At COFACE Families Europe, we believe in the power of inclusive play. As highlighted in our Toys and Diversity campaign.
Did you know that the right to play is enshrined in Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child?
Yet, for many children, this right remains unfulfilled. Whether due to poverty, conflict, lack of safe spaces, or digital overexposure, play is increasingly at risk – and so are the benefits it brings such as creativity, resilience, social connection, and emotional well-being, to mention some.
On the occasion of the International Day of Play on 11th June, we actively raised awareness on this important right and its benefits for children and families.
Play in the context of hospital care
In the morning, we took part in a hospital visit at the Queen Fabiola Children’s University Hospital, with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, organised by Mattel and with the participation of Marie-Cécile Rouillon, European Commission coordinator for the Rights of the Child. Guided by Isabelle Lambotte, from the Hospital’s Psychology Department and colleagues, we especially discussed the role of play in helping children through their journey of recovery. Namely how play helps to distract children and reduce anxiety when faced with medical procedures, or how play helps to revisit a difficult experience and transform it. All this with a three-way partnership in mind: child, professional, families, to ensure the family environment is also favourable and supportive of the child.
Implementing the Right To Play in policy and practice
In the afternoon, we organised a joint webinar with Mattel inc. to explore how play can help future generations to rebuild connections and restore happiness. Play is a recognised universal right (UNCRC Article 31), but is also a critical pathway to well-being, connection, and creativity. The webinar gathered key stakeholders from the United Nations, European institutions, national decision-makers, civil society and industry, in a discussion about the benefits of play for children and families. This included the following panelists: Marie-Cécile Rouillon, European Commission coordinator on the Rights of the Child; Bertrand Bainvel, Representative to EU Institutions, UNICEF; Willy Bergogné, Director, Save the Children EU; and Chris Down, Chief Design Officer, Mattel.
Together with participants tuning in from across Europe and across world regions, we discussed how public policy contributes to the right to play (such as the place of play in the six pillars of the EU Strategy for the rights of the Child, as highlighted by Marie-Cécile Rouillon), and the benefits of play for children who experience distressing events, such as violence and loss of loved ones (with many examples highlighted by Willy Bergogné of Save The Children EU). With UNICEF representative Bertrand Bainvel, we discussed key spaces for advocacy to mainstream play such as education policy and social protection (with a focus on early childhood), as well as recommendations for mainstreaming play in parental support programmes (eg through family centres and hubs), in pre-school services, as well as the creation of safe play areas for children. With Chris Down we discussed the role of key toy industries like Mattel in creating toys which give both children and adults opportunities to play and be creative, and the role of toy industries in creating accessible toys, toys which represent society in its diversity (including with disabilities) and which help to break gender stereotypes. See further reflections and questions addressed at the webinar.
Further reflections and resources
Participants in the webinar tuned in from different world regions, and here are some of the issues raised.
- What is the best place to look for a collection of research publicly available that explores how play (and what kind of play) improves cognitive, mental and social development in children? Some first resources shared during the webinar included a Study by Mattel on the Shape of Play and resources of the Save The Children Resource centre
- Who have you seen as the main creators and facilitators of play across your experiences and research, educators, parents, other children, institutions, etc? Put differently who do you feel is the most impactful recipient of right to play advocacy?
- Playful approaches can also help ‘teach’ children to be inclusive towards their peers with different abilities
- I have a question about play that could help to identify mistreatment of children or abuse. Have they been developed? Either for families or for schools?
- The EU is a very strong supporter of Education in Emergencies. To ensure quality education, play can make a huge contribution to child development. How do we ensure with so many other priorities to keep this focus?
- One Parent Families Scotland shared an example of their approach with single parent families in Scotland: they regularly hold a “get ready for summer” event to promote low or no costs activities during summer holidays e.g scavenger hunts puddle jumping particularly important for families impacted by poverty.
- For small children, play is actually the way they learn almost everything. Play is therefore crucial and it doesn’t take any sophisticated toys, free play is really the best way to learn and develop for this age group.
- Very interesting views indeed on the fundamental role that playing has on the development of almost every aspect of children’s lives. I also think we all really need it at any age for improving our everyday quality of life, by looking at things through the eyes of children!
- It was very good to hear from everyone, including from Bertrand about the efforts to challenge stereotyping and increase diversity in toy marketing and on packaging, the important studies mentioned from Chris at Mattel, and the diversity represented in the Mattel lines. At Let Toys Be Toys we feel it is so important not to limit children’s access to play with barriers like outdated gender stereotypes, and to be as inclusive as possible in all ways.
- For children, they will naturally play provided they are given the time and the space
- Play can also be empowering for children or adolescents to also design or organise games or plays involving peers…challenge rules and create new ones!
