Playday is the national day for play, which is celebrated each year across the UK on the first Wednesday in August. This year, falling on Wednesday 3rd August.
The theme this year is ‘All to play for – building play opportunities for children’
The theme aims to highlight that play is for everyone. It is every child and young persons right to have the opportunity to play. There is no limit, no language, or no barriers to play and play is more vital now to young people than it ever has been before.
Why is play vital to children and young people?
- Play is essential for children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing
- Play builds imagination and creativity
- Play delivers emotional and behavioural benefits
- Play helps to encourage greater independence
- Play fosters cognitive growth
- Play allows children and young people to make friends and develop relationships
- Play allows children and young people to learn
When children engage in play they are unaware of the objectives and benefits that come with it. During play, children stretch their imaginations, creating make-believe games or pretend worlds. Allowing them to explore their creativity and develop helpful navigation skills.
Through play, children learn to navigate their path, having the freedom to think for themselves while using their imagination to create and test out their ideas. Where they become more independent, increasing their confidence to tackle tasks on their own and figuring out how they fit in.
Play also helps to promote physical fitness in children, it keeps them moving and teaches them to use their bodies and strengthen connections to their brain. Physical play can help movement control, improve gross motor skills, help to build strong muscles, and increase cardio-vascular function. Of course, children do not realise that they are engaging with exercise when playing, but it is a great way to keep children fit and healthy.
In an every-changing world, play helps equip children with the skills they need to adapt and change. Ultimately, play is one of the most essential ways of learning in a child’s life. It helps to improve the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional wellbeing of children and young people.
Explore your child’s creativity and imagination by taking part in one of our yoga adventures stories!
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