Manawatū Play Awards

With Play Week Aotearoa now wrapped up, we'd love to celebrate the people, projects and initiatives making play happen across our region.

Nominations are now open for the first-ever Manawatū Play Awards, recognising outstanding play mahi from across Tararua, Manawatū, Palmerston North and Horowhenua.

We know there are incredible play opportunities happening throughout our communities. If there’s a person, school, organisation, programme, project, or place helping tamariki play, we encourage you to nominate them, or even put forward your own initiative for recognition.

Award categories include:

• Tamariki-Led Play Award
• Environment and Sustainable Play Award
• Cultural Expression Through Play Award
• Community Impact and Reducing Barriers Award
• Regional Play Spotlight Awards
• School Play Initiative Award
• Superstar Play Champion Award

Full category descriptions and the nomination form can be found here.

Nominations close 10th November.

The awards will be held on the 26th of November.

Let's celebrate the incredible play mahi happening right across our region.

Quick Release Play Fund

What is it?

At Sport Manawatū, we are passionate about bringing the play aspirations of our tamariki to life. In October, we celebrate national Play Week Tākaro Mai Aotearoa, so to fill this week with community-led play initiatives, we are opening the Quick Release Play Fund to provide funding support to play week activations. Organisations/groups are able to apply for up to $1000 for their play ideas.

Criteria

• Applications must be for play ideas to benefit tamariki over the age of 5 years old
• Applications need to show demand from the tamariki- i.e. how do you know tamariki want this?
• Play activations must happen throughout Play Week 2026 (19th-25th of October).
  
  

Examples of play initiatives:

• Taonga tākaro equipment/resources
• Loose parts play equipment
• Mud kitchen for your school or organisation
• Chalk mural/chalk bombing activation
• Play equipment for play trailers or boxes
• Footpath paint for a play along the way footpath mural
• Transportation and resources for an intergenerational play session at a rest home
• A tree swing at your school
• Old school games equipment and activation

Your tamariki often have the best ideas, talk to them about what types of play they would like to get involved in. 

Applications are now closed.
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Need support?

If you want to bounce some ideas around or ask questions, please reach out to our Play Advisor Ashleigh Couper at ashleigh.couper@sportmanawatu.org.nz

Play Week 2026

Now in its sixth year, National Play week runs from Monday 19 October to Sunday 25 October this year.

Incepted by Sport New Zealand - Ihi Aotearoa, national play week is a week to promote and celebrate the value play brings to tamariki, whānau and communities across Aotearoa.

Play is crucial for the development of our tamariki mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It helps to develop fundamental movement skills, encourages self-directed creativity, improves resilience and independence, assists with emotional regulation, and develops co-operation and social connection - play is a universal language. In adults, it can boost productivity, creativity and is a great stress reliever; and whilst we age, it can help maintain cognitive abilities.

For whānau, play encourages the release of oxytocin (bonding hormone), and as a community it is a great tool to improve social cohesion, develop connection and hopefully contribute to a reduction of anti-social behaviour.

Watch this space - more information to come

Let's talk play workshops

Did you know Sport Manawatū offers tailored workshops designed to promote the importance of play in everyday life?

These workshops are perfect for communities, schools, and workplaces looking to understand the benefits of play, overcome barriers, and find practical ways to bring more play into their environments.

If you're interested in finding out more, please email us. ​​​​​​

Play Week 2026 is proudly supported by