Letter of the Day | Playing is essential for children’s well-being
Published:Monday | February 17, 2025 | 9:32 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
Global School Play Day was created in 2015 by a group of six educators: Scott Bedley, Tim Bedley, Eric Saibel, Misty Higgins, Oliver Schinkten, and Bethany Chaffin. These educators were concerned that children were getting less and less time to play because of technology and adult interference.
During its first observance on February 4, 2015, over 65,000 children participated. However, in 2020, during the sixth anniversary of the event, this number increased exponentially, with over almost 600,000 children participating across 75 countries. The organisers believed the campaign has been so successful because, initially, children had started forgetting how to play. Thankfully, parents and educators are beginning to see the positive impacts.
Global School Play Day was held on February 5 this year.
According to the American Academy of Paediatrics, play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth. Play also offers an ideal opportunity for parents to engage fully with their children. Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength. Play is important to healthy brain development. It is through play that children, at a very early age, engage and interact in the world around them. Play allows children to create and explore a world they can master, conquering their fears while practising adult roles, sometimes in conjunction with other children or adult caregivers.
Interestingly, less verbal children may be able to express their views, experiences, and even frustrations through play, allowing their parents an opportunity to gain a fuller understanding of their perspective.
Play is integral to the academic environment. It ensures that the school setting attends to the social and emotional development of children, as well as their cognitive development.
It has been shown to help children adjust to the school setting, and even to enhance children’s learning readiness, learning behaviours, and problem-solving skills. Importantly, over 81 countries now observe Global School Play Day, including Jamaica. The national observance is called Play Day JA, which aims to promote the importance of play in teaching and learning, while providing a fun and engaging experience.
It is also critical that policymakers use this international observance of Global School Play Day to refocus on the importance of physical education to the developmental needs of our students.
Undoubtedly, stakeholders must work to engender and incorporate play into teaching, at both the primary and secondary levels of the education system, to enhance students’ learning.
Global School Play Day is for everyone, from public schools to private schools and home-school families.
WAYNE CAMPBELL