Starting her speech with Article 31 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, signed by United Nations members on November 20, 1989, Kerigan stated, “Article 31 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, signed by United Nations members on November 20, 1989, states: ‘States Parties recognize the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child, and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.’ As stated in this article, play is a fundamental right for children.” She continued by discussing the impact of play on physical, cognitive, social, emotional, language, and self-care development.
During the presentation, she categorized types of play according to different age groups, covering the appropriate games to play with children aged 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-9 months, 9-12 months, 1-2 years, 2-3 years, 4-6 years, and 7-9 years. She also highlighted important considerations when playing games, the criteria for selecting games and toys, and how to support children's creativity using various materials. The presentation emphasized the use of digital games, the differentiation of digital game usage times according to age groups, and answered questions from the participants on this topic.
At the end of the presentation, studies on children and play, utilizing data from TURKSTAT 2023, were discussed. The session concluded with responses to questions from the participants
