Enabling Children to access their RIGHT TO PLAY

Project Details

We are a small UK registered charity, RockStone & Pebbles (RSP), Charity Commission number 1177973, who work globally to enable children to access their fundamental right to play because we believe that play is the best way for children learn, grow, survive and thrive. #PlayMatters

2 trustees of RSP will volunteer their time in Gujarat, India to implement this project over the month of February 2023. We will be working with 5 schools, which look after just over a 1,000 children, to help increase play opportunities and improve play spaces for these children. Children in this community struggle to receive even the basics and play can often be undervalued due to resource constraints and lack of understanding around the value of play in children’s lives. Through this project we aim to take our experience and passion for play to support the lives of these vulnerable children through sparking their imaginations and bringing some joy and hope through the power of play.

These are the key activities planned:
1. Improve and build up an outside play space in one of the schools and provide children with play opportunities through playing games and artistic expressions
2. A day out with children from different schools to The Science City Centre – a 260 acre centre with internal and external areas for play and exploration. We will have a picnic there, and plan to visit the Hall of space and science; Planet earth, Nature park, Life science park, Energy park and Aquarium
3. A ‘play day with teachers’ from 5 schools to increase awareness and engagement on the child’s right to play (Article31UNCRC) amongst teachers and the local community; and to encourage a closer, more collaborative, working relationship between these schools. This will also help us better understand their needs so that RockStone & Pebbles (RSP) can continue supporting them in the long term and build a sustainable programme in this community that will enable children to access their fundamental right to play and improve their lives through the power of play.

PILOT PROJECT AIMS:
(i) Children are given opportunities to play
(ii) Project participants (children and teachers) learn about the right to play (Article31 UNCRC)
(iii) Project participants (children and teachers) better understand the power and importance of play (the benefits of play and the negative impacts of play deprivation on children)
(iv) The project will seek to gather learnings and assess how to build a sustainable, longer-term programme in this community to support children in building prosperous and happy futures through the power of play.
(v) The project will be used to advocate more widely on the importance of and right to play in children’s lives.

DESIRED OUTCOMES:
(i) Children are happier and more empowered through participating in activities, learning about their rights and being able to access their right to play
(ii) Project participants (children and teachers) are more aware and engaged on the importance of and right to play
(iii) This community has more impetus and interest in facilitating play in children’s lives through improved understanding on the importance of play
(iv) RSP builds learning and understanding about this community and the vulnerable children within and a sustainable programme is initiated through this pilot project
(v) Increase wider civil society awareness and engagement to help children access their right to play

Please donate and support us in helping children play and live their childhoods.