The Real Play Coalition: working together to spotlight play
The benefits of play
Why do children need to play? Because play in early childhood ignites the fire for learning, naturally setting children up with the skills they need to thrive as adults in a fast-moving future.
Play is under threat
Through our collective work and research at the Real Play Coalition, we know that – whether at home, in the community, at school or across virtual spaces – play is under threat.Children today spend less time playing, because they’re too busy. That's why we want to promote play as optimal for child development.
What our play research tells us
Before we formed the Real Play Coalition, our organisations commissioned independent research across more than 100 countries, to assess the impact of play on children, families, communities and society.This gave us a sense of the benefits of play and what children learn through play. But it also provided a clear picture of the issues around low-play lives.
Our plan for spotlighting play
From our shared evidence‐based perspective comes the Real Play Coalition’s mission. To change perceptions around the value of play. To mobilise decision-makers. And to influence behaviourial change. So that by 2025, 500 million children will have benefited from the power of play.Our shared networks span the globe and we’re present in many people’s daily lives. Because of this, we all have a real responsibility to help reclaim play.
How will we do it? By using our combined insights, reach and influence, and by working with children, we will create a movement that impacts the cultural perception of the importance of play – among parents, practitioners, institutions and wider societies.
