Brief description:
Play is a universal activity and a universal right of all children, but it is not always straightforward to secure and safeguard. Too often the significance of play in children’s lives is denied, misunderstood, or ignored. Drawing on research and experience from many different countries, this training workshop will consider children’s play in both indoor and outdoor environments and how play changes as children grow and develop. Attention will be paid to exploring the particular features and benefits of playing in and with nature. Depending on participants’ needs and priorities, it will also be possible to include contemporary concerns such as the commercialisation of play and the toy industry; technology in children’s play, and how universal schooling is affecting opportunities for play.
Duration: 1 to 2 days
Course Contents (non-exhaustive):
- The Significance of Play in Children’s Lives
- Children’s right to play and challenges to realising this right
- How play supports children’s development and wellbeing
- Playing with peers and siblings
- ‘Rich’ play environments indoors and outdoors
- Play in nature
- Creating Time and Space for Children’s Play: community action
For: Community development workers, ECEC practitioners, teachers, and parents.
