Play_Park_Strategy_2021-2030

Access to play parks can be seen as a basic right for all children. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is an international treaty that sets out the universally accepted rights of children. The Convention which was officially approved in 1989, has been ratified by almost every country in the world. It is a benchmark against which a nation’s treatment of its children can be measured and demonstrates a commitment to the articles of the Convention. It protects and enhances the basic rights of children through their policies and programmes. As a signatory to the Convention we ensure, under Article 31: "that every child has the right to rest and leisure, to engage with play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts". 32 Right to Play Part 2: Brief Context What is play? Young children learn through play. As soon as they can move, they use their bodies to express emotions and ideas. Through this play children learn discrimination and forms of effective behaviour. They use their bodies in intent exploration of their physical and social environment and gradually come to use language.