The Toy Association™ Offers Shareable Playbooks for International Day of Play

May 10, 2024 | Ahead of the inaugural International Day of Play on June 11, The Toy Association™ is sharing resources biweekly from its Genius of Play initiative for play professionals to share with their networks. These resources are free to use and help to promote the importance of play in child development and offer guidance on fostering play-based learning experiences.

This week, The Toy Association invites the global play community to take advantage of The Genius of Play’s collection of four digital Playbooks, which offer expert-curated, play-based activities that highlight the associated benefits of play:

1. Let’s Play – A Playbook for Kids of All Abilities: The “Let’s Play” Playbook features nine adaptive, play-based activities to help children meet developmental milestones and promote social inclusion while having fun.


2. Emotional Wellness Playbook: Designed to teach kids how to express their feelings in healthy ways while having fun, this digital playbook features 12 play ideas that effectively tackle the five key components of emotional intelligence: emotional self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills.


3. STEAM Playbook: This digital playbook includes eight play ideas that encourage kids to relate science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics to the world around them and explore abstract concepts in a hands-on way.
 

4. Summer Playbook: The Summer Playbook features eight fun-packed play ideas that encourage kids to get outside, explore their world, and be active.
 

This is the second in a four-part series of free play resources. Previously shared resources include social media-ready assets that promote the six benefits of play.

International Day of Play creates a unifying moment at global, national, and local levels to elevate the importance of play as central to children’s learning and well-being — ensuring time to play, space to play, and support for quality play is prioritized. The international awareness day calls for policies, training, and funding to integrate play into education and community settings worldwide. Click here for more informational about the International Day of Play.

The Toy Association’s Genius of Play initiative is a leading resource on the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional benefits of play that serve children throughout their lives. Targeted to parents, teachers, and consumers, The Genius of Play’s website offers expert advice from play and child experts, play ideas, and resources for teachers. Follow The Genius of Play on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.