Memories of Play That Stay With Us

By Athodonun Ewa, Girls Advisory Council, for International Day of Play, June 11, 2026.

Growing up I used to count down to the holidays. I always looked forward to those days when I had absolutely no reason to bother about assignments, deadlines, or

waking up by 5 a.m. to prep for school. The summer holidays were always my favourite

because I got to spend more time playing with my siblings in our living room.

We would do a mini Olympics in our living room—funny, right? But it’s true. We

would high jump on our bed, race from one end of the living room to the other, and use

CDs as discs for throwing. It was fun.

Aside from our game being something we did to entertain ourselves, it slowly made us

more athletic. We would participate in competitions in school and win, and over time,

we were picked several times to represent our school in interschool competitions.

And today, as an adult who has been a bit overwhelmed with adult

responsibilities, playing at least a little during my day helps soothe the tension and burden that comes with being a responsible adult. It is my own way of escaping from reality into a

world of butterflies and rainbows. It has become my own coping mechanism.

Children deserve the right to play because it helps build their ability to interact,

communicate, and socialize with peers. It also supports their creativity, confidence, and

emotional development, while teaching them important life skills they will carry into

adulthood. Through play, children learn how to connect with others and build

meaningful relationships, skills that they will definitely need along the way. Because long after

childhood ends, it is the memories of play that remind us how to feel free again.