Making space for play in the global post-COVID landscape
Publication Name
International Journal of Play
Abstract
In the last 4 years, over 1.5bn children faced education disruptions due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Approximately half of the world’s children were affected by prolonged school closures and unequal access to remote learning. However, initial global narratives mostly focused on academic setbacks resulting from these changes, known as ‘learning loss’. As such, they did not acknowledge the potential of play in children’s post-pandemic experiences. The Global Symposium on Post-Pandemic Play (GSPPP), held in March 2021, aimed to gather insights from researchers and practitioners working with young children. Data from the symposium highlights how play can mitigate the effects of academic setbacks and promote socioemotional wellbeing in the ongoing post-pandemic context. This paper presents GSPPP findings regarding challenges and opportunities associated with play in post-Covid societies.
Open Access Status
This publication is not available as open access