On Tuesday, February 2, 2022 students at Jackson Primary and John Kennedy Intermediate were given a simple directive–just play. No lessons, no screens, nothing but fun.
Now in its 8th year, the Global Day of Play is a “grassroots effort that focuses on bringing awareness of the need for unstructured playtime for children’s healthy development.” Thousands of students from across the globe are participating in this year’s event.
It’s an event that students, staff, and administrators at both Jackson and John Kennedy look forward to every year.
“Jackson Primary has a long history of supporting the "Global Day of Play,” said Principal Maureen Notaro.
“This day is intended for students in our age group to have unstructured playtime. During this time, students will be able to choose what they play with. Unstructured play supports social-emotional health and encourages students to play freely. We are very excited about this wonderful experience for our Jax students.”
“The Global Day of Play has been happening for the last few years at John Kennedy, and it is a tradition that I am happy to continue on with,” said Principal Brian Sutton.
“We are working with our students on being gritty and passionate about their academics, and when you talk with passionate adults, they will tell you that their interests began in childhood. So, this means that play and experimentation are super important in primary and intermediate schools.”
He went on to say, “We must prioritize exploration and investigation and the Day of Play is a great opportunity for this to take place very organically. We look forward to this day each year as the screens are put away, and students have a wonderful opportunity to socialize and interact with each other.”
Click here to see a video of our BCSD students enjoying the 2022 Global Day of Play.