Never before have parents spent so much time in one place with their children. For over a year parents have been working from home whilst home schooling, playing and trying to keep their little ones occupied.
Whilst this has been incredibly challenging for families, lockdown has provided a unique opportunity to reconnect, create memories and evaluate priorities. New research from NSPCC has revealed that three quarters of parents said play helped mental health and wellbeing for their children during the pandemic
The online YouGov poll of 1,036 parents with children aged three to twelve showed that parents think play during the pandemic has resulted in a number of benefits. Just over half of those surveyed think the extra playtime during lockdown has helped to reduce stress (53%) and prevent loneliness (54%)and 58% said its helped to support learning outside of school.
The research also showed that 78% of parents think spending time with grandparents (and wider family) will be important for their child’s wellbeing this summer. Now, as lockdown continues to ease, the charity is calling on people everywhere to play their part in giving children a great summer and brighter future –with its landmark Childhood Day.
The NSPCC thinks we could all do with a bit more play and is calling on families, friends and work colleagues to celebrate childhood and give children their moment to really be kids after a difficult year.
Thousands of children and adults have signed up to play and raise money for the NSPCC, with communities from all corners of the UK organising play themed events
The NSPCC’s Childhood Day, which was previously piloted in specific areas, launched this year with a refreshed look and feel and a renewed ambition to celebrate childhood by getting the nation playing after a really challenging year. Over the past few months the charity has been encouraging people to sign up, download a fundraising pack and organise a play event to fundraise for the NSPCC.
There’s still time to get involved and sign up to host a play event this weekend. Visit nspcc.org.uk/childhood-day to download your free fundraising pack with lots of play ideas. You can also donate to the campaign by visiting https://www.nspcc.org.uk/support-us/ways-to-give/donate/
