Hosting a play street is completely free and offers the chance for neighbours to come together in an open and safe space to allow all children and families to ‘play out’.

International Day of Play began last year when the United Nations declared the awareness day would take place annually on June 11, to showcase how central play is to every child’s development.

To mark this year’s event, Leeds City Council is hoping many streets across the city will join in the celebration and is urging people to register now before the May 16 deadline.

To apply, simply gather support from neighbours to ensure there are enough adults to supervise on the day, then email play.streets@leeds.gov.uk with the street name to check eligibility.

Successful applicants will receive advice from the authority about which part of the street is safe to close and will be supplied with a road closure notice and ‘road closed’ stickers to display on wheelie bins.

For more information, view the play streets toolkit on the Child Friendly Leeds website.

Any schools which would also like to support event can find suggestions on how to get involved on the Leeds for Learning website, including access to free Child Friendly Leeds resources to support a playful curriculum for the day.

Other ways to celebrate International Day of Play in Leeds could include visiting a local park or green space or one of the mini playboxes in the city’s libraries and community hubs.