TIME TO PLAY PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH REPORT.

THE ROLE OF PLAY IN ENHANCING THE SAFETY OF CHILDREN.

Through the Time to Play project in Thika, Kenya implemented in partnership with Action for Children in Conflict (AfCiC) and supported by the Volkswagen Group Works Council safe, structured play spaces were created for children aged 5 to 17. These spaces became critical refuges where children could engage in sports, art, and expression building joy, resilience, and confidence in environments often defined by insecurity and hardship.

🔍 Key Findings

Participatory research involving 60 children revealed:

• Play builds safety and resilience. Children linked play with joy, connection, and confidence.
• Barriers are structural. Poverty, unsafe environments, domestic burdens, and gender expectations restrict children’s ability to play.
• Exploitation persists. Children reported exposure to unpaid care work, child labour, criminal exploitation (begging, drug trafficking), and sexual exploitation.
• Safe play spaces work. Structured, mentored play in the project hubs boosted children’s sense of security and self-worth.
  

Beyond the play itself, the study underscored how deeply social and economic inequalities shape children’s daily realities. Many children, particularly girls, are burdened with heavy domestic work, while others are pushed into hazardous labour or coerced into criminal and sexual exploitation. These lived experiences are compounded by lack of access to school, food insecurity, and minimal parental support especially among street-connected and out-of-school youth. The insights collected from children through creative tools like body mapping, word clouds, and avatar storytelling paint a sobering picture: while play has the potential to protect, many children are denied that right due to forces beyond their control.The Time to Play project offers a compelling model for what works. By combining creative engagement, safe environments, and mentorship, it gave children the chance to reclaim their childhood. The football fields and Art Hub were not just activity centers they were spaces where children felt seen, safe, and supported. This research strengthens the case for embedding structured play opportunities into child protection strategies at both local and national levels.

📌 Recommendations

• Parents & Caregivers: Create nurturing environments, share responsibilities, and protect children from harmful labor.
• Government: Invest in safe public play areas, clamp down on exploitation, and ensure access to education.
• Civil Society: Promote inclusive play, positive parenting, and economic resilience for families.
  

Let us not forget: play is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. Protecting and promoting children’s right to play is one of the most powerful investments we can make in a safer, more just future.