Top tips for celebrating International Day of Play

International Day of Play is the worldwide day for celebrating every child’s right to play, no matter who they are or where they live. It takes place annually on 11 June.

International Day of Play was adopted by the United Nations in 2024. It is a day for recognising the importance of children’s play and a chance to support children by making sure they have the time, space and freedom to play. As well as being a day all about play, it is also a chance to think about what stops children in our communities from being able to play, and how we can all work together to make sure every child can enjoy their right to play, every day.

The theme for this year’s International Day of Play is Choose play – every day!

Playful Childhoods is encouraging all families to spend time playing and having fun.

Here are our top tips for celebrating International Day of Play!

1. International Day of Play takes place on a school day, but there are plenty of ways you can build play into your child’s day. Grabbing playful moments, playing simple games and making everyday tasks playful provide great opportunities to have fun. For inspiration, read our blog article, Top tips for playing when you are short of time.
2. Making time for play does not mean you need a plan of activities. Perhaps agree some broad rules and then take a step back and supervise from a distance. Children will be more likely to choose how they play and enjoy experiencing things for themselves if they are given the freedom and encouragement to do so.
3. Give children plenty of stuff to play with. Gather a selection from around the house, such as old fabric and clothes, pots and pans, cardboard boxes and tubes. Children get creative when left to play with this stuff.
4. Children have a fascination with nature so think about stuff that allows children to explore the four elements in their play:
   • Earth – mud pies, sand, clay or digging
   • Air – kites, bubbles, balloons or flags
   • Fire – candle decorating, toasting marshmallows or campfire cooking
   • Water – hosepipes, buckets, sponges or watering cans.
5. Make sure your child is ready to play. Encourage them to wear old clothes for getting messy and wet – and be prepared for whatever the weather.
6. If you give children enough time, space and freedom, they will play and get creative. Play can happen at home or outdoors in your garden or local neighbourhood.
7. Have fun. Spending time playing should be fun for children and parents. Step back and observe the incredible experiences children have whilst playing – watch them learning, negotiating and enjoying themselves.
8. Chat about International Day of Play with your child. Ask them what they thought of the day. If they enjoyed it, think about how you can play more every day.
9. Get involved in the worldwide movement to support children’s right to play by sharing your play experiences, celebrations and comments on social media, including the hashtags #InternationalDayOfPlay #ChoosePlay