Observed worldwide every 11 June, the International Day of Play (IDOP) is the first ever UN day dedicated to children's right to play. The One Stop IDOP Shop brings together the day, its origins, the global coalition behind it, country campaigns, voices from every continent, and resources for parents, schools, and policymakers.
The first ever UN day dedicated to play, anywhere, for everyone.
On 25 March 2024, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/78/268, proclaiming 11 June as the International Day of Play. It was the first time a UN day had been formally dedicated to play.
The day is co-organised by UNICEF, UNESCO, and the WHO Sport for Health Programme, with the participation of civil society, NGOs, governments, businesses, schools, and families.
Play is recognised under Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as a right of every child. The International Day of Play exists to make that right visible, every year, in every country.
"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 life and the arts."Article 31, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989
A multi-year campaign by a global coalition of organisations, governments, and children.
The work was initiated by the LEGO Group and the LEGO Foundation, in partnership with a global coalition of organisations spanning child rights, education, humanitarian, sport, and play. Together, they worked with UN member states, children, and youth advisory groups over several years to make the case for a UN-designated day for play.
The resolution itself was led at the UN by a Core Group of Member States from all five UN regions:
"For more than 90 years we have championed children's right to play. We know that it can change lives. The adoption of an International Day of Play by the UN is a true testament to the power of play and the need to collectively champion and protect all children's right to play."Niels B. Christiansen, CEO, The LEGO Group
"Play is the superpower of children, but not all children experience the benefits of learning through play. An International Day of Play is an important recognition of a child's right to play. Let's work together to ensure every child has the space and time to play and be the superheroes they are."Sidsel Marie Kristensen, CEO, The LEGO Foundation
Play England is the national charity for play in England, championing every child's right to play through advocacy, research, and the Play 31 Challenge.
Inspired by Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Play 31 Challenge invites schools across the UK and Ireland to extend break times, support playful outdoor learning, or create a giant "31" from loose parts to mark the day.
The challenge is led by the UK Children's Play Policy Forum in collaboration with Play England, Play Scotland, Play Wales, PlayBoard Northern Ireland, and IPA Ireland.
Euan Wilmshurst, Co-Founder and Principal of KW Strategy, is Vice Chair of the Play England board.
The official global campaign hub, with resources, activities, and ways to take part wherever you are in the world.
The dedicated home of the International Day of Play campaign. Free play activities for families, social media templates and suggested copy, a free course for parents, teachers, and policymakers, and ways for organisations and governments to take part in the global movement.
Free, practical play resources for families to use on the day and every day.
A free, filterable library of play activities for families to do indoors or out, using everyday things found at home. Activities are filterable by age (0–3 through 12+), duration, group size, location, and materials. From arts and crafts to social and emotional learning, from active games to tinkering.
Developed during Euan's time at the LEGO Foundation.
The theme of the 2026 International Day of Play is a reminder to governments, businesses, schools, and families that happy and healthy childhoods are built on play. Not as a luxury, not as a reward, but as a foundation.
Protecting play is something Euan has written about, and it matters now more than ever.
Read: Protect play, protect childhood →Shrinking break times in schools. Less independent outdoor play. Rising screen time. More structured, less spontaneous. The evidence is consistent across countries: children today have less time, space, and permission to play than at almost any point in recent history.
The International Day of Play is the moment to push back, globally, and to make the case clearly.
Primary sources from the UN system and its co-organising agencies.
Background on the resolution, the rationale, and the day's place within the UN observance calendar. Available in all six UN languages.
un.orgPractical play activities, the science of play, age-appropriate ideas, and expert tips for parents and caregivers throughout June and beyond.
unicef.orgUNESCO's account of the inaugural observance in New York, the role of the Member State Core Group, and links to the Tashkent Declaration and the Global Agenda for Early Childhood Care and Education.
unesco.orgThe full text of the UN General Assembly resolution proclaiming 11 June as the International Day of Play. Adopted on 25 March 2024.
documents.un.orgThe global organisations that initiated and built the campaign for a UN-designated Day of Play.
The campaign was initiated by the LEGO Group and the LEGO Foundation, in partnership with the following founding coalition members. Many continue to run their own programmes and resources for the day each year.
A declaration in support of the International Day of Play, calling for action on children's right to play.
Released on 11 June 2024, the first-ever International Day of Play, the Salzburg Statement was prepared by members of Salzburg Global's Education Policymakers Network. It calls on governments, civil society, and the private sector to protect Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, often described as "the forgotten article", and to give play the time, space, and support it deserves in every child's life.
Euan Wilmshurst, Co-Founder and Principal of KW Strategy, is a Salzburg Global Fellow.
A landmark UK policy report launched on the International Day of Play in 2025, making the case for a National Play Strategy for England.
Co-chaired by Paul Lindley OBE and Baroness Anne Longfield CBE, the Raising the Nation Play Commission was a year-long independent inquiry into the importance of play for children's wellbeing and how to restore it in England. The final report was launched on the International Day of Play, 11 June 2025.
Twelve recommendations include a new cross-departmental National Play Strategy led by a Minister for Play, a statutory Play Sufficiency Duty for every local authority, a ring-fenced £125m annual Play Fund, embedding play across the primary curriculum, banning smartphones during the school day, raising the digital age of consent to 16, and banning "No Ball Games" signs.
The International Day of Play is also a day for reflection. A sample of leaders, governments, and global organisations on whose right to play is being honoured, and whose is not.
"Who in your community does not have the opportunity to play every day? What are the barriers? Who are the people you can work with to remove those barriers? And what action can you take together to ensure that all children can play every day?"Robyn Monro Miller, President, International Play Association
"Play is a sign that children feel safe and nurtured and loved. They feel somewhat that they can be children even in the midst of great difficulty."Catherine Russell, Executive Director, UNICEF
"Every day is a day to play. Now we have a day FOR play!"Michelle Wu, Mayor of Boston
Highlighting Jamaica's establishment of February as the national "Month of Play", Ambassador Wallace pointed to play's role as a tool for social cohesion and showcased Jamaica Moves, a national programme promoting health through active engagement across the country.H.E. Ambassador Brian Wallace, Permanent Representative of Jamaica to the UN
"I grew up in Lebanon, a country at war, where fear and disruption were part of everyday life. But even in that context, play found a way in. We weren't defined by the conflict around us. We were simply children, inventing games, building friendships, and making sense of the world in our own way. Play gave us comfort, connection, and a sense of freedom when so much else felt out of our control."Sabine Saliba, Secretary General, Eurochild
"Africa needs more support to ensure that every children's playground on the continent is also a learning field. Government policies need to recognise the centrality of play when building a policy base for foundational learning and beyond. This is how we can reverse learning poverty, grow problem-solving skills among our children, and ensure we gain tomorrow for Africa."Association for the Development of Education in Africa
"Play is the basic foundation for human development at all ages. It helps people overcome social and cultural barriers, promotes creativity and innovation, and contributes to the comprehensive mental and physical development of children. Play also promotes a culture of dialogue, solidarity, and cooperation, contributing to preventing conflicts and building peace."Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN (one of the six Member States that led the resolution)
"Children and young people helped build the International Day of Play network. There is nothing about them, without them. We want a world where every child's right to play is respected, protected, and fulfilled."Día Internacional del Juego, Argentina, organised by the Cámara Argentina de la Industria del Juguete
"Children are unique, strong beings with their own identity, full of rights and potential. We design environments that enable and invite exploration, play, amazement, and research. For more than 15 years, across Colombia, Mexico, and Latin America, this has been the heart of our work."aeioTU, Colombia
"I like to go to the beach to see the reef and the shells, fish, sea cucumber with the coral, not forgetting the coral reefs. Charlie loves taking me to the sea and we just swim."Agnes, aged 7, Vanuatu (shared with Save the Children)
"Play increases our intelligence, saves our lives, and builds friendships."Maheshwari, India, member of the International Day of Play Child & Youth Advisory Group
A sample of national and regional campaigns from around the world. Many more national charities, governments, and coalition partners run activities each year.
Schools across the UK and Ireland are being asked to give children 31 extra minutes of play on 11 June, inspired by Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
playengland.org.ukWith over 175 Scottish schools already signed up, Play Scotland is calling on schools across Scotland to back the Play 31 Challenge and celebrate the right to play.
playscotland.orgActivities, resources, and the Welsh-language campaign for the International Day of Play from the national charity for children's play in Wales.
play.walesPlayBoard NI, the lead organisation for play in Northern Ireland, is calling on schools across NI to take part in the Play 31 Challenge and mark the day.
playboard.orgThe National Childhood Network, alongside IPA Ireland, is encouraging schools and settings across Ireland to celebrate the day with the Play 31 Challenge.
ncn.ieResources, events, and the Australian campaign for the International Day of Play, run by the national peak body for play.
playaustralia.org.auThe second annual Boston International Day of Play. The City of Boston and partners host a free, family-friendly celebration on 11 June with events across early childhood centres and public spaces.
boston.govRecreation Nova Scotia co-ordinates events across Halifax, Dartmouth, and the wider province, and offers free Community Activation Kits with planning guides and promo materials for community organisers.
recreationns.ns.caA week-long programme (10–14 June 2026) of workshops, drop-in activities, and a weekend carnival, in collaboration with Singapore's Museum Roundtable and community partners. Run by the National Heritage Board.
heritage.sgUNICEF India's dedicated IDOP page with stories, advice for parents and educators, and play-based activities tailored for families across India.
unicef.org/indiaUNICEF Türkiye's dedicated page for the day, with resources for parents, educators, and policymakers, available in Turkish and English.
unicef.org/turkiyeRight To Play runs play-based programmes year-round in countries including Ghana, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Pakistan, Thailand, and the Middle East, with International Day of Play activities across them.
righttoplay.comSave the Children, a founding coalition member, runs International Day of Play activities through its network of country offices across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.
savethechildren.netaeioTU's Educational Experience is built around children as protagonists of their own learning through play, art, and inquiry. The work has reached more than a million children and over 80,000 educators across Colombia, Mexico, and Latin America.
aeiotu.comHundrED's curated library of impactful and scalable play-based learning innovations, including BRAC Play Labs, Play2Learn Centres, Learn To Play, and the Play-Based Learning Observation Tool, deployed across multiple countries and contexts.
hundred.orgAn industry-wide call from The Toy Association to toy companies worldwide to give back, donate, and activate around the International Day of Play, championing every child's right to play.
toyassociation.orgAn educator-led global movement encouraging schools worldwide to dedicate one school day to free, unstructured play.
globalschoolplayday.comIf your organisation is planning something for the International Day of Play, or if play is part of your wider mission and strategy, we would love to hear about it.
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