Sydney Opera House 2026 Play Award
Play is how children explore, discover, fail, succeed, socialise and flourish. It is a fundamental element of the human condition. It’s the key to giving schoolchildren skills they need to succeed.
(Pasi Sahlberg and William Doyle, Let the Children Play: How More Play Will Save Our Schools and Help Children Thrive)
Is your primary school making a positive impact through play?
Enter your school in the Sydney Opera House 2026 Play Award, an annual award for a primary school with a practical idea that has demonstrated positive impact in children’s lives through play.
Tell us about your play idea and win $10,000 for your school!*
Applications are now open and will close 5pm Saturday, 25 April 2026.
The Sydney Opera House Play Award is made possible by the generous donation of Professor Pasi Sahlberg.
Apply now
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*The Play Award is open to any primary school in Australia. A school can only make one submission, additional submissions will not be accepted. Applications close 5pm Saturday, 25 April 2026. The winners are to be announced on International Play Day on Thursday, 11 June 2026.
