International Day of Play

Today marks the first-ever International Day of Play, which has been declared by the United Nations General Assembly to champion and protect children's right to play.

The Day of Play on 11 June was added to the list of global annual observances recognised by the United Nations, following a successful campaign by Save the Children, the LEGO Group and the LEGO Foundation and other partners, to recognise play as a critical developmental activity for children.

On March 25, with the support of 140 countries, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution earmarking June 11 as the International Day of Play, an effort to protect children’s right to play, clubbing it with other fundamental rights.

Play is crucial for children's learning, well-being, and development. Through play children practice roles and build skills such as concentration, learning, memory, and language, said Save the Children. Play also helps children explore and understand the world around them - it sparks creativity and can inspire a life-long love of learning.

Children have a right to play under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989, yet around 70% of adults aren’t aware of this right, according to toy manufacturer LEGO’s global Play Well Study 2024. underscoring the need for an international day.

Beyond mere recreation, it 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.

It also fosters resilience, creativity, and innovation in individuals. For children in particular, play helps build relationships and improves control, overcome trauma, and problem-solving. It helps children develop the cognitive, physical, creative, social, and emotional skills they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Restricting opportunities for play directly impedes a child's well-being and development. In educational settings, play-based learning has been recognized as an effective approach to engage students actively in the learning process. It helps make learning more enjoyable and relevant, thereby enhancing motivation and retention of information.

Moreover, play is considered to have a positive impact on promoting tolerance, resilience, and facilitating social inclusion, conflict prevention, and peacebuilding. In recognition of this, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child has enshrined play as a fundamental right of every child under Article 31.

The international day creates 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.