On 25 March, the UN General Assembly ratified the International Day of Play, with support from more than 140 countries.
A network of organisations, play experts and children and young people across the world are calling on UN member states to support the resolution for an annual International Day of Play to take place on 11 June every year, starting in 2024.
Global development organisation Right to Play said the UN resolution was the culmination of a large, global effort led by a coalition of the International Day of Play network of organisations, of which they are a founding member, that are committed to driving a global play movement for children for future generations.
They said the move by the UN to adopt this international awareness day was ‘a momentous milestone’ which would shine a spotlight on the benefits of play across the world.
The goal was to spotlight the importance of play in children’s lives, learning, and development, and to call attention to the need to protect and support children’s right to play.
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Right to Play said that play is a fundamental right for every child but its importance is often forgotten. With just 30 per cent of adults aware that play is a fundamental birth right adopted by the UN in 1989, they said that there is an urgent need to put play back on the agenda.
Founded in 2000, the charity uses play-based learning and psychosocial support to help vulnerable children affected by war, disease, climate change, violence, poverty, inequality, prejudice and exploitation.
The global development organisation works in 14 countries across the world,‘in some of the most difficult places on earth’, where it said it helps children to stay in school and graduate, to resist exploitation and overcome prejudice, to prevent disease and to heal from war and displacement.
Gillian McMahon, executive director of Right To Play UK, said, ‘The adoption of an International Day of Play is a momentous milestone that will put the spotlight on the transformational benefits of play at a global level and help ensure that children around the world can claim this basic right.
‘In the countries where Right To Play works, the power of play is having a life-changing impact on vulnerable children, equipping them with the critical life skills to overcome challenges and helping them to cope with trauma and get back to learning,’ McMahon added.
‘Ultimately, play is empowering children to create a better future for themselves, their families and their communities. Through international recognition of the vital importance of play and this new global platform, we can work to ensure that no child is denied the fundamental right to play.’
According to the play campaigners a survey published by the International Day of Play network last year found that on average, three in five (59 per cent) children would like to play more than they do now, while four in five (79 per cent) children would like to play more with their parents or carers. Research by the LEGO Play Well Study this year also found that eight in ten (78 per cent) children said grown-ups don't always think playing is important and seven in ten (73 per cent) didn’t believe grown-ups take play – and how it can help them learn – seriously.
The campaign was started by the LEGO Group and the LEGO Foundation in partnership with Right To Play, ADEA, Arup, BRAC, Change X, Concerned for Working Children, Eurochild, Hasbro, INGKA, International Play Association, IRC, KidZania, Mattel, NIKE, inc., PEDAL, Plan International, Save the Children and the Sesame Workshop.
The International Day of Play was led by a core group of UN member states – Vietnam, El Salvador, Bulgaria, Jamaica, Kenya and Luxembourg, who worked to mobilise support for the resolution within their regions.