Ghana joins the rest of the world to mark the first ever International Day of Play. Play is a critical component of a child's growth and development.
Did you know 41% of children had been told to stop playing outside by either their parents or other adults especially their neighbours? But restricting children from play directly impedes their well-being and development.
Play-based learning is an effective approach to engage students actively in the learning process. It makes learning more enjoyable and relevant which motivates them and retain information.
On this day, UNICEF joined the Deputy Minister of Education, Hon. John Ntim Fordjour and the team from Ghana Education Service to celebrate day with children at the Accra College of Education Demonstration School in Accra. We observed and interacted with students on Differentiated Learning Plus - a play-based learning approach. The Minister also had fun with the children through series of games where he showed his excitement and reminisced his childhood days.
At UNICEF Ghana we strongly believe in the power of learning through play, and you can see this in our programming with Ministry of Education (MoE)/Ghana Education Service (GES) in our schools - whether it's play-based learning in the Differentiated Learning Plus (DL+) approach in primary schools or supporting STEM through Minecraft Education games in secondary school. It's been wonderful to see global momentum grow around play-based learning, and we loved the opportunity to celebrate the first International Day of Play here in Ghana today with together with MoE and GES colleagues.
Children had lots of fun today through series of games ranging from traditional games like Ampe to international games like Football. Play helps children develop their cognitive, physical, creative, social, and emotional skills they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
Play is a right. Let's engage children in play and create an enabling environment.
