Happy International Day of Play from all of us at Wayland Games! A coalition made up of The LEGO® Group, The Mattel Children’s Foundation, Hasbro, Sesame Workshop, and other global organisations and companies recently successfully called on United Nations member states to adopt a resolution designating June 11th, 2024, as the first-ever International Day of Play. The resolution recognised the importance of play in promoting education, development, and the well-being of children around the world.

As a gaming company, we at Wayland Games understand the importance of play in daily life for children and adults alike! We’ve put together this blog to explain why we think playing is so important and offer some suggestions of our favourite games.

Benefits Of Play

Children learn through play from the moment they are able to get their hands on toys, and in today’s modern society, more and more adults find themselves seeking escapism and fun through gaming and hobbying, which is why it’s so important to support the development of games that strike the perfect balance between education and fun. Play is a fundamental right; it builds resilience, instils confidence and helps children and adults develop a whole host of skills.

According to LEGO®’s ‘Play Well Study 2024’, on average, three in five children would like to play more than they do now, while four in five would like to play more with their parents or caregivers. The research also shows that eight in ten children say adults don’t always think playing is important, and seven in ten don’t believe adults take play - and how it can help them learn - seriously.

• Communication and Language. Whether it’s talking through the reasoning of why a decision is being made in a game, asking questions to find out more about the game, or even just laughing and discussing the outcome of a game, there are so many different ways games can help children and adults develop their communication skills. With such a vast plethora of genres, play styles and difficulty levels, games offer opportunities for conversation and interaction where adults and children might find communication challenging.

• Literacy. Most games require you to use fundamental literacy skills to be able to play, whether it’s reading the rules, following instructions or creating a narrative as a DM for Dungeons and Dragons. If you’re a parent with a child who is struggling to read, write or follow instructions, playing and gaming can be effective ways to engage them, making it easier for them to learn without even realising. Gaming can also improve their listening skills and broaden their imagination. 

• Numeracy and Counting. From rolling dice and counting around a board to multiplying and working out Power and Toughness in Magic: The Gathering, games promote basic numeracy skills like number recognition or more challenging skills such as complex equations and arithmetic. 

• Colour and Shape Recognition. Colour and shape are key to how children see the world around them, and they are taught in the very early stages of their Learning and Development, usually through simple games (a fantastic example is Orchard Toy’s Dotty Dinosaurs game). There are plenty of gamers out there who buy and collect games because they love the design and colour, which would not have been made possible without these essential skills. Maybe you have a favourite artist, or maybe the art inspired you to start playing your favourite game!

• Matching, Memory and Observational Skills. These skills are important for children to build their focus and ability to take in new information. I’m sure that many adults would agree that having a better memory would be extremely beneficial. Observational skills are also key for day-to-day life and a great way to work on this is by playing any tabletop miniatures game such as Games Workshop games or Warlord’s Bolt Action. Assessing the tabletop, observing what is happening on the board and winning a battle requires a good eye for detail!

• Personal, Social and Emotional Skills. These skills are key for managing behaviour and relationships and are the areas that shape someone’s personality. By allowing children to take part in winning and losing, they are required to manage their emotions and feelings. This ultimately prepares them for adulthood and teaches them to manage their feelings and reactions in their personal and professional lives.

Games are proven to be excellent for bringing families and friends closer together while getting that all-important time away from a screen. At Wayland Games, we are a group of like-minded gamers who spend time with our families, friends, and colleagues and love nothing more than to get together and explore the vast world of tabletop gaming. We have something for everyone, so why not take a look today on the Wayland Games website, where you can make the most of our amazing discounts!

Products for Play

LEGO

LEGO can help children develop fine motor skills, and it fosters imagination and a love for creativity. It’s a fun way for children to learn colours and shapes and also promotes instruction following and observational skills. It can also instil a great sense of confidence and pride upon completion. We’ve rounded up some of our top LEGO sets to play with here.

Orchard Toys

Orchard Toys holds childhood development as its core value. Their success can be attributed to the toys’ distinctive, colourful illustrations, educational benefits, and high-quality products, which help children learn and play around the world. We have a large collection of Orchard Toys products available, and we’ve collected some of our favourites here.

Board Games and Jigsaws

Board games and jigsaws are great tools for developing collaboration and social skills alongside parents, siblings, friends, and other family members! We’ve assembled some of our favourite collaborative family games for you to try here.

Discover More

Find more games for all the family at your FLGS or directly from the Wayland Games website. We offer free UK shipping on orders above £20.00 (terms and conditions apply). Plus, earn loyalty points with every Wayland Games order.

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