By Wayne Campbell
Special to the AFRO
“Play is fundamentally important for learning 21st century skills, such as problem solving, collaboration, and creativity.”– American Academy of Pediatrics.
Many children no longer play, and this is true for various reasons. In fact, many of us as adults, especially those of Afro-Caribbean ancestry, tend to undervalue the impact and significance of play concerning our children. Oftentimes, we tell our children to go and “take up their books.” However, playtime is important.
Global obesity has become a public health concern and this is rather concerning. In fact, in some jurisdictions, physical education is not done and students go through an entire academic year without any structured playtime.
The United Nations indicates that over 390 million children and adolescents ages 5-19 years were overweight in 2022. The prevalence of overweight (including obese) children and adolescents ages 5-19 has risen dramatically from just 8 percent in 1990 to 20 percent in 2022. The rise has occurred similarly among both boys and girls: In 2022, 19 percent of girls and 21 percent of boys were overweight.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child has enshrined play as a fundamental right of every child under Article 31. Beyond mere recreation, playing is a universal language spoken by people of all ages, transcending national, cultural and socio-economic boundaries. This shared passion fosters a sense of community and national pride. Unfortunately, in war torn areas of the world, such as Gaza and Ukraine children are denied their fundamental right to play. Regrettably, the world appears helpless in bringing to an end these wars, and children suffer disproportionately in times of conflicts.
The first-ever International Day of Play, which was observed June 11, 2024, marks a significant milestone in efforts to preserve, promote and prioritize playing so that all people, especially children, can reap the rewards and thrive to their full potential.
Why is play important?
Children learn best through play. Play creates powerful learning opportunities across all areas of
development: intellectual, social, emotional and physical. Through play, children learn to forge
connections with others, build a wide range of leadership skills, develop resilience, navigate
relationships and social challenges as well as conquer their fears. When children play, they feel safe.
Children play to make sense of the world around them. More generally, play provides a platform for
children to express and develop imagination and creativity, which are key skills critical for the
technology-driven and innovative world we live in.
Playful interactions contribute to the well-being and positive mental health of parents, caregivers and children. When humanitarian crises turn a child’s world upside down, it is in play that children can find both safety and respite from adverse experiences while also being able to explore and process their experiences with the world. When children are driven from their homes by war, conflict, and displacement, access to nurturing relationships with parents/caregivers and peers are critical buffers from the effects of violence, distress and other adverse experiences. Without a doubt, play comforts and soothes children.
In order to encourage playful interactions between parents/caregivers and children, governments and other stakeholders need to create an enabling environment. As rapid urbanization takes hold across many countries, more and more green and safe spaces for children to play are disappearing and this is
problematic. We need to revisit our urban planning and ensure that children are not denied their chance to play.
Government-led action
Alarmingly, an estimated 160 million children around the world are working instead of playing or
learning.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) are calling on governments to prioritize those sustainable development goals that are related to the right to play and accelerate progress towards SDG targets: Governments must ensure that universal access to evidence-based parenting programmes that promote attachment, playful parenting and buffer children from external shocks and prevent potential risks, such as excessive screen time, are part of this child development policies. Additionally, universal access to quality, inclusive early childhood education, including learning through play, for children between 3 and 6 is critical for their development. Finally, governments have a responsibility regarding the protection of public spaces and care environments from environmental and climate change, conflict, and urbanization.
This important day is a call to action to create a unifying moment at global, national and local levels to elevate the importance of play. It signals a call for policies, training and funding to get play integrated into education and community settings worldwide.
In the words of Plato, do not keep children to their studies by compulsion but by play.
Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues.
waykam@yahoo.com
@WayneCamo