Pop-up shops to address London's play space deficit

London Play expects five pop-up play shops to be operating by the New Year, following the success of two similar projects launched by the organisation in recent months.

The charity is discussing a second pop-up play shop for Lewisham as part of the council’s Portas Pilot scheme, a fund allocated for regenerating high streets, following the opening of a play shop in a disused school earlier this month.

It is also consulting with Camden Council’s property services and a toy library in Brentwood, which are keen to take up the community-led initiative.

“The model seems to work in this day and age where play services are shrinking across London,” said Paul Hocker, play development team manager at London Play.

“We have a play offer right at the heart of the high street, so it’s really accessible for children and parents, and we have parents that want to help out. Whatever the big society is or was, this seems to be an expression of it.”

London Play piloted the idea in a temporary building provided by the London Sustainable Development Commission (LSDC) on Tottenham High Road in Haringey – an area damaged by the 2011 summer riots.

Since opening in August, the centre has provided weekly play sessions in partnership with the Haringey Play Association, which are staffed by parent volunteers who are given training on playwork.

Hocker said the benefits of the scheme have extended beyond the children attending sessions. 

“In the Tottenham shop, many of the parents didn’t have very playful childhoods,” he said. “When we put playworkers in there, the parents said they would repeat what they had learned at home, so the parents are also getting some skills in how to play with their own children in a more profound way.”

The LSDC said it would like more areas to adopt the pop-up model. “The initial experience of the pop-up play shop in Tottenham has been very positive and we’d encourage other high streets to consider this approach,” said John Plowman, chair of the LSDC. 

“As well as promoting natural play, pop-up play shops also help to enliven our high streets in harsh economic times, bringing in more people to benefit neighbouring shops at a time when vacancy rates are high.”

The LSDC is a body of commissioners that advises the Mayor of London on sustainable development issues. Their work is supported by a group of London Leaders, including Hocker, who was given the role in recognition for his work with London Play.

The pop-up play shop model is based on a similar scheme launched in Cardiff last year.