TOY LIBRARY ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AFRICA
WORLD PLAY DAY
THURSDAY 28TH MAY 2015
“PLAY IS FUN”
“Children need the freedom and time to play.
Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.”
Kay Redfield Jamison
WORLD PLAY DAY – 28th MAY 2015
THEME: “Play is FUN!”
Allow a child to play today. Watch a child play today. Play with a child today.
The Toy Library Association of South Africa (TLASA), managed by Cotlands, promotes World Play Day which is
celebrated on May 28th each year and is an event that Cotlands has celebrated nationally at all our Toy Libraries
for the past 5 years.
What is World Play Day?
World Play Day is a celebration of children’s right to play and is a campaign that highlights the importance of play
in the developing child.
World Play Day is an active event of the International Toy Library Association (of which TLASA is a member) and
has become a global festivity.
Why World Play Day?
Cotlands vision is to see children in South Africa thrive in their formative years, and this can be achieved through
early learning play based development opportunities.
We want our children to grow into well adjusted, well educated, useful and happy people, but how can we
ensure that this happens? Through play based learning opportunities.
“Some people see play as frivolous but for young children it’s the foundation for life-long learning, it evokes their
curiosity, helps them succeed in school and go on to thrive as adults. It is much more than just play, even the
simplest of games can help unlock skills required for formal learning.” Jackie Schoeman, CEO Cotlands.
Children have the right to recreation and play in a clean and safe environment. In the words of Nelson Mandela,
“there can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul that the way in which it treats its children.”
By promoting a day of play nationally we will create awareness on the importance and value of play in all our
lives, and particularly in the lives of our children.
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What children gain when playing
 Children learn to talk through play;
 Make friends through play;
 Exercise and have fun through play;
Acquire the basic skills for formal education namely:
 math’s and language concepts,
 concentration, problem solving, logical thinking,
 fine motor skills – pencil grip,
 gross motor skills – crossing the midline,
 imagination – creativity skills, self-confidence and
social skills;
 Parents having fun with their children – building
relationships;
 Everyone (adults as well) need to be reminded to
take time out to have fun – we challenge corporates
to an minimum of an hour of play at the office on
Wednesday 28th May 2014
 Use first hand experiences to learn through play
 Making up their own rules when playing
 Making props for play (substituting a toy for real
life item)
 Choosing what to play – own choice / childdirected
 Rehearsing the future – role playing
 Pretending – make believe play
 Playing alone – solitude play
 Playing together – social skills
 Having a personal agenda – know what they want
 Being deeply involved in the game or activity –
developing concentration
 Coordinating ideas, feelings and relationships for
free-flow play – emotional development
Theme for World Play Day 28 May 2015
“Play is FUN!”
At some stage of our life we have all heard “stop playing and get to work!” Play is often seen as the opposite of
work - being lazy and lack of achievement . At best play is seen as recreation. This is a common misperception
and we have a responsibility to advocate for every child’s right to play and have fun!
We all have a vital role to play in children’s lives and all of us can show and teach others the importance of play.
Play can unlock powerful memories of good fun times we had as children, it renews our energy (physical, social,
emotional, and spiritual) and it encourages creativity and creative thinking. Play takes many forms and shapes
and the heart of play is FUN and pleasure. If it isn’t FUN, it isn’t play.
It is through play that we do most of our learning, as we learn best when we are having fun. According to Dr
Bruce Perry, play more than any other activity fuels the healthy development of children and the continued
healthy development of adults.
We start playing in utero – kicking and moving about. From birth we start to play:
 using our bodies to explore our world around us - the building blocks to our physical development,
 with our minds, through make believe play, we make sense of our world and role play,
 using newly learnt words during play we develop vocabulary and language,
 we use props (blocks, boxes, toys).to extend and enrich our playful learning experiences.
While the exact nature of play evolves and becomes more complex as we grow older, play at all ages it fun and
brings pleasure to us – developing social and emotional skills.
Many of our current generation of children have lost their opportunities to play. Poverty, violence and poor
education continue to plague us as a country and these, as well as other challenges, have had a negative impact
on safe opportunities for children to play. Today, children are less likely to have a full range of safe play
opportunities that they need than we did as children.
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Due to numerous circumstances many children have to assume adult roles and responsibilities and this leaves
little time for schoolwork and even less time for play. Child headed households is the smallest contributor to
children having adult responsibilities – grannies and parents working long hours, city dwelling etc all play a much
bigger role. For many, their basic needs are not met and play is seen as a luxury rather than their fundamental
right.
It is therefore critical that we help changes these circumstances, educate society to understand that play
enhances every domain of a child’s development. Gross motor skills such as crawling, walking, hopping, skipping
and running are strengthened when a child pushes a car or toy grocery trolley and jumps with a rope. When they
kick a ball they are practicing coordination by balancing on one foot while kicking with the other – integrating
both hemispheres of the brain. A child’s cognitive capacity is enhanced when playing games, figuring things out
for themselves through trial and error – developing their problem solving skills as they learn to make choices.
Through play a child develops interpersonal and social skills by communicating with others, learning to cooperate
with others, teamwork and an understanding of others while learning how to become more empathetic and less
egocentric. Playing with others a child learns a system of social rules and the importance of learning to control
themselves.
All children have a natural curiosity, to discover things for themselves, to make sense of their environment and
the world, to play and have fun and for some children they need our help to release that natural curiosity. By
creating FUN playful learning opportunities for our children we give them cherished memories and experiences to
help them learn, figure out who they are, how the world works, where they fit in and develop skills they need to
learn to read and write.
PLAYFUL FUN in early childhood is one of the most important opportunities you can give a child and the best
foundation for their success in school.
Let us all unite and come together as a nation on Thursday 28th May 2015 and give the children a “Right to Play
and have FUN” in a safe and child-friendly environment.
The International Toy Library Association aim for 2015 World Play Day is for everyone to have FUN and a creative
way to do this is to have “flash mobs” all around the world using Pharrell Williams “Happy” song. Click on link to
view song: www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6Sxv-sUYtM.
It is a fun and happy song – so why not use it as an activity with the children to sing and dance along.
How can YOU get involved?
Whether you've got children, you work with children, or you're a big child yourself, World Play Day needs you!
There are lots of ways you can celebrate World Play Day on Thursday 28th May 2015 and get involved in the
wider campaign, so why not:
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Organise a celebration – Anyone can organise a World Play Day event, whether it’s a large community event,
an extended break at school, fun activities in the work place, or a get-together with friends and family
Spread the word – the more people that know about World Play Day, the more opportunities children will
have to play within their communities.
Support for World Play Day in your area – let us know how you’re promoting World Play Day - “ Play is FUN”
in your area, or contact us on 011 683 7200 to discuss any ideas you have.
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Where and how you decide to celebrate World Play Day is up to you but what is really important is that children
and people of all ages get to have fun, and you help raise awareness that not all children have the chance to
experience play all year round.
How will the day look?
Play area:
Identify safe areas for play opportunities,
Staffing:
Have adequate staff (adults and volunteers) for the day with 1 to 2 adults per play
station/area – depending on the number of children,
Refreshments
Provide refreshments – a snack and plenty of water/juice to drink,
Washing up
Provide washing up areas with soap for children to clean up after each activity
Tidy up
Children must assist with packing up as this is good life skill. Make sure all litter is
thrown into dustbins
Theme
“Play is fun” and recommended activities will focus on various learning through
play to develop the child holistically.
1. Welcome:
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Welcome all children
Take register - name, surname, gender and age of all children attending.
Give each child a name tag
Establish the rules and define what is acceptable behaviour for the day
Explain how groups of children will rotate from each play station/area
 Discuss the theme for the day “Play is FUN!”
o Ask children to define fun
o What do they like to do that is fun
o Discuss that children have the RIGHT to play, have fun, do sport and relax, and that their
RESPONSIBILITY is to include everybody in the activities and games
 Explain the activities and games at each play station/ area.
2. Play Time:
 Groups of children to rotate through the outdoor/indoor stations and games
 Use a whistle / tambourine to indicate when it is time to rotate.
 Make sure that you allow sufficient time for all children at the station/area to complete the game/activity
3. Refreshments:
 Break for refreshments
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4. Play Time:
 Continue with groups of children rotating through the stations
5. Tidy Up:
 Everyone to assist with packing up, tidying up, cleaning, and throwing liter into dustbins
6. Good-bye:
 Call all the children together and recap on their right to play and have fun and their responsibility to
include everyone in the games. Allow time for children to give feedback.
 Let the children say the FUN rhyme all together and use their tambourines they made while saying rhyme
Examples of activities are attached.
Ensure that you plan and prepare for the day, setting up stations/areas and making resources as required.
Most importantly:
This is the one day of the year that we all stand still and PLAY, and have FUN regardless of age, religion or socioeconomic status.
Allow a child to play today. Watch a child play today. Play with a child today.
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PLAY STATIONS
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
Language
Large group activity
Rhyming game:
A fun language activity that encourages vocabulary and language in a playful way.
Construction and
Blocks
Individual activity
Play Dough
Individual activity
Play Dough
Individual activity
Construction and blocks:
An activity that allows children to be creative, explore and discover while laying a foundation for cognitive development, problem
solving, spatial orientation and important maths concepts.
Construction using play dough and toothpicks:
A fun way for children to explore and build their own creation using play dough and toothpicks.
Sensory play dough garden:
An exciting way for children to create their own play dough garden while stimulating their senses and creativity
Art:
Small group activity
(4 to 6 children)
Art
Individual activity
Art
Individual activity
Autumn collage:
A fun way for children to develop a good understanding of seasons – that nothing stays the same, developing sense of time and
change. Exploring and touching natural elements and developing a love and respect for the environment in a fun filled way.
Autumn tree collage:
A fun way for children to develop a good understanding of seasons – that nothing stays the same, developing sense of time and
change. Exploring and touching natural elements and developing a love and respect for the environment in a fun filled way.
Painting flowers with a fork:
An exciting and creative activity where children will explore painting a flower using a fork.
Art
Individual activity
Noodle Sunflowers:
An artistic activity where children will learn about the sunflower while creating their sunflower using noodles.
Art
Individual activity
Outdoor games
Large group activity
Paper Plate Tambourines:
An enjoyable activity that will develop creativity, fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination while they make their own
tambourine.
Catch the balloon:
A fun and playful way for children to develop gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination, crossing midline, auditory memory, social
skills, follow rules and instructions while trying to catch a balloon before it falls to the ground.
Musical Hoola Hoops:
Is a super exciting game for children to develop gross motor skills, memory recall, cognitive memory, listening skills and quick
reflexes
Hopscotch:
A good old fashion game of hopscotch that will enhance gross motor skills, bilateral coordination, sense of balance and social skills
Outdoor games
Large group activity
Red Rover, Green Rover:
An energetic game that brings out the competitive and cooperative skills in children
Outdoor games
Small group activity
(6 children)
Outdoor games
Large group activity
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Outdoor games
Large group activity
Obstacle course:
Such a fun way to work as team while developing strong muscles and remembering the sequence of the course.
Outdoor games
Small group activity
Giant Twist ‘n Touch:
This is fun personified – children will thoroughly enjoy twisting and turning – an excellent way to enhance their bilateral
coordination, sense of balance while crossing their midline.
Bowling:
A fun way for children to develop their gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination and spatial perception.
Outdoor games
Small group activity
Cooperative (Trust)
Games
Large group activity
Outdoor games
Small group activity
Variety of cooperative games:
Team work and building cooperative skills is so important for a child’s holistic development and lots of fun will be had by all.
Music Activity
Large group activity
Sing and Dance to Pharrell Williams “Happy” song
A fun filled group activity that develops cooperation, auditory memory, language and vocabulary development and coordinated
gross motor skills
Relevant indigenous games:
Children will develop cultural awareness as they interact with their friends while learning the rules of different indigenous games.
Detailed Activity Booklet attached
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