Every child has the right to play – let’s make a world where they can

Everybody loves playing – but what if we told you that play wasn’t just about having fun, that it’s also important for how you grow and learn?

When you play, you make new friends and keep old ones, you figure out how to bounce back from tricky situations and when things get tough, you even learn how to be a leader by facing your fears or solving problems.

So on June 11, the second annual International Day of Play, UNICEF invites all children to “Choose Play – Every Day”.

Did you know play is actually a right*? It’s true: according to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child*, every child has the right to rest, relax, play and take part in cultural and creative activities.

Play is also part of another big global agreement called the Sustainable Development* Goals, or SDGs. These 17 goals were created back in 2015 to make a better future for everyone by 2030. The agreement says that play helps with goals like staying healthy, feeling good and getting a great education.

If you’re thinking, “Don’t all kids get to play already?”, you might be surprised to learn that around the world, one in 10 young children miss out on activities with their parents or caregivers like reading, telling stories, singing and drawing, while one in eight preschoolers don’t have any toys or anything to play with at home.

And in parts of the world where life is not so easy, play is a very important part of making sure children feel protected and safe.

In countries hit by earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters, as in Bangladesh, Pakistan and the Philippines, or places where there is war like Ukraine, Sudan and the Gaza Strip, UNICEF, the United Nations’ agency for children, has set up Child Friendly Spaces.

These spaces are a safe place where children can come to play, learn, look after their health, and share their feelings and fears. Most of all, they give these children, who might have lost their homes, schools, or loved ones, a place where they have a chance to heal, build resilience* and have a sense of normal life again.

UNICEF executive director Catherine Russell said the International Day of Play was created to shine a light on how essential play is – not just for children’s development and mental health, but also for their parents and caregivers.

“Nurturing and playful parenting can bring joy and also help children feel safe, learn, build skills, and navigate the world around them,” she said.

For the first-ever International Day of Play last year, hundreds of children gathered at the United Nations headquarters in New York, where they explored games tied to each type of play: physical, social, emotional, creative and cognitive*. These games were specifically designed to include children from different cultures and backgrounds, with extra help from partners like Sesame Street Workshop and Lego.

This year, UNICEF has put together a special playlist on YouTube Kids, with videos about playing and learning – perfect to watch with your family, friends and teachers. Teachers will find the free playlist details below.

So go ahead – play today, and every day. It’s much more powerful than you think.

To learn more about the International Day of Play 2025, visit unicef.org/parenting/day-of-play#cta

And stay tuned – later this year, UNICEF Australia will celebrate every child’s right to play with its annual A Minute of Loudness event for World Children’s Day on Thursday 20 November.

WATCH THE VIDEO

TEACHER LINK TO UNICEF PLAYLIST
Celebrate the International Day of Play with joyful moments from around the world. This UNICEF playlist brings together fun activities and meaningful play for the second annual International Day of Play on Wednesday 11 June:

youtube.com/playlist?app=desktop&list=PLzfcpxK7Y8rTc1yC0WRXtGsV8FRi3wZmb

STATE OF PLAY AT HOME AND AWAY
We know play sparks joy in people of all ages, but Thursday 12 June, marking the World Day Against Child Labour, is a reminder of all the kids globally who are denied their right to play.

The UNICEF/ILO 2025 Child Labour Report, released today, reveals that a staggering 137 million children aged from five to 17 years old are involved with child labour, with 54 million of these in hazardous work – meaning dangerous jobs and industries. They’re also overworked, putting in 43 or more hours per week.

Often these children are not going to school, but working to help support their families to buy essentials like food and medicine.

But thanks to organisations like UNICEF, the number of children forced to work is declining. In the last four years there are 20 million less children in child labour and almost 100 million less than there were in 2000.

And while most Aussie kids enjoy the kind of freedom from child labour that makes a playful childhood possible, a new LEGO Group study still found Australian cities in urgent need of more public spaces fit for child’s play.

Kids can make fun out of nothing, any time, anywhere, but the study shows nearly half (42 per cent) of kids believe that cars are prioritised over people in our cities, limiting safe and inviting spaces for play.

Nearly two thirds of kids (65 per cent) and parents (62 per cent) feel their cities lack fun places for kids to play, and 44 per cent of children wish they had more spaces to play with friends.

So the LEGO Group asked kids to share what they would like to see more of in their city. Some of the best suggestions were:

• Big board games and obstacle zones for adults and children to play together
• Outdoor areas that glow at night, like colourful lights or glowing pathways
• Fountains and water features you can play in
• Spaces to build and create things, like art zones or play cafes
• Interactive walls and murals that you can touch, climb, or change
• Skate parks and bike parks
• Sensory gardens and nature play areas

POLL

GLOSSARY

• rights: things that people are morally or legally entitled to do or have
• United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC): based on what a child needs to grow, learn and live a safe and healthy life with dignity and respect, the UNCRC is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in human history
• sustainable development: development that meets the needs of the present without impacting the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
• resilience: able to be happy, successful and so on again after something difficult or bad has happened
• cognitive: relating to or involving the mental processes of thinking and reasoning

EXTRA READING

Let’s ‘b kinder’ for everyone’s sake

Beloved toys comfort Ukraine kids

Ukraine war changing kids’ dreams

QUICK QUIZ

1. Which date marks the International Day of Play and when was it established?
2. What are the five types of play?
3. What are the SDGs and how many are there?
4. Where is the United Nations headquartered?
5. Where are at least four places where UNICEF has set up Child Friendly Spaces and why?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

UPDATED AUDIO: STATE OF PLAY AT HOME AND AWAY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Universal toy
With play proving to be an integral part of childhood development, and allowing kids from all different backgrounds, cultures and countries to connect, work with a partner to design a toy that anyone can use and play with.

Your item should include the following in its design:

• One item easily transported
• Can be easily played with (not too many instructions or complex rules)
• Fun!
• Cheap to make and give to children who don’t have much or live in war-ravaged areas or refugee camps

Sketch your design and label its features.

Share your design with the class and vote on the best prototype.

Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Design and Technologies, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
What are your favourite ways to “play”, where do you have fun, relax, do activities you enjoy and connect with other children?

–

–

–

Watch the UNICEF YouTube video to celebrate the International Day of Play at your school at a wet time timetable or indoor activity at playtime or lunch.

youtube.com/playlist?app=desktop&list=PLzfcpxK7Y8rTc1yC0WRXtGsV8FRi3wZmb

Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, the Arts, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
To sum it up
After reading the article, use your comprehension skills to summarise in a maximum of three sentences what the article is about.

Think about:

What is the main topic or idea?

What is an important or interesting fact?

Who was involved (people or places)?

Use your VCOP skills to re-read your summary to make sure it is clear, specific and well punctuated.