailes.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
If it’s not joyful when you’re four and five, it doesn’t bode well for the rest of your education. We want to inspire a joy of learning - it’s at the heart of the curriculum I wrote, which is used all over the world. Let’s put play and joy back into childhood ! Watch this space to find out more…
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Froebel Trust @froebeltrust.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
New resource for educators! 🚨 Introducing Research Insights, a new series offering accessible summaries of the evidence from Froebel Trust funded research and practice development projects. The first in the collection is Birth to Three.
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ESTeamELC @esteamelc.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
#TeamELC
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Planning Aid Scotland @planningaidscot.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
We're delighted to be collaborating with @playscotland.bsky.social to help deliver the Scottish Government’s Play Park Survey 🛝 ⬇️Have your say before 16 September. Please share the survey to help reach as many communities across Scotland as possible!
forms.office.com
Microsoft Forms
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Fiona - Play Scotland @fiplayscotland.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
A lovely chat with Laura Henry-Allain MBE for the Play Well Podcast. We talked play, belonging, children’s rights, JoJo and Gran Gran, Maya and Marley, and her childhood adventures with a 3 legged goat. Definitely worth a listen with a cuppa ☕️ #EduSky #ScotEduSky #PlayMatters youtu.be/SzBY92d0sUo
youtu.be
The Play Well podcast - Episode 55: Laura Henry-Allain MBE
YouTube video by Play Scotland
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UNICEF @unicef.org · 28/06/2026
Think play is just for fun? Think again. Every game, song and drawing is helping your child learn, connect and grow. Here’s why everyday play matters for your child. unicef.link/4cFK0yI
unicef.link
The science of play
It’s not just fun – it’s fundamental to your child’s development
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Play Scotland @playscotland.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Woody and Buzz have a new quest: to wrestle with the explosion of digital play ▶️ 24% of parents of 3‑ to 5‑year‑olds find it hard to control their child’s screen time. ⌛️ Photo Credit: Disney Pixar, Toy Story 5 Full blog: www.playscotland.org/digital-play...
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Play Scotland @playscotland.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
On Thursday 24th June, our OPAL Mentor Simon, will be celebrating with Castlefield Primary School as he presents them with the OPAL award after completing their journey through the programme. This is the third school to receive the award in Scotland!
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School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow @uofgshw.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
This #InternationalDayofPlay we're highlighting new research showing that children who spend more time playing outdoors between the ages of two and four may be less likely to develop emotional and behavioural difficulties later in childhood. #OutdoorPlay #MentalHealth www.gla.ac.uk/news/headlin...
Two young boys crouching down in a puddle of water.
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Play Scotland @playscotland.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
We're thrilled to see a motion celebrating Baltasound Junior High School’s achievement of the Play Pedagogy Award and the International Day of Play lodged at @parliament.scot.
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Play Scotland @playscotland.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
✨ It's 1 week until the #InternationalDayofPlay! Are you gearing up for extra playtime, playful class activities, or something else? Tell us in the comments! Don't forget to register: www.playscotland.org/internationa...
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Fiona - Play Scotland @fiplayscotland.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Delighted to have my article featured in the latest PlayNation magazine, sharing Baltasound Junior High School’s Play Pedagogy Award journey in Shetland. A brilliant reminder that children’s voices, rights and play belong at the heart of learning. #ScotEduSky #EduSky issuu.com/sportsnation...
issuu.com
PlayNation issue 3 2026
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Play Scotland @playscotland.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Cardboard Box Day is a national initiative designed to celebrate the power of simple, child-led play in the early years. It's free to take part and only requires a cardboard box - a fantastic example of loose parts play. 📦 More info: www.early-years-reviews.com/cardboard-bo... #PlayMattersBoxDay
early-years-reviews.com
Play Matters: Cardboard Box Day | Early Years Reviews
'Play Matters: Cardboard Box Day'
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Sue Cowley @suecowley.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
The whole discourse about 'discovery learning v direct instruction' ignores the existence of early years. You can't sit a 2 year old down for long to instruct them so we use a blend of both while they play. You offer an environment + resources which lead to learning and support with adult input. ☺️
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Fiona - Play Scotland @fiplayscotland.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
They are bee-autiful!
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Fiona - Play Scotland @fiplayscotland.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Looking forward to it!
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Play Scotland @playscotland.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
▶ The latest ep of Play Well podcast is out! We spoke with Margaret and Kerry at Baltasound Junior High School, and heard all about their journey as a Play Pedagogy Award pilot school and their insights into the impact of play on children in the primary years. www.spreaker.com/episode/54-b...
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Play Scotland @playscotland.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Researchers at Queen Margaret University are looking to hear from UK-based professionals, including teachers and early years practitioners, about their attitudes towards different types of nature play. 📋 Take part here: app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/qmu/play-r...
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South Lanarkshire Council @southlanarkshire.gov.uk · 22/05/2026
Children and young people across South Lanarkshire will be able to enjoy a summer of free sporting activities thanks to the council receiving a one-off, single-year investment of more than £700,000 from sportscotland. Read more in the View orlo.uk/YPGSK
Scotland footballer Kenny McLean_Getty Editorial
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Fiona - Play Scotland @fiplayscotland.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
🎉PLAYDATE - QMU on 6 June 🎉 FREE event celebrating play, bringing together researchers & practitioners from across Scotland to explore play pedagogy, risky play, play spaces & lots more! It'll be a day of discussion, workshops & play! 🎟️ www.eventbrite.com/e/playdate-t.... #EduSky #ScotEduSky #Play
eventbrite.com
PlayDate
PlayDate: Come learn about the latest in play research and practice, and... let's play!
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Fiona - Play Scotland @fiplayscotland.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
Great morning @ #PedagooGhlaschu chatting all things play, pedagogy & progression. Huge thanks to the Pedagoo team for having me along, & to Catriona Campbell from East Park for sharing her story and journey with play pedagogy. #PlayPedagogy #EduSky #ScotEduSky
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Fiona - Play Scotland @fiplayscotland.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
Me too!
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Fiona - Play Scotland @fiplayscotland.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Had a brilliant morning at Clyde College, Langside Campus, chatting all things play with the NC Early Education and Childcare students. Loose parts play led to little towns, play parks and even Croc in his bubble bath with champagne 🍾🐊 Creativity was incredible to see #EduSky #ScotEduSky
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LynneJ0nes @lynnej0nes.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
7️⃣ days until #PedagooGhlaschu ✅ We’ve a cracking programme of teacher-led conversations 🎯Grassroots professional learning #connect #share #learn with like-minded educators 🤩 @senoract.bsky.social & friends are looking forward to welcoming you on 16/05/26 🔗🆓🎟️ www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pedagoo-gh...
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