Dirt is good, less screen time, more play time is quite a powerful message, with a new  marketing campaign from OMO Arabia.

OMO are making a bold statement below with United Nations article 31. “Most parents are breaking this child’s right every day. #rightoplay ” 

As parents we need to reintroduce play especially to offset the increase in access to technology or as we put it, euphemistically, “screen playtime”.

Let’s try to promote play, with an increase in childhood obesity, issues with children not building resilience even foundation-level skills, gross motor skills, creativity, general social and emotional skills.

A great publication on Play by Kenneth R. Ginsburg and the Committee on Communications, and the Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health ‘Playing and learning outside also helps children to understand and respect nature, the environment and the interdependence of humans, animals, plants, and life-cycles’

‘Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth. Play also offers an ideal opportunity for parents to engage fully with their children. Despite the benefits derived from play for both children and parents, time for free play has been markedly reduced for some children. 

How can we approach this? Let’s start with activities like running outside, exploring the area seeking out the birds, insects, mud, sand, grass even concrete!

There is always an interesting game to play if your children use their imagination and creativity. My son loves going out and jumping in the mud once it has rained and we go walking in the fields or even running down the sand dunes.

Benefits of play below are;

•  Offering children opportunities for physical activity, freedom and movement, and promoting a sense of well-being through play.

•  Play supports children’s problem-solving skills and nurtures their creativity, as well as providing rich opportunities for their developing imagination, inventiveness and resourcefulness.

• Children need an outdoor environment that can provide them with space, both upwards and outwards, and places to explore, experiment, discover, be active and healthy, and to develop their physical capabilities through play.

• Important very young children learn predominately through their sensory and physical experiences which supports brain development and the creation of neural networks through play.
• Children will learn to assess safety and risks, by experimenting on their own.

Play as mentioned above is so important to develop the foundation skills in a child from gross motor skills, balance, coordination, creativity, imagination and many more.

Here is the original Right to play Article 31 from International Play Association  called “This is Me”..

I love this video as it shows play in so many forms from around the globe. Just remember as parents it is up to us to reintroduce child centred play, allow them to use their imagination and explore the world!

What techniques have you found to tear kids away from their comfortable media choices and just play not structured just children centred? And how do you bring the elements (Earth, Wind, Water and Fire/Sunshine) to life as part of play?