Pop-Up Adventure Play and Marc Armitage

Feb 14, 2013

In 2013, we were excited and privileged to work with Marc Armitage on his first US tour – a collaboration that celebrated playwork and shared values around children’s right to play. Although the tour has long since passed, it remains a meaningful moment in Pop Up Adventure Play’s history. It was a great partnership for the following reasons:

1) Marc Armitage is a great playworker

At the time, Marc had over 30 years of experience in the field – both as a frontline playworker and as a speaker across a wide range of settings and countries. His insights reflected real-world practice and a deep commitment to playwork principles. Although Pop Up Adventure Play didn’t accompany him on the tour directly, we were confident that Marc would represent the playwork message with clarity and passion.

Marc Armitage playwork

2) We shared a passion for giving children opportunities to play

Both Marc and our team believed in supporting environments where children could take the lead in their own play experiences. The tour’s title, “Keep Calm and Play On,” captured that ethos – encouraging adults to step back and let play happen naturally.

Keep Calm and Play On

3) This last one’s important too: we like to share.

A key goal of the tour was to spread the importance of play far and wide. By supporting Marc’s US tour, we helped ensure that more communities had access to conversations and tools that could bring play to the forefront.

The tour offered an inspiring mix of storytelling, theory, and practical advice – and it resonated with audiences across the US. While tickets and event pages are no longer active, the legacy of that collaboration continues to influence our work and the broader playwork movement.

Marc Armitage's Keep Calm and Play On

If you remember the tour or attended one of Marc’s sessions, we’d still love to hear from you! Feel free to share your memories via X or tag us on Facebook. Keep Calm and Play On.

For more information about the tour, please email suzanna@popupadventureplay.org.

By Zan