Even when playgrounds existed, they were often rusted and broken down — the kind that came with splinters, sharp edges and a side of tetanus. I was privileged to be able to send my daughter to a school that prioritized learning through play. I could create safe spaces for her at home. But for many children around us, safe places to play simply didn’t exist. There were no reliable playgrounds. No protection. No peace of mind.
Play isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity. It’s how children recover from trauma, build resilience, develop critical skills and connect with the world around them. It’s how they stay kids, even when the world feels anything but safe.
This International Day of Play, we're spotlighting the children and communities who remind us that play is never just play. From war zones to drought zones and from early childhood centers to football fields, here’s how Plan International is making space for joy — through programs designed to protect childhood and promote learning, healing and equality.
Moldova: The play bus brings joy and relief
The Ludobus — short for “play bus” — is a traveling toy library filled with educational games, books and puzzles. It visits villages and refugee centers across Moldova, creating joyful spaces for children and relief for mothers affected by the conflict in Ukraine. As children engage in play, mothers can rest or meet privately with psychologists to discuss their needs in a safe, supported environment.
Gaza: Reclaiming joy in a time of crisis
In Deir al-Balah, Gaza, where thousands of displaced families have sought shelter, Plan and its local partners are creating moments of joy amid unimaginable hardship.
Through an emergency relief project with the Abdel-Safi Community Health Association and Taawon, we support recreational activities for children affected by conflict. In these safe spaces, girls and boys dance, laugh and take part in interactive games designed to ease trauma and rebuild a sense of safety. These sessions do more than entertain — they offer psychological support and a path to healing.
Lebanon: Playing between the lines of conflict
In a dusty courtyard surrounded by barbed wire, children play as war unfolds just miles away. With more than 1 million children out of school due to conflict, Plan-supported play activities have become one of the few constants in their lives.
Peru: The healing power of play after El Niño
After floods devastated her village, 9-year-old Génesis found solace at a “Plan of Joy” play session. “When we started playing, I didn’t think about the rain anymore,” she says. Games helped her manage fear, build confidence and feel less alone.
Zimbabwe: A playground becomes a reason to stay in school
In drought-affected Tsholotsho, Kimberly, 11, finds joy in a rare safe space: the school playground built with support from Plan International.
“At home I only have my cat to play with,” she says. “I love the playground — it’s a safe place for us to be children.”
As water becomes harder to find and more children drop out of school, Kimberly holds on to her dream: to stay in school and one day become a nurse.
Ethiopia: Learning through play in a region affected by crisis
In Benishangul-Gumuz, a region in northwestern Ethiopia affected by conflict and displacement, Plan's PlayMatters project is helping children recover and grow. The program equips teachers and facilitators with tools to integrate learning through play into classrooms. Through guided, hands-on activities, children ages 3 to 12 in both refugee and host communities strengthen cognitive, emotional and creative skills — building resilience in safe, inclusive spaces.
Benin: Girls take the field — and their power
Through the Impact-Elle project, Plan supports 16 girls’ football teams in Atacora, creating safe spaces where girls can play, lead and be seen.
What begins on the field ripples out: the program challenges gender norms, fosters leadership and encourages parents to support their daughters’ participation — helping change the story for the next generation.
Poland: For children with disabilities, play is therapy
After fleeing Ukraine, Nataliia found support for her daughter Alesia, a child with special needs, through Plan-supported therapeutic play sessions. There, Alesia began to thrive again. For this family, play is more than fun — it’s foundational.
Brazil: Where play becomes power
Girls in Brazil are learning to lead through Plan’s Leadership School. It starts with teamwork and games, then grows into advocacy, public speaking and organizing. It’s play with purpose — and the girls are ready.
Timor-Leste: Imagination on wheels
In the rural hills of Timor-Leste, a mobile library van rolls into view — and children run to meet it. For many, it’s their first chance to hold a book, hear a story or experience a structured learning activity.
Plan supports this mobile library to bring storytelling, games and early learning tools to children in remote communities. These sessions nurture imagination and build the cognitive, emotional and social skills that children need to thrive. In places where access to quality education is limited, the joy of reading becomes a powerful form of play — and a stepping stone to a brighter future.
Let them play
Every story here is different, but the theme is the same. Play builds stronger kids, safer communities and more just futures. That’s why Plan creates spaces like these — in classrooms, on dirt fields and even through mobile buses.
Across continents and crises, these moments of joy reveal something deeper: play isn’t just a distraction — it’s a defense. A lifeline. And a declaration that childhood matters, even in the hardest places.
This International Day of Play, join us in protecting and celebrating childhood.
Donate to Plan International today and help give every child a reason to play.
