Venue for Supported Playgroup
Playgroups meet in a variety of venues and settings including in local government community centres, church halls, schools, family centres and sports buildings. Sometimes the playgroup will have exclusive use of the space and at other times they will share the space with other users including other playgroups. Some playgroups are co-located with other services such as the Child Health Nurse or family support services and this can be useful in linking families to services as well as establishing referral pathways for families to connect with your playgroup.
Playgroups are not covered by specific state or federal playgroup regulations and as such there are no rules or requirements about the type of play space or building required. However, you will need to consider the health and safety requirements for participants and staff in choosing a place for your playgroup.
Ideally your playgroup venue will be a safe space with indoor and outdoor play areas, baby change, toilet and kitchen facilities, as well as an area for your toys and equipment. Storage areas can be quite limited in some venues including where several playgroups or services share the same space. In these situations, you may be able to negotiate arrangements for sharing toys and equipment to minimise your individual storage needs. Finding the ideal venue is not always possible and being flexible in looking at different ways of doing things is often required.
You can find more information about playgroup venues, including a suggested Checklist for Supported Playgroup Venues here.