Cotlands and CHAI champion inclusive play for all children
World Play Day festivities led by Cotlands and CHAI aim to shift perceptions around children with disabilities, providing them with vital play-based learning and health screenings for a brighter, more inclusive future.
In celebration of World Play Day on May 28, Cotlands, in partnership with the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) will host eight inclusive play events across South Africa.
These play events will spotlight the importance of ensuring all children, regardless of their ability, have access to play-based early learning opportunities and early learning.
Cotlands is promoting the rights of all children, including children with disabilities, to access meaningful, inclusive play experiences.
This year’s World Play Day theme is ‘Inclusive Play’, which highlights the urgent need to create environments where every child feels welcome, included, and supported regardless of their abilities.
Events will take place at Cotlands Toy Library hubs in East London in Eastern Cape, Macassar in Western Cape, Hlabisa in Kwazulu-Natal, Barberton, Mkhondo and Mashishing in Mpumalanga, Orange Farm in Gauteng and Mamelodi in Pretoria.
These community events will feature a variety of play-based activities, interactive storytelling sessions, and the distribution of information brochures for parents and caregivers of children with disabilities.
The play activities support holistic child development – physically, emotionally, socially and cognitively through inclusive and accessible play.
In collaboration with CHAI, they will have on-site health screenings to identify hearing and eyesight challenges in children.
Early detection is critical to removing barriers that may affect a child’s development and ability to engage in play and learning. Children with disabilities are too often overlooked or excluded from community play spaces and early learning opportunities.
This advocacy event seeks to change that by educating adults (parents, caregivers and early learning practitioners) on the importance of inclusive play.
By raising awareness, they aim to break the stigma, shift perceptions, and ensure children with disabilities get equal opportunities to play, learn, and express their unique talents.
To further support families, Cotlands has a robust referral system that helps connect parents and caregivers to professional medical and developmental specialists.
This ensures the inclusion of children with disabilities in play and that they receive the medical care, therapy and guidance they need to thrive.
Nozizwe Dladla-Qwabe, acting CEO of Cotlands, said: “Inclusive play is not just about access to quality educational toys and early learning resources through our regional toy libraries, it is also about equity, dignity and recognising the potential in every child.
“Through these events and our referral network, we are creating pathways for children with disabilities to receive the support they deserve.”
Project manager of assistive technology, Azukile Nzuzo, added: “Health and education are closely connected. By combining health screenings and inclusive play experiences, we create a safe and relaxed environment where children feel less anxious and more at ease.
“Play naturally lowers stress levels and helps children feel comfortable, which allows screenings for hearing and eyesight to take place gently and reassuringly.”
Cotlands and CHAI encourage all ECD centres across the country to join this worldwide celebration and help them advocate for every child’s right to play, access a toy library in their community and help to build a more inclusive and compassionate society.
