On this year’s International Day of Play, Playworks joined The Opentree Foundation for a roundtable discussion titled ‘Choose Play, Everyday.’
This event brought together voices from around the world to address the importance of play and how it is disappearing from the lives of children.
The panel was moderated by Smarinita Shetty (India Development Review) and featured Dr Sarah Aiono (Longworth Education), Tia Mathisen (Playworks), Ingrid Srinath (Resource Alliance), and Shweta Chari (The Opentree Foundation).
One important message that was uplifted among the panelists is that play is not a luxury but a foundational element of childhood.
Playworks Pennsylvania Executive Director Tia Mathisen spoke about the power of adults rediscovering play for themselves, creating joyful moments that lead to lasting mindset shifts.
The session explored that play is a right of every child, but it has unfortunately been sidelined in classrooms, homes, and policy conversations. In discussing the way forward, panelists agreed that in order to see change, we need to let funders, policymakers, and educators feel the power of play.
