The Play Journal · Aug 2026

Ideas, research and rituals.

Practical articles for schools, families and leaders, filterable by category, all rooted in play. New post every Monday.

Featured this week
FeaturedAug 2026Schools · 8 min

What 600 Schools in 25 Countries Taught Me About Student Wellbeing

Ten years. Six hundred schools. Twenty-five countries. Every single one cared deeply about wellbeing, and every single one was getting it wrong the same way. Here is the crack I kept seeing, and the data that finally proved the fix.

DSDale Sidebottom · Founder · The School of Play
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Dale Sidebottom on stage in front of a full audience of educators
Archive

All 24 articles.

Schools

Less Punishment. More Play. Better Behaviour.

Jun 20266 min
Leadership

5 Trust-Building Activities Every Team Can Use Tomorrow

Jun 20267 min
Wellbeing tips

How to Go From Overwhelm to Flow (it starts smaller than you think)

Jun 20268 min
Research

Movement, Memory and Monday Morning Magic

Jun 20267 min
Schools

Why student curiosity drops to 49%, and what to do about it

Jun 20267 min
Wellbeing tips

The case for unstructured time, the most underrated wellbeing tool

May 20265 min
Leadership

What high-performing teams have in common: they play

Apr 20267 min
Schools

Why play belongs in every wellbeing strategy

Apr 20266 min
Families

The PEGG framework, explained for parents

Apr 20264 min
Schools

The assembly that changed our school culture

Apr 20266 min
Leadership

Leading without a script: why play makes better executives

Mar 20266 min
Leadership

When leaders play, teams trust faster

Mar 20268 min
Families

How to survive the after-school hour

Mar 20265 min
Wellbeing tips

Five gratitude rituals you can run tomorrow

Mar 20263 min
Families

How play heals a family in conflict

Mar 20265 min
Research

How La Trobe measured 28% wellbeing growth

Mar 20267 min
Research

The research case for laughter in learning

Feb 20266 min
Schools

Brain breaks that actually reset a classroom

Feb 20265 min
Families

Replacing screen-time arguments with play streaks

Feb 20264 min
Schools

Five minutes is enough: the micro-ritual that transforms staff culture

Feb 20265 min
Leadership

Coaching with the GROWTH model: a leader's walkthrough

Feb 202610 min
Wellbeing tips

Why play is not the opposite of work

Jan 20266 min
Leadership

How student leaders shape culture more than adults

Jan 20265 min

One play idea every Monday.

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Acknowledgement of CountryThe School of Play acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.