International Day of Play 2024
This June 11th is the first ever UN International Day of Play! We hope that children, young people and families had a day full of play.
Look out for a shout-out of two schools who had an extra playful day below!
Before we talk a little bit about International Day of Play, we want to do a bit of myth-busting!
3 myths about play…
Children need specialist play equipment to play.
Play doesn’t just mean swings and slides.
An easy win for playing without equipment is to play outdoors. Children can play by splashing in puddles, crunching leaves, creating patterns or artwork…nature provides lots of playful opportunities!
Play is a bonus or a treat for children
Children need a minimum of an hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity/play per day.
Play is an important part of a child’s learning and development, and should be seen as a necessity rather than an add on.
Play is just for very young children
Although the word ‘play’ can be seen as very childlike, play is for all ages. ‘Play’ is simply about doing something for fun, or doing something with allows our creativity or imagination to flourish.
Playing at any age can support with relieving stress and positive mental health.
What is the International Day of Play?
This day has been named by the United Nations as the ‘International Day of Play’. We have previously celebrated our National Day of Play, which falls on the first Wednesday of August, and now we have an international one to celebrate too!
Why is it important to take notice of?
“Play makes a better world.” – UN
Play is essential to children’s development, teaching them life skills and helping their brains to develop in the early years. It is also one of the Rights of the Child:
Did you celebrate at school?
Grimes Dyke Primary School have a strong focus on outdoor learning. You can read our previous blog about their provision.
For International Day of Play, they gave students extra time outdoors to play and have fun.
Alwoodley School celebrated with extra play time, as well as the grand opening of their new sandpit!
They are prioritising play and are working with ‘Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) CIC’ to have a #planforplay in their school
If your school celebrated International Day of Play 2024, send your pictures to be added here! childfriendlyleeds@leeds.gov.uk
Let’s make a lasting impact…
Celebrating the International Day of Play is important, but increasing the amount of time and space children have for play is an everyday goal.
Did you know?
Only 1 in 4 children play out regularly on their street compared their grandparents’ generation where almost three-quarters said they played outside a few times a week. – UN
41% of children had been told to stop playing out by either their parents or other adults such as neighbours. – UN
Children have less time and space to play than previous generations, and this needs to change!
If traffic is the main barrier to children playing on your road, consider applying to run a Play Street, where roads are closed temporarily for play!
Take a look at the Play Streets toolkit for an idea of how the process works:
