World Forum on Early Care and Education                                

In working to promote the value of play in the lives of children  the BCCN has become involved with World Forum on Early Care and Education. The mission of the World Forum Foundation is to promote an on-going global exchange of ideas on the delivery of quality services for young children in diverse settings.

In 2009 at the World Forum Conference in Belfast, sixteen persons gathered from 10 countries to hold the first ever meeting for the Working Group on Play. Participants met for two consecutive days prior to the World Forum to explore themes such as creative play, promoting play in schools, and endangered play.

The group focused on four basic areas: explaining play, the influence of schools and home life on play, the influence of media and corporate cultures on play, and the role of gender and diversity on play. The immediate goal was to support one another in promoting play as a way to learn. Ideas were brainstormed about using slogans such as “Play teaches…” (filling in a particular skill), or “All children play!” or” Back to Basics: Play!” or “Play is OK!” In the future,   members of the group would like to see these ideas broadcast in different ways media such as on billboards, bumper stickers, or on media sites like facebook.  The use videos (possibly youtube) of children playing, along with commentary to describe what they learn through these activities was also explored.

The essential question evolved as, “How can information about the importance of play be shared in the lives and learning of young children with parents, school administrators, elementary school teachers and others who do not understand the value of play?” World Forum members are hoping to help one another with information on  resources, ideas, workshops, articles, videos, activities – anything that can be used  to spread the idea that young children learn best through play.

World Forum Conference in Hawaii in May 2011

At the World Forum Conference in Hawaii in May 2011, the working group on Play agreed to work for a World Play Day in 2012.  The following was also agreed  

World Play Vision 

Every child around the world has the time, space, opportunity, and resources to play

World Play Mission

The mission of World Play is to inspire and support global efforts to promote play as central to children’s growth, development, and learning.

Contact Kathy Laskowski if you are interested in getting involved in this Working Group.