What is Play School?
Play School is a long-running Australian children's television program, first broadcast on the ABC in 1966. It is one of the longest-running children's shows in the world.
The show was based on a British program of the same name. Presenters sing songs, tell stories, do craft activities and play with toys, encouraging young children to use their imagination.
Famous features include the windows, round, square and arched, through which viewers look at short films, and the clock. Toys such as Big Ted, Little Ted, Jemima, Humpty and Maria are much-loved characters.
Presenters
Many well-known Australians have presented Play School, including Benita Collings, John Hamblin, Noni Hazlehurst, Justine Clarke and Jay Laga'aia.
Play School celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2016 with special episodes and concerts, and generations of Australian parents now watch it with their own children.
The program has long promoted inclusion, featuring presenters and families from diverse backgrounds, sign language and characters with different abilities. Its calm pace and simple activities are designed to suit preschoolers, and many episodes encourage children to make things at home from household materials.
Did You Know?
Play School's theme song begins with the line There's a bear in there, and a chair as well.