Let play come first and the rest will follow
Play is a universal language that crosses generations, borders and languages. Through play, we connect, create, recharge, escape and explore. It’s a basic human need – and a human right.
Everyone, young and old, benefits from play. It’s an essential part of children’s development, helping them learn about themselves and the world. Being an outstanding creativity booster and stress reliever, it’s nearly as vital for grown-ups. The list of benefits goes on: play develops communication skills and problem-solving, it makes us more flexible and optimistic, and that’s not even the half of it.
Clearly, we shouldn’t underestimate the importance of play. So, how do we describe it? Play is usually defined as an activity we do for fun and recreation without any serious, practical purpose. It’s stress-free, voluntary, and, most of the time, spontaneous. The magic of playing is that there are no rules about when there are rules or not. Sometimes playing goes on for days, and the storyline is super complex. Another time, all it takes to play is wearing a silly hat to dinner.
Best of all, the learnings and growth and general greatness come for free as longas we remain focused on what’s most important – having fun.
“Every child has the right to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child.”
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Did you know?
Play is the rocket fuel of brain development. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, play leads to changes at the molecular (epigenetic), cellular (neuronal connectivity), and behavioural levels (socioemotional and executive functioning skills) and promotes learning, our ability to adapt and problem solve, and drives our social skills and positive behaviours.
On the barricades of play
At IKEA, we know that the best way for children to learn, develop and grow is to play. We also know that the home is the most important playground. That’s why we’ve made it our mission to help make that space fun, adventurous, and safe.
Playing is not a luxury – it’s a necessity. And it’s almost as crucial for grownups as for kids. But at times, family life is all about logistics, and the idea of playing together seems far off. If we think of play as a specific activity with pre-defined rules, it’s easy to feel the pressure when experts go on about its greatness.
Because how should we find the time to play with our kids as much as we ought to? Or the energy? When play becomes another chore to add to the list, the point is lost.
Then again, playing doesn’t have to be more complicated than preparing dinner and pretending to be a chef. It doesn’t have to revolve around toys, and it doesn’t have to be confined to a specific space. Playing has no rules. It happens anywhere and anytime – and at IKEA, we want to keep getting better at offering solutions and inspiration that makes it come easy. We do everything in our power to make products for children safe and healthy, but we don’t settle for that. The journey to enable fun and safe play across the whole home continues, including parts of the range that aren’t explicitly developed for kids.
Did you know?
At the Real Play Coalition, we see play as a critical resource for children and their development. The Reclaiming Play in Cities Report, launched at the 10th World Urban Forum, reviews the evidence around learning through play and the impact that urban environments have on children’s access to play and, ultimately, their overall development.
The report also unveils a first-of-its-kind Urban Play Framework. It provides a method to understand how various urban systems impact a child’s learning through play experience, influencing their skills development and ability to thrive and reach their full potential.