Convention on the Right of the Child (CRC) was selected as international covenant by United Nations on November 20th – 1989. This is for children to have natural rights based on survival, protection, development and participation. Most of all, we need to look at Article 31 with attention, ‘States Parties recognize the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural and the arts.’
According to UNICEF KOREA, a lot of children can not spend their time playing or resting. Instead, most Korean children spend most of their time trying to deal with excessive workload, which is caused by extreme competition in Korean educational system. Especially, children in developing countries spend working because they have to earn a living and have damaged by conflicts. These situations can make children development get ruined.
Play is a crucial part of their lives and has essential role in many children’s aspects. Basically, it gives children the opportunity to socialize (Stuart Lester & Wendy Russell. 2010. p.10). While playing, they maintain games by negotiating and agreeing by rules. In this process, it goes without saying that children improve their physical and mental health, and, moreover, they can learn about their environment and the wider community. Maybe it can be a rehearsal for adult life. In play, they can meet some unpredictable situation like seeing someone breaking rules, having experience they can not control them as they like and fighting with their friends. In this way, children develop a repertoire of flexible response to situation they encounter.
Play can be medicine for emotional problems (VOICE of PLAY – Emotional & Releasing Emotion from Trauma). Especially, some children in developing countries have suffered from conflicts or natural disaster, which can be likely to cause trauma. When children do pretend play as known as role play, they can use their imagination to break up limitation and reality. Children use it to express their emotions, proving to be therapeutic for children who are emotionally distressed from traumatic situation like family disruption, war and so forth. During the play, they express their feeling and learn how to deal with their scary experiences.
Above these, there are much more strengths for play than we know like self-confidence, brain and skill development and so on. However, there are a few places for children to play safely. Therefore, UNICEF and many non-governmental organizations have participated in creating safe places to play in war zone and refugee camps (Leah Benque 2020). In Korea, Lotte Engineering & Construction Co. has an opportunity to provide ‘Play Kit’ for vulnerable children in Seoul (Jeongbok. K 2020). This consists of thirteen packages for playing, including board game, speed cups, and so on. They hope children get emotional stability by taking advantage of the free time during COVID-19 situation. Some adults still treat play as wasting time and dismiss it, but now we need to change it.
Reference:
Stuart Lester & Wendy Russell. 2010. Children’s Right to Play: An Examination of the Importance of Play in the Lives of Children Worldwide. Bernard van Leer Foundation. Available at < file:///C:/Users/L%20G%20%20%20P%20C%20%20%20G%20R%20A%20M/Downloads/Childrens-right-to-play-An-examination-of-the-importance-of-play-in-the-lives-of-children-worldwide%20(2).pdf >. [Accessed 6 September 2020]
UNICEF KOREA. nolgwolli. Available at <https://www.unicef.or.kr/child-rights/campaign/play.asp> [Accessed 6 September 2020]
Leah Benque. 2020. Article 31: The necissity of play in children’s lives. Humanium. 17 March. Available at <https://www.humanium.org/en/article-31-the-necessity-of-play-in-childrens-lives/> [Accessed 6 September 2020]
Stuart Lester & Wendy RUssell. 2010. Children’s Right to Play: An Examination of the Importance of Play in the Lives of Children Worldwide. [pdf]Bernard van Leer Foundation. Accessed at <https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED522537.pdf> [Accessed 6 September 2020]
Jeongbok. K. 2020. Lotte gunseul, adong nol gwolli bojang wihan ‘nori kit’ jiwon. CEONEWS. 7 July. Available at <http://www.ceomagazine.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=11270> [Accessed 6 September 2020]
VOICE of PLAY. Benefits of Play. Available at <https://voiceofplay.org/benefits-of-play/> [Accessed 7 September 2020]
