Global School Play Day

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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 due to technology and adult interference. This galvanized the educators to initiate this play day campaign. 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 organization believes 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 is observed annually every first Wednesday in February and this year it will be held on February 5. Benefits of Play. Play is an activity that is spontaneous, fun, and done for its own sake. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 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 practicing 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 behaviors, and problem-solving skills. Importantly, over eighty one (81) nations now observe Global School Play Day including Jamaica. The national observance is called ‘Play Day JA’. Play Day JA aims to promote the importance of play in teaching and learning, while providing a fun and engaging experience for students, parents, and educators. Unfortunately, in many educational institutions physical education is no longer timetabled. It is also critical that policy makers 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 is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo © #GlobalSchoolPlayDay #GSPD

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