"A child's greatest achievements are possible in play, achievements that tomorrow will become her basic level of real action." Lev Vygotsky, Russian Psychologist, 1896-1934
We at The Naked Heart Foundation believe that play is a necessity, not a luxury, and that every child should be given a secure environment in which to play. We are not alone: play is so important to optimal child development that it was recognized as a right of every child by the UN High Commission for Human Rights in 1989.
The benefits of play
It is through play that children at a very early age engage with the world around them. It is through play that they develop their imaginations, their creativity, become stronger physically, more confident and resilient. In the words of one eminent psychiatrist, play allows us to develop alternatives to violence and despair; it helps us learn perseverance and gain optimism.[1]
Play deprivation
Play is something that seems so rudimentary that many of us take it for granted, yet millions of children do not have good facilities for play. Poverty is a major cause of play deprivation, as across Russia millions of children live in basic conditions, with no space for play, either indoors or outdoors. Almost 11 million children in Russia live in poverty, and families with children account for most of Russia's poor.[2] A growing proportion of these are single-parent families, with the one bread-winner having to work all hours while children are left alone to watch TV, play video games or run wild on the streets.
Our task is simple and focused: we cannot lift these families out of poverty, but we can help them by giving them the gift of clean and secure places for their children to play in the outdoors
[1] Stuart Brown, Psychiatrist
[2] UNICEF Report, 2003 and UNICEF Round Table on child poverty in Russia, 2005