The PlayBall project – European Heritage through Traditional Ball Games is designed to increase physical activity and promote social inclusion among children aged 6 to 13, with particular attention to children with intellectual disabilities. By using traditional European ball games as an accessible and engaging form of physical activity, the project aims to motivate children to participate more actively in sport while at the same time discovering the cultural heritage, traditions and games of different European countries. The project brings together partners from Slovenia, Italy, Spain and Croatia, combining expertise in sport, education, inclusion and work with children.

PlayBall will develop an innovative sport programme based on traditional European ball games, adapted to enable the participation of children with different abilities. A Handbook of Traditional European Ball Games will collect five traditional games from each partner country and provide descriptions, practical guidance and adaptations for children with intellectual disabilities. The programme will be complemented by a Guide of Best Cultural Practices, a curriculum for teachers and volunteers, and an e-learning platform where educational materials and the developed PlayBall programme will be freely accessible.

An important part of PlayBall is the practical implementation of the developed programme. Partners will organise workshops and online training for teachers, trainers, youth workers and volunteers, as well as PlayBall sport events in all four partner countries. At least 120 children will participate in the sport events, supported by trained volunteers, while the training activities will strengthen the competences of professionals and volunteers working with children. The project will also organise promotional events and cooperate with schools, NGOs, sport organisations, educational networks and other relevant stakeholders to encourage wider use of the PlayBall approach.

Beyond direct participation in project activities, PlayBall aims to create a sustainable and transferable sport programme that can continue to be used by schools, sport clubs, NGOs, trainers, teachers and volunteers after the project has ended. Through its e-learning platform, multilingual educational materials and dissemination activities, the project will make traditional European ball games more accessible to a wider audience and encourage their integration into regular sport and educational activities. In this way, PlayBall combines physical activity, social inclusion and European cultural heritage, providing children with opportunities to be active, play together and discover traditional games from across Europe.