1st Edition
Play and Health in Childhood A Rights-based Approach
Taking a rights-based approach to the interdependence of play and health in childhood, this text argues that the child’s right to health and development cannot be satisfied without also the fulfillment of their right to play.
Underpinned by theory and real-life ‘case stories’ drawn from practice and family life, Whitaker and Tonkin present what is known about the benefits of play and its potential to address the pressing health needs in the short and long terms of the youngest generation. They define and discuss the concepts of childhood, play, health, and human rights before exploring how play interacts with the four fundamental principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child: non-discrimination; best interests; life, survival, and development; and inclusion and participation. The book then investigates how practitioners can advocate for the child’s right to play to meet all their health and development needs. It presents numerous examples of best practice from a range of settings – including hospitals, schools, community initiatives, charities, families, and more – and incorporates the voices of children as they imagine a future in which play is elevated to a central position in their lives, allowing for the achievement of lifelong health and happiness.
Exploring children’s rights from a practical perspective, this accessible book is essential reading for students and practitioners in healthcare, social work, community work, early years, and education.
1 - INTRODUCTION: PLAYING FOR HEALTH’S SAKE
Julia Whitaker and Alison Tonkin
2 - WHAT IS PLAY?
Julia Whitaker
3 - WHAT IS HEALTH?
Alison Tonkin
4 - WHAT IS A CHILD?
Julia Whitaker
5 - WHAT IS A RIGHT?
Alison Tonkin
6 - ME TOO: THE PRINCIPLE OF NON-DISCRIMINATION
Alison Tonkin
7 - I’M TRUSTING YOU: THE PRINCIPLE OF BEST INTERESTS
Julia Whitaker
8 - I’M STILL GROWING: THE PRINCIPLE OF LIFE, SURVIVAL AND DEVELOPMENT
Julia Whitaker
9 - PLEASE ASK ME: THE PRINCIPLE OF PARTICIPATION
Alison Tonkin
10 - PLAY AT HOME AND IN THE COMMUNITY
Alison Tonkin
11 - PLAY IN SCHOOL
Julia Whitaker
12 - PLAY IN HEALTHCARE
Julia Whitaker
13 - A SOCIAL MOVEMENT FOR PLAY AND HEALTH
Alison Tonkin
Biography
Julia Whitaker has a background in social work, family therapy, and health play specialism, with over 35 years’ practice and teaching experience in both public and private sectors. She is presently the registration coordinator for the Healthcare Play Specialist Education Trust (HPSET). This is her fourth collaboration with Alison Tonkin; previous works have focused on the impact of play and playfulness on health and well-being across the lifespan (Routledge, 2016, 2019, 2021).
Alison Tonkin is Head of Higher Education at Stanmore College, UK. She has a research background in health promotion for preschool children, has worked as a diagnostic and a therapeutic radiographer, and currently teaches childcare and health and social care at the College.
"Whitaker and Tonkin present a comprehensive and compelling argument from a human rights perspective for the correlation between play and health. Play is definitively elevated from the still prevalent but archaic perception that it’s a nice to have to recognition that it is integral to all aspects of life- at home, in school, in healthcare- for children to become everything they are capable of being. The authors call upon the healthcare sector to engage in "rebel thinking" to realise and act upon play as the very resource that is required as a solution to some of the public health challenges of the 21st Century. In calling for the right to play to be understood, respected and engaged with, they assert that children would be allowed to play their part in their own childhoods and systems could be developed that serve their needs and perspectives rather than from an adult’s perception. We are left in no doubt that a child’s right to the highest attainable standard of health cannot be realized if they are not supported to engage in play."
Cathy Gilman, CEO, Starlight Children’s Foundation
"Written in an engaging format, this book is an impressive read for those wishing to understand both theory and practice in relation to play and the effect it has on a healthy childhood. It is ideal for those working in health, education, and the third sector, particularly for those who wish to advocate for a child’s right to play and their right to the best possible health. There is a clear focus on the ‘uniqueness of every child’, which is pleasing to note, with play being a major enabler for every child to be the best version of themselves, rather than a generic copy of each other."
Helen Forrest, Chief Executive, Children’s Health Scotland
