To counter Pandemic’s impact, Save the Children promotes Right to Play; Names Peppa Pig as Child Ambassador
New Delhi: On occasion of International Children’s Day, to bring back normalcy for kids with some real playtime, Save the Children, a leading child rights organisation, is emphasizing on Right to Play as fundamental to the health and well-being of children. The organisation announced Peppa Pig, an outgoing pre-schooler, as their Child Ambassador to promote importance of leisure time. A significant impact of the lockdown on children has been new barriers to recreation and playtime. Digital access has affected children’s right to relax and play in a mixed way, with both positive and negative impacts.
Collaborating with eOne, brand owners of the award-winning British children’s animated television series Peppa Pig, this exciting new partnership will see several activities in the next one year, beginning with a collaboration with PLAY-DOH’s ‘Cans of Kindness’ campaign. This campaign hopes to spread joy and play among children from underprivileged communities in areas selected by Save the Children. This is a first collaboration between Peppa Pig and PLAY-DOH and the two brands look forward to more collaborations of this kind in near future to bring joy of play to more children.
With early childhood services, playgrounds, schools and other public spaces for children still closed children do not have easy access to green outdoor spaces. Peppa learns something new every day by indulging in outdoor activities and has a lot of fun with her family and friends. Playtime is very important for the growth and development of children, but many don’t get to enjoy this privilege. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) enshrines the Right to Play (Article 31) and in this new partnership, Save the Children and Peppa Pig will amplify and urge authorities to provide suitable conditions for children to play and #ProtectAGeneration at a time when children are locked up in their houses.
Speaking on the criticality of quality leisure time for children in the current context, Sudarshan Suchi, CEO, Save the Children said, “Play is essential for children as it helps in developing their imagination, dexterity, physical, cognitive and emotion strength. It allows children to conquer their fears and master the world. Undirected play allows children to learn social behaviours, to share, to negotiate and to resolve conflicts. More than anything, play allows a child to experience happiness and joy, which is a fundamental building block to any other right.”
“There has been a groundswell of affection for Peppa Pig after we first launched in India in June 2016 on Voot Kids before making its debut on Nick Jr India in January 2017. We are excited to spread happiness and joy at such a time when kids need it most. We will have Peppa engage in something that is extremely meaningful to kids and, with each activity meticulously planned for every child’s palate, we are looking forward to yet another great campaign,” said Rebecca Harvey, Executive Vice President, Global Brand & Marketing, Family Brands.
The two organisations first came together in 2019 for “Peppa Plays Cricket” campaign after India’s Street Child Cricket World Cup at Lords in London. They kept the joy of the game alive in the World Cup season by immersing themselves and kids in the sport, showing them the importance of sportsmanship, teamwork and trust combined with heaps of memorable experiences and fun with family and friends! They plan to have sustained engagement with children to promote Right to Play.
Save the Children works across 12 states of India and in 120 countries, on issues related to education, health, and protection and humanitarian/DRR needs of children, especially for those who are the most deprived and marginalized.