Why and how to play

Playing with your neighbours will bring everyone together, make you laugh, and tell you a thing or two about what makes people tick. Who has a hidden competitive streak? Who is a born organiser? Playing with people you don’t know will break down barriers and drop down guards.

Why play

• Play is not just for kids; everyone can play.
• The street that plays together, stays together.
• All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, as they say.
• Play is fun, or you’re doing it wrong.
• Play is important: the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child includes the right to play.
• Play doesn’t have a rulebook – that’s sport; play by your own rules.

What to play

The Big Lunch is an opportunity to put away the computer games, learn some new ways to play, revive a few golden oldies and maybe even make up your own games.

Different people know different games. Everybody comes to the table with their own experiences of childhood, past and present, from the UK or further afield – and everybody’s memories are defined by the games they played. We’ve got lots of play stuff, games and ideas in this section, but why not also ask your neighbours what their ideas are?

How to play

People to play

The games you plan don’t have to be for the kids; try to choose enough different games so that everyone can play. Invite everyone to play regardless of how old they are or their level of ability. There’ll be a role for everyone, whether it’s captain or team player, chief strategist on the sidelines, or play master general.

Of course you can’t make people play. There’ll be people who would rather sit back and watch, but then every good game deserves an audience to cheer it on.

Places to play

Don’t choose a compound or a cage that keeps the kids at bay while the adults have their Big Lunch, just somewhere where everybody knows there’s play happening.

If you have front gardens on your street, ask if people would be happy to let kids (and adults) stray and play in their garden. Some people will and some people won’t and that’s all fine, but you’ll need to let people know where is off limits. Draw up some signs for the street and stick them in the gardens taking part – how about: ‘Play here’, ‘Play Zone’, ‘Please play on the grass’ or ‘Play ball games against this wall’.

Why not allocate a corner as a play base – a place for seekers to count to 20 while the hiders run away, a place to put play stuff, a place for teams and players to gather.

Stuff to play with

Your street is mind bogglingly full of stuff. Cupboards, lofts, basements and garages are full of brilliant bits and pieces for building dens, bridges or watercourses.

Send the kids round to borrow bits of old drainpipe, planks (no nails), rope, string, buckets, anything really. While they’re there, get them to find out a few things about their neighbours and their street. At the very least they can find out their names so you can keep a track of whose broom is whose, but what about other things, like what’s their favourite sandwich, or their favourite cake? (This might come in handy next time you need a babysitter at the last minute, or your lawnmower breaks down on that first sunny day for a month.)

You could get some luggage tags if people are worried about getting stuff back, or some coloured sticky dots, or even just use some masking tape and a biro.

Safe play

• Nobody wants to go to casualty and miss their Big Lunch. It’s all about finding a balance, safe play without playing it too safe.
• Identifying places to play will let people keep a discreet eye on the kids without standing over them.
• Making sure there’s plenty to play with will keep everyone busy for hours.
• Encouraging all the Big Lunchers to play will provide adult supervision.
• It’s a fine line between energetic and rough, so let common sense prevail.