International Day of Play: Voices of Play - A Manifesto for Every Child

New Delhi: On the International Day of Play, a special virtual gathering brought together children from across the country. It was a chance for kids to share their thoughts, feelings about what play means to them that will be further formulated in the form of a Play Manifesto. This manifesto, that children will curate in the coming months, is a part of the initiative ‘Voices of Play'.

The initiative launched on the occassion of International Day of Play has been seeded as a Bachpan Manao collaboration by REACH Collective, Shiksharth and EkStep Foundation in 2024. 

Children from the the organisations including Gramothhan, NEAID, Samanta Foundation, Shiksharth, Swatantra Talim, and Umoya Sports participated at the launch of the process of curating a Play Manifesto.

Deepika Mogilishetty, Chief - Policy & Partnerships, EkStep Foundation explained to kids the significance of the day, emphasising the commitment of adults to protect the right to play for them. This wasn't their first rodeo; the idea for ‘Voices of Play' was born last year out of a simple yet profound observation: Wherever there were discussions about play, adults were doing all the talking; children's voices were missing.

Last year's conference left a lasting impression, Deepika mentioned. Sharing feedback from the previous get-together, she said,

Reading teaches you a lot, but it's through playing that you actually get to practice and apply what you've learned.

This insight perfectly captured the essence of why this manifesto was so crucial—it was about action, about lived experience, about the invaluable lessons learned through play. The conversation soon went to an engaging memory game led by Ashish from Shiksharth, with the help of two mascots, Gilli and Gillu and children eagerly participated in it. They asked some curcial questions to the kids.

What does play mean to you? How do you feel when you are stopped from engaging in playful activities?

These core questions were the heart of the manifesto-building process. The children's responses were immediate and heartfelt. They shared that they felt sad if they were restricted from playing. The kids were also asked about the places where they liked to play, and what they looked like. Vidya and Shanti, children from Shiksharth, Sukma shared their experiences. Kristijina, another child from NEAID Assam, spoke about the lack of dedicated play areas in her locality. She said,

I think the place where I live is like a town. But there is no extra space where kids can play. There are small fields, but they are far from kids' houses. So kids play at home. I think it would be nice if we had a playground or a space. A community, a village with playgrounds where kids can play. Where adults can see them and help them.

Her response highlighted the need for accessible and safe play spaces.

The Power of Simplicity

Ashish from Shiksharth highlighted the simplicity in which children keep their point of view or how they perceive the world. He said, 

Kids keep very complicated things in a simple way. Our effort is to let kids share their manifesto with simplicity and express how the play should be for them.

The virtual gathering concluded with a beautiful display of cultural diversity. Children from the Samanta Foundation, belonging to the Gujjar community, sang a traditional song celebrating the joys of childhood - how boys and girls enjoy different games during the monsoon season. Other children followed, sharing traditional songs in their own languages, filling the digital space with melodies.

The 'Voices of Play' was more than just a meeting - it was a powerful affirmation that the Play Manifesto would truly be ‘with the children, by the children, for the children.' It was a reminder that when it comes to play, the most important voices are those of the children themselves. 

There will be offline events that will be conducted from June 12 to July 31 across India to curate a Play Manifesto with children, which will be further released in August.