National Playgroup Week 2026: Play Activates Possibility: 16th-22nd March
More than fifty years ago, small groups of parents and caregivers began meeting in local halls, parks and neighbourhood centres. These gatherings quickly grew into one of Australia’s most widespread volunteer movements, offering safe and inclusive spaces for early learning and connection.
In 1984, state and territory playgroup organisations united to form a national peak body, giving playgroups a stronger collective voice and coordinated support.
Today, Playgroup Australia continues that legacy as a professional organisation with a national office, small team and board. We work alongside our members on policy, research and advocacy, while keeping the same purpose at heart: ensuring every family can access the connection, confidence and opportunities that playgroups provide.
For more information about our strategic priorities view our strategic plan here.
Find out more about our history and some of our achievements in our publication: 40 Years of Playgroup: Celebrating Our Story of Connecting Communities
Our members are the state and territory playgroup organisations who deliver and support playgroups across Australia. Together, we form a strong national network committed to helping families thrive through play. Each member organisation brings local knowledge and community connection, and we work together to strengthen the reach, visibility and sustainability of playgroups.
Playgroup Australia supports the Uluru Statement from the Heart and its goals of ‘substantive constitutional change and structural reform’. We want to see the ‘ancient sovereignty’ of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples ‘shine through as a fuller expression of Australia’s nationhood’.
We accept the gracious invitation in the Uluru Statement from the Heart to walk with First Nations people ‘in a movement for the Australian people for a better future’.
We encourage everyone in the playgroup movement to read the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
We are a small, dedicated team supported by a national board of directors with deep experience across early childhood, community development, health and social services.
A celebration of play, community and connection. Each March, families, carers and playgroup volunteers all across Australia come together to honour the joys and benefits of playgroups. It’s a time to thank volunteers, welcome new families and highlight how playgroups support children’s development, build friendships, and strengthen communities. Whether you’re a first-time parent or a long-time playgroup member — National Playgroup Week invites everyone to join in, share, and celebrate the power of play.
Playgroup Australia supports our state and territory organisations to deliver playgroups to their communities.
Community playgroups have been bringing families together in communities across Australia for more than 50 years. They are place-based, grassroots initiatives that emerge from within communities themselves, most often started by parents who see a local need and take action. Largely volunteer led, community playgroups create welcoming spaces where children can play and learn, and parents and carers can connect, share experiences and support one another. Playgroup Australia, alongside its members, supports the establishment and long-term sustainability of community playgroups across Australia, helping them continue to thrive as an important part of community life.
PALS (Play and Learn Supported) Inclusive Playgroups create inspiring spaces where all families and children can learn, play, and grow together. These groups focus on shared activities that encourage inclusion, connection, and mutual understanding, enabling children with and without disability to explore, interact, and have fun side-by-side. Supported by trained facilitators, PALS playgroups help strengthen community awareness and create welcoming environments where diversity is embraced, and every family feels supported and included.
Intergenerational playgroups create opportunities for young children and older people, including grandparents and seniors in the community, to build meaningful relationships through shared play experiences. These playgroups strengthen social connections, reduce isolation and foster mutual understanding and respect across generations. Supported by Playgroup Australia and its members, intergenerational playgroups help communities create inclusive, welcoming spaces where everyone has a role to play.
Intergenerational playgroups create opportunities for young children and older people, including grandparents and seniors in the community, to build meaningful relationships through shared play experiences. These playgroups strengthen social connections, reduce isolation and foster mutual understanding and respect across generations. Supported by Playgroup Australia and its members, intergenerational playgroups help communities create inclusive, welcoming spaces where everyone has a role to play.
