WHAT IS THE RIGHT TO PLAY?
Why is 'play' for children seen as a human right? These fantastic videos by the International Play Association and Early Childhood Ireland give an excellent snapshot of the importance of play for children, how play is a human right under Article 31 of the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child... and what children themselves think about play!
ANNAMATION STORYTELLERS RETURNS TO SELLY OAK NURSERY SCHOOL FOR CHILD RIGHTS WEEK.
Following their resounding success at Child Rights Week 2018 and the amazing feedback from children, parents and staff, Anna O'Brien from Annamation Storytellers is returning to Selly Oak Nursery School for a second year of Child Rights Week. Anna really enjoyed being part of the project last year and partnering with such a responsive group of teachers, children and parents, so she jumped at the chance to be involved again this year and to teach innovative ways of bringing the right to play to life.
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Anna said: "Storytelling and Play are so closely linked as they both involve the imagination and allow children to act out the 'what if's' and 'let's pretend'. We know that children who have been deprived in their early development find it difficult to play these types of games and get involved in these stories and subsequently also find it hard to surmount obstacles in later life. Those children who are given opportunity to play and have it modelled to them find it easier to imagine a situation different to their own, both in play and in their real life. Subsequently those who play and tell/listen to stories in early life are more likely to succeed in life."
Anna will also be running workshops for the Reception children at Moseley Church of England Primary School for the very first time. We cannot wait to see what Anna comes up with for Child Rights Week 2019!
THE BIG HAPPINESS EXPERIMENT PARTNER WITH
CHILD RIGHTS WEEK!
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Child Rights Week are thrilled that Jules Mitchell from the Big Happiness Experiment has joined the project, and will be conducting workshops with the children, parents and staff of Selly Oak Nursery School and the Reception children of Moseley Church of England Primary School. Jules' passion is to educate and empower children, parents and teachers in life changing skills that nurture emotional & mental intelligence. She will be taking her passion and drive for making a difference to children and linking her work with the importance of rest, resilience and relaxation in the right to play for children. To find out more about the work she conducts with Big Happiness, see the video below!
THE AMAZING FLYING SEAGULL PROJECT COME ON BOARD FOR CHILD RIGHTS WEEK 2019!
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The Child Rights Week Team are incredibly proud to announce that the Flying Seagull Project are partners in this year's event at Selly Oak Nursery School and Moseley Church of England Primary School. The Flying Seagull Project believe that it is everyone, man, woman or child’s right to put aside the cares of life and smile for a while. Staff at the FSP work with widely varying groups in several countries to help bring smiles and happiness to people, whether as Clown Doctors for children undergoing difficult medical treatments or through arts, music and crafts workshops. Partnering with local organisations, charities and community leaders on the ground to identify groups in need of a smile, the FSP work in a variety of environments, from school classrooms to shanty towns, hospitals to refugee camps, structuring programmes to be the best fit for each situation.
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Find out more about this amazing group of people in the video below.
Federation nurseries sign up for the Child Rights Week Exhibition and Showcase!
Nursery schools forming part of the Birmingham Federation of Maintained Nursery Schools have been invited to take part in Child Rights Week in a very special way - through submitting the work of their children and staff to form part of the Right to Play Exhibition and Showcase!
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During Child Rights Week, Federation nurseries are encouraged to think about creative and innovative ways that best present how they feel about the word ‘play.’ What does it mean to them? How do they play at home, at nursery? Who do they play with? Why do they think it is important for them to play?
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The more creative the work the better! Children have been asked to take photographs, make a video, record themselves taking part in dancing, music, gymnastics, or giving a short talk about what play means to them. Children have so much to tell us about their every day lives, and this project will give them the chance to do just that!
If your nursery wants to take part or you want to find out more details, contact a member of the Child Rights Week Team.
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THE TEDDY DRIVE FOR THE TEDDY TRUST IS BACK FOR 2019!
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Selly Oak Nursery School and Moseley Church of England Primary School will be taking part in the great Teddy Drive, to collect teddy bears for the Teddy Trust. The charity, founded by Ellie Somme and run by a team of dedicated volunteers, sends donated teddies to children who have undergone the most difficult of circumstances across the World. Last year, Selly Oak Nursery School collected three enormous boxes of teddies in a week-long teddy drive, which were hand-delivered to Teddy Trust HQ by one of their pupils, Sophia Rodgers. Now Sophia is in Reception at Moseley Church of England Primary School, who will also be taking part in the teddy drive! Follow the teddy bears' journey in the video below, taken last summer.
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