Article 31

Article 31 reads as follows:

1. States Parties recognise the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.

2. States parties shall respect and promote the right of the child to participate fully in cultural and artistic life and shall encourage the provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activities.

Why it is important

Children are naturally playful, active and imaginative. It is a primary characteristic of childhood. Through play - freely chosen - they explore their environment, associate with other children and with adults, develop their minds and bodies, use their skills and have fun. Through cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activities they obtain personal pleasure and satisfaction. In these ways they gain a sense of identity within their families, communities and the wider society; they communicate feelings, ideas and experiences.

Why we need to promote Article 31

Notwithstanding its importance to the healthy development of children, societies throughout the world neglect and often override the play needs of children. They place a low value on leisure time activity as of lower priority than other areas of life and they provide fewer resources. Children need to have the time, space and opportunity to exercise their play rights under Article 31.

Time for play is increasingly under pressure from educational demands from a very early age and more and more children are looked after by others away from the home. Older children may feel the economic need to spend time earning money either for their families or for themselves.

Space for play and recreation, especially in cities, is insufficient or regarded as hazardous and unhealthy because of traffic and pollution. Many open spaces are under threat from developers. Public recreational and leisure provision usually suffers most at times of economic stringency.

Opportunity for play is provided by parents, families and friends, carers and voluntary workers and they need to be fully supported. But children's freedom to play on their own is increasingly constrained because of fears for their health and safety or because they may be regarded as a nuisance in the neighbourhood. Many professionals - planners, architects, teachers, health and social workers, administrators and business people - have a responsibility to provide and sustain a child friendly and playful environment. The vital creative and enabling role of playworkers must be recognised and proper training and employment provided.