Play Along The Way
Natalia Krysiak

Playful travel journeys designed into our streets to encourage children’s active mobility.

Over the past few decades, Australian cities have seen a significant decline of children’s active mobility. With just 30% of children in NSW walking or cycling to school and childhood obesity rising ten-fold in the last decade – now is the time to transform our streets and prioritize the health, wellbeing, and happiness of children.

The Play Along the Way project aims to re-envision our streets to create safe and playful journeys for children in their local neighbourhoods. Local councils will work together with children to establish children’s common travel routes and create playful opportunities along the way. Interventions might include playful graphics and games painted on the ground, nature-play opportunities on sidewalks and storage boxes placed in parks with loose toys and play equipment.

The Play Along the Way project will connect facilities such as schools, playgrounds, libraries and community centres to create an accessible network of child-oriented destinations and encourage children to walk, cycle and play along the way. The project will be transformational for children living in Sydney, providing safe and engaging local journeys and diverse play opportunities. This will be hugely beneficial to children’s physical health by encouraging movement, but also their wellbeing and happiness by encouraging social connections and a sense of belonging to their community.

With more children walking and cycling in their local neighbourhoods, communities will be re-activated with pedestrian movement, play and joy, creating vibrant and healthy communities and a better life for all Sydneysiders.