Play is found in all cultures and is increasingly seen as a cornerstone of children’s full and healthy development. It is often thought of as an integral part of our humanity as homo ludens the playful human (Huizinga, 1944; Sutton-Smith 1996). The oral presentation will focus on the intrinsic and instrumental value of play in psychosocial support and critical life skills development to support children and youth to develop coping mechanisms and resilience competencies (Burghardt, 2005; Bradshaw et al, 2007) for their own wellbeing, that further support them to thrive amidst a broad array of challenges they face throughout their lives (Fearn & Howard, 2012). Access to and quality of education in emergencies can provide both physical and psychosocial support, and is considered a top priority by children in studies across the globe (Nicolai & Hine, 2015). Psychosocial play programs aim to restore children’s social wellbeing and psychological health within their schools and communities through individual and group focused practices, tailored to fit the context of local culture, traditions, needs and resources (Henley, Schweizer, Gara, & Vetter, 2007; Boyden & Mann, 2005; Duncan and Arnston, 2004; Eisenbruch, 2004; Grotberg, 2001; Henley, 2007). Findings will be framed in the context of research conducted in Mali (Cook, Wright, Ogunyi, Sewanou, 2014) as well as global policy and programing efforts to link psychosocial interventions to education and play, including the IASC Psychosocial Guidelines and CRC General Comments 1 (aims of education), 13 (prevention of violence), and 17 (play). The panel will contribute to the innovative intervention theme through sharing best practices and new innovations in play and psychosocial support in education in emergencies, and conclude with recommendations for programming and policy to address conflict and trauma barriers to learning and thriving.
