What We Do
Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states each child has the right to:
1) “Rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts”
2) Participate fully in cultural and artistic life
Play is vital to every child’s social, emotional, physical wellbeing.
Play helps to ease the impact of trauma.
Play creates an alternative to worry and fear. It helps young children develop positive behaviours like working together and managing emotions.
It supports children to create friendships and resolve conflicts without violence. These qualities help a child far into adult life.
The Science of Early Childhood Development. (2007). Retrieved from National Scientific Council on the Developing Child: http://www.developingchild.net.
Why Laughter and Play
Laughter and play are vital to the healthy emotional and psychological wellbeing of all children.
Conflict and natural disasters disrupt the lives of communities. At these challenging times, children must have an alternative to worry and fear. We work alongside them to make sure this is possible.
The healing power of play is not a luxury for children. Many studies show that it is vital for healthy childhood development. It is also a powerful way to reduce stress and anxiety.
From a child’s perspective, play is at the heart of everyday things that matter to them.
Play is so important to child development that it is recognised as a right for every child by the United Nations High Commission.
Case Studies
Turkey
The civil war in Syria has uprooted 6.1 million people. Turkey is now home to more than 1.5 million Syrian children forced to flee.
Many have faced extreme challenges.
Creating time and space for children to express themselves is critical to their wellbeing.
Philippines
Typhoon Haiyan is one of the strongest storms ever recorded in history. It made landfall in central Philippines, destroying 500,000 homes, leaving over 6,000 people dead, and displacing over 4 million people.
Anna-Mai, 16, and her family lost everything they owned. They moved in with friends who shared their food and lent them clothes.
With 34 other young people, Anna Mai took part in three days of workshops. The focus was to provide a sense of recovery and hope after the weeks of loss, grief and misery caused by the typhoon. The workshops were a place for young people to come together and slowly start to heal.
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