International Play Day is celebrated on May 28.

"World Play Day" is an event known as International Play Day or World Play Day that is celebrated in more than 40 countries around the world, including Portugal.

This day reminds us that playing is a right (Article 31º of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) and an essential joy for people of all ages. Playing brings advantages such as fun, education, increased concentration, creatity and coexistence.

Although playing is one of the most common activities in childhood, it is often neglected, with parents not having time for their children, with the growing urbanisation and loss of playgrounds, as well as with the commercialisation of play, with the growth of video games. In certain countries, playing is even an act prohibited by child labour and the recruitment of children for war.

How to celebrate 

On the 28th and throughout the last week of May (the week of playing) activities take place where the watchword is play. Among other activities you can:

• Play traditional games outdoors;
• Play in playgrounds;
• Gather parents, children and grandparents in the same games;
• Encourage games in schools;
• Have a picnic with the children.

Date origin

The date was created in 1999 by the International Toy Library (ITLA), at the 8th International Conference of Toy Libraries in Tokyo, being celebrated for the first time in 2000 and recognised in the UNICEF calendar. May 28 was chosen because this date is ITLA's birthday

Theme

Every year a theme is chosen for the celebration of the date. The themes selected for the last few years were:

2022: "Rediscover the play".
2021: "Playing is healthy."
2020: "Stay safe, play at home."
2019: "It's the child's right to play".
2018: "Free Play".
2017: "Sustainable Play".
2016: "Playing is for all ages."
2015: "Playing is fun."

Source: Calendnarr