Play

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We take play seriously! This is NOT a contradiction in terms. The United Nations recognizes the children’s right to play as does the International Play Association whose guidelines for children’s play are enumerated below:

The IPA Declaration should be read in conjunction with Article 31 of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child (adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations, November 20, 1989), which states that the child has a right to leisure, play, and participation in cultural and artistic activities.

WHAT IS PLAY?

  • CHILDREN are the foundation of the world’s future.
  • CHILDREN have played at all times throughout history and in all cultures.
  • PLAY, along with the basic needs of nutrition, health, shelter and education, is vital to develop the potential of all children.
  • PLAY is communication and expression, combining thought and action; it gives satisfaction and a feeling of achievement.
  • PLAY is instinctive, voluntary, and spontaneous.
  • PLAY helps children develop physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially.
  • PLAY is a means of learning to live, not a mere passing of time.

ALARMING TRENDS AFFECTING CHILDHOOD
IPA is deeply concerned by a number of alarming trends and their negative impact on children’s development:

  • Society’s indifference to the importance of play.
  • Over-emphasis on theoretical and academic studies in schools.
  • Increasing numbers of children living with inadequate provisions for survival and development.
  • Inadequate environmental planning, which results in a lack of basic amenities, inappropriate housing forms, and poor traffic management.
  • Increasing commercial exploitation of children, and the deterioration of cultural traditions.
  • Lack of access for third world women to basic training in childcare and development.
  • Inadequate preparation of children to cope with life in a rapidly changing society.
  • Increasing segregation of children in the community.
  • The increasing numbers of working children, and their unacceptable working conditions.
  • Constant exposure of children to war, violence, exploitation, and destruction.
  • Over-emphasis on unhealthy competition and “winning at all costs” in children’s sports.