Explore Play Wales
Today, children across Wales and the rest of the world are celebrating International Day of Play. Play Wales is collaborating with International Play Association (IPA) Cymru Wales and IPA Japan to celebrate the universal joy of play.
Central to our activity is a short film capturing children playing in both countries. It also features interviews with children of all ages – in English, Welsh and Japanese – sharing what they love about play.
International Day of Play is a global celebration that highlights the power of play in children’s lives. Organised annually by the United Nations, the day affirms every child’s right to play and promotes play as a fundamental element of wellbeing, learning and healthy development. Play is essential, not optional.
This year’s theme, Choose Play – Everyday, is a powerful reminder that play is not just for one day, it’s something to be protected and prioritised all year round. As the children in the film tell us, playing is central to their wellbeing and happiness. This is why we are calling for schools, hospitals, families, and neighbours/community members to give children of all ages plenty of chances to play, every day.
Global celebration
We are working in partnership with IPA Cymru Wales and IPA Japan, as part of Wales and IPA Japan 2025, a year-long celebration of cultural and economic connections between the two nations.
Marianne Mannello, branch secretary of IPA Cymru Wales said:
‘2025 is the Welsh Government’s Year of Wales and Japan, so it seemed right for IPA Cymru Wales to collaborate with the Japanese branch of International Play Association. We wanted our collaboration to be as child-centred as possible, so we were delighted when IPA Japan agreed to partner with us to produce a child-led film. The finished product, filmed by branch members across both countries, highlights the joy that playing brings to children. It gently reminds us that, no matter where children find themselves, they greatly value and need to play… every day.’
Mike Greenaway, Director of Play Wales said:
‘Most children will be at school today, so we are encouraging all schools to choose play by ensuring that every child has plenty of time to play during the school day, on International Day of Play, and every day. Schools in Wales have a major role in promoting the right to play for children and teenagers. And this year, as part of our international work, it’s great to be working with IPA Cymru Wales and IPA Japan to celebrate children’s play and showcase the joy of playing in a variety of places in both countries, every day. Thank you to all the children in Wales and Japan who have taken part in our short film.’
The President of IPA, Robyn Monro Miller, has shared a video message calling on everyone to not just celebrate play, but to reflect on the barriers to play in our communities, and to work together so that every child has the time, space and opportunity to play, every day.
Get involved
It’s not too late to take part in today’s International Day of Play. To help make the day as playful as possible we have produced a list of top tips for celebrating in International Day of Play in schools (which are useful for other settings too) and top tips for parents.
We have worked with our illustrator to create a new poster to celebrate children’s right to play – on International Day of Play and every day. We have created the poster to remind everyone how important playing is to all children.
Share your International Day of Play celebrations and reflections with us on social media, using the hashtags #InternationalDayOfPlay and #ChoosePlay.