Attachments
In a display of resilience, the play activation across frontline Oblasts demonstrates and promotes the power of play in child development and follows a night during which nine children were reportedly injured by attacks in Kharkiv.
KYIV, 11 June 2025 — Around 10,000 preschoolers joined their parents and preschool educators across eight frontline Oblasts to mark today’s second International Day of Play that promotes play as a fundamental right for every child.
The 'Play Marathon’ transformed kindergartens and community spaces into vibrant hubs of playful discovery to restore childhood as it should be, following a night in which attacks reportedly injured nine children in Kharkiv. From building wooden towering block structures, to creating imaginary worlds through art, children and adults engaged in activities that strengthen critical social, emotional, cognitive, and physical skills essential for lifelong development.
"Play is not just fun, it's foundational for child development," said Munir Mammadzade, UNICEF Representative to Ukraine. "It's how children explore the world, form relationships, and build vital life skills. When we as adults also play, we nurture the essential bond between child and caregiver, building trust, sharing emotions, and deepening relationships that last a lifetime," added Mammadzade.
Research shows that a child's brain develops most rapidly in the first few years of life, establishing the foundation for their entire future. Play emerges as one of the most powerful tools for nurturing critical brain development.
Through play, children develop the skills they'll carry into adulthood: problem-solving abilities, creativity, confidence, and empathy. They learn to forge meaningful connections, build leadership capabilities, develop resilience, navigate complex relationships, and overcome fears — preparing them to thrive in our rapidly changing world.
Playful interactions also contribute to the well-being and positive mental health of parents and caregivers, which is particularly critical during stressful times.
To fulfil the right to play, UNICEF calls for all partners to:
- Expand and enhance child-friendly services, including parenting programmes that promote play and attachment to foster strong parent-child relationships and support children's holistic development.
- Improve access for every 3- to 6-year-old to pre-school and learning through play, including through support to the reforms outlined in the ‘Early Childhood Education Strategic Framework’ that recognize the importance of playful learning.
- Increase access to safe, inclusive, and well-maintained play areas, including through child-sensitive recovery and development plans at national and Hromada levels. This is critical to foster children's physical activity, social interaction, and overall well-being.
Ukraine's ‘Play Marathon’, taking place during parenting month, represents part of a worldwide celebration following the UN General Assembly's historic 2024 adoption of the International Day of Play.
Notes to editors:
The International Day of Play is observed annually on 11 June to raise global awareness about play's central role in every child's development and well-being. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child enshrines play as a fundamental right under Article 31, emphasising that, like all rights, it must be protected, promoted, and practiced.
Media contacts
Toby Fricker
Chief Advocacy and Communications
UNICEF Ukraine
Tel: +38-050-245-67-31
Email: tfricker@unicef.org
Oleksandra Burynska
Communications Specialist
UNICEF Ukraine
Email: oburynska@unicef.org