Early Childhood Development and Learning Education Essay (Essay Sample)

What Is Play and How To Early Childhood Educators Uphold and Respect Children Right To
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Introduction
Play is a part of daily experience of children. The international community acknowledges the significance of play in the child’s life through the United Nations on Children Rights Convention (UNCRC). The UNCRC is a global treaty adopted by the United Nations Assembly in 1989 (UNCRC, 1989). The Convention contains 54 articles, which are categorized into three main groups of right: participation, protection and provision. These Articles establish universally accepted rights for children. The Convention sets a standard against which a country’s handling of her children may be measured Australia ratified the Convention one year later. Play is considered an entitlement of childhood under the Convention and all children have the right to play plus an intrinsic motivation to play (UNCRC, 1989). Play should give children the freedom and opportunity to choose what activity to engage in, take risks and challenge themselves. The child’s right to play and participate in recreational activities is enshrined in Article 31 of the Convention. Article 31 requires state parties to recognize the child’s right to leisure and rest, to participate in recreational activities and play (UNCRC, 1989). It also requires state parties to promote and respect the child’s right to engage in cultural life. In addition to that the Article encourages the State Parties to provide appropriate opportunities for leisure and recreational artistic and cultural activity.
The purpose of this paper is to look into the importance of children’s play in learning and development, the right to play under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and how best teachers and parents can protect children’s right to play.
What is Play? Importance of the Right to Play