Tda 2.16 Support Children and Young People with Play and Leisure

"All children, irrespective of ethnicity, culture or religion, home language, family background, learning difficulties or disabilities, gender or ability should have the opportunity to experience challenging and enjoyable programme of learning and development." (Statutory Framework 1.15)

Explain the importance of promoting the rights of all children and young people to participation and equality of access.

“Play is a process that is freely chosen, personally directed and intrinsically motivated. Children and young people determine and control the content and intent of their play by following their instincts, ideas and interests in their own way and for their own reasons. The child chooses when and how to play and this is seen as a biological drive, essential to health and well-being.”

This legislation states the rights the child has and what the Government must do to protect their rights. For example every child has the right to a standard of living that is good enough to develop their physical, mental and social needs and the Government must provide extra money for families in need if their standard of living is below par.

The United Nations convention on the rights of the child is to promote all aspects for the care, development and education of children, non discrimination on the grounds of gender, religion, disability, language, ethnic/social origin, civil and political rights, economic, social, cultural and protective rights.

Article 29- Children's education should develop each child's personality, talents and abilities to the fullest. They should also learn to live peacefully and respect the environment and other people.

But children are a special case they cannot always stand up for themselves. They therefore need a special set of rights which take in to consideration their vulnerability and which ensures the adults that surround them take responsibly for their welfare, protection and development.

* Each child should be encouraged but allowed to develop at their own pace and in their own way

The Convention obliges states to allow parents to exercise their parental responsibilities. The Convention also acknowledges that children have the right to express their opinions and to have those opinions heard and acted upon when appropriate, to be protected from abuse or exploitation, and to have their privacy protected, and it requires that their lives not be subject to excessive interference.

The United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child (1989) is an international human rights treaty that grants all children a comprehensive set of rights. The convention has 54 articles and it sets out in detail what every child needs to have for a safe, happy and fulfilled childhood. Article 19 states children’s rights to be ‘protected from all

The practitioner in an early years setting supporting children’s play learning and development is extremely important, as play helps stimulate the child’s brain, supports their needs on an educational level, as well as helping them with social difficulties such as building relationships, developing them and helping them gain confidence. Many people believe that a child learns best when they are motivated, such as Fredrich Froebel. He believed that children benefitted from all types of play. The McMillan sisters believed that outdoor play was extra important as they studied children who played and slept outside and discovered that they were the happier and healthier children in comparison to those who only played inside.

It is important to support the rights of all children to equality of access and participation as every child is entitled to the same opportunity of education, it is their human right.

Children and Young people need to be allowed to explore their environment and learn for themselves, but

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is there for the rights of children should allow children priority

These include the right to protection from abuse, the right for children to express their view and have them listened to and the right to care and services for disabled children and those living away from home.