Children have a right to play according to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. However, early childhood is changing with more non-parental care settings, more structured activities before school, and an increasing focus on school readiness that can limit opportunities for spontaneous play. Negative influences like conflicts, disasters, and television violence as well as an overemphasis on accountability and professionalization in early childhood settings can negatively impact children's play development, which benefits from a balance of different types of play like exploratory, constructive, dramatic, and physical play.

1. Effects on Child Development

2. Children have the right to play…
Every child has the right to rest and leisure to engage in
play and recreational activities and to participate freely
in cultural life and the arts.
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Article 31

3. Early Childhood is Changing
 More non-parental care settings
 More organized and structured activities prior to
formal school

4. Changing…
 Increasing focus on school readiness
 Accountability in early childhood settings
 Professionalization of early childhood

5. What is happening
to play?
“Play is becoming
institutionalized.”
Association of Canadian
Community Colleges Early
Education Forum, Montreal
(2008)
http://www.youtube.com/watc
h?v=HkBsR69QOQs&feature
=related

6. Spontaneous Play Opportunities
Limited

7. Negative Influences on Children’s
Play
 Extreme conflict situations – wars, domestic violence
 Natural disasters
 Viewing television violence
Taken from: Play and Child Development by Frost, Wortham, and Reifel (2008)
pages 74 – 76

8. Children need a balance of
Exploratory Play
Constructive Play
Dramatic Play
Object Play
Sensory Play
Games with Rules
Physical Play
Games with Invented Rules
Adapted from: Association of Canadian Community Colleges Early Education
Forum, Montreal (2008)
Created by Joanne McDonald (2011)