Spaces to Play, Places to Meet: Welcoming Young Children in Regional Western Australian Towns

Abstract

Drawing on qualitative data from a study of three towns in the South-West of Western Australia, this article emphasizes participants’ yearning for spaces to play and places to meet by detailing the towns’ narratives of welcome and longing and framing themes of playfulness and hospitality. We argue that towns that see themselves as places of courtesy, curiosity and imagination are well-positioned to construct a vernacular of playfulness and hospitality for their citizens, activating quality of life for people of all ages. We also extend an invitation to early childhood settings to act as public common spaces, places of welcome, encounter and hospitality.