Welcome to the international PARS playwork community!

PARS practitioners believe that childhood should be valued as a distinctly different and equally important stage of life from adulthood.

Unlike other approaches to working with children, PARS practitioners have no adult objectives for children to achieve. PARS playwork prioritises children's own interests and perspectives so that children can enjoy their free time on their own terms.

We teach adults how to free up time and space for children to be children using the PARS model of playwork practice.

If you are an adult who wants to put the child back into childhood..... 
PARS is...

A model of professional playwork practice

The PARS model of playwork practice was created from research into the adventure playground literature by Dr Shelly Newstead. Playwork is an alternative approach to working with children, invented by the UK adventure playground pioneers. PARS is the first holistic model to describe and define professional playwork practice. It is now used all over the world by adults who work with children in their leisure time.

Research has found that adults who use the PARS model of playwork practice are less likely to intervene in children’s self-directed activities and are more open to children’s risk-taking behaviours (Chan et al, 2020).
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Watch this IPA Porch Play Chat to hear Dr Shelly Newstead talk about how she created the PARS model of playwork practice.

PARS is...

An international community of PARS playwork practitioners

PARS playwork practitioners from all over the world work together to develop our vision of a world where childhood is seen as equally important as adulthood.


You don't have to be called a playworker to use PARS playwork practice! Anybody who works where children spend their free time can use PARS. PARS practitioners work in summer camps, zoos, schools, adventure playgrounds, domestic refugees, out of school programmes and many other settings all over the world.

PARS Licensed Trainers

PARS Trainees Worldwide

Different Countries
PARS is...

A programme of introductory and international accredited courses

Our PARS Playwork Practice (PPP) programmes teach adults who work with children how to use the PARS model of playwork practice to free up time and space for children to be children.

Four levels of PARS training to suit your needs - wherever you work with children in their leisure time! Common Threads is an NCFE International Award Centre and our PPP2, PPP3 and PPP4 programmes have been accredited by NCFE as Customised Qualifications. 

PARS programmes are delivered in-person and online by PARS Licensed Trainers in 12 different countries in Arabic, English, Cantonese, Hebrew French, Mandarin and Portugese.

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February PARS Courses

Taiwan

Hong Kong

UK

Qatar

Australia

The PARS model for me really is revolutionary. However, the PARS model alone is not the secret, it is the methods and theories that make its practical application easy and effective in real life scenarios for play observers. The influence this will have on my own practice will be considerable and something I will take with me for the foreseeable future.

Tom Nethercott, Cambridge, UK

After the PARS course, I see children can not only play, but also innovate without teaching. The PARS course made me give up my previous ideas towards children’s play. I’ll keep practicing to real play and real happiness to the kids

Zhang Yichen, Hubei Province, China

The medicine I have been looking for and the family I always knew I had.

Kim MacDonald Director, Waimataitai Skids New Zealand