For too long, play has been misunderstood—dismissed as childish, unproductive, or a luxury rather than a necessity. But ask any child, and they’ll tell you: play is serious business.
A global study of over 25,000 children across 36 countries found that 73% feel adults don’t take play—or its role in helping them learn—seriously. That’s a problem. Science tells us that play is to children what work is to adults. It builds resilience, fosters creativity, and strengthens emotional well-being. Play is how children make sense of the world, develop life skills, and heal.
But here’s the thing—play isn’t just for kids. Parents, too, benefit when they make time to play. It strengthens bonds, relieves stress, and nurtures joy. When families play together, they grow together.
Recognizing this, LEGO and global partners successfully called on the United Nations to establish an International Day of Play (IDOP)—a historic milestone in protecting and championing every child’s right to play.
The International Day of Play(IDOP) was slated for June 11th, with the inaugural celebration in 2024. IDOP is an historical opportunity to celebrate to play, its foundational role for individual and social development and its importance for children and adults throughout the life cycle. We set out to create innovative, refreshing, and compelling video content that:
The insight behind our campaign was simple yet profound: parents and adults often feel they don’t have time to play with their children. The pressures of work, household responsibilities, and everyday life leave little room for play, which is often seen as something extra—something that requires a pause from “serious” tasks. But what if play didn’t have to be separate? What if it could be woven seamlessly into everyday?
That’s where our core message came in: "Don't pause to play. Press PLAY every day." We wanted to challenge the idea that play requires a dedicated time slot and instead encourage parents to embrace spontaneous, everyday moments of joy and connection. And who better to lead the way than children—natural experts in play?
To bring this message to life, we created a vibrant, high-energy 60-second video titled “The Magic of Play”. This wasn’t just any video—it was a joyful, diverse, and visually compelling piece that showcased adults finding play in unexpected moments, guided by the playful spontaneity of children.
In the video, we captured scenes of everyday life. for example:
Each scenario highlighted how play can happen anywhere, anytime, without disrupting responsibilities.
Because play is universal, we made it a priority to ensure the video reflected global diversity, with families and environments from different continents and cultures. This included scenes filmed in bustling urban centers, quiet rural villages, and even a refugee camp, showcasing that play is not a privilege—it’s a right.
Capturing authentic, spontaneous moments of play in different cultural contexts was a challenge, but we leveraged our global network to make it happen.
We kept the video at 60 seconds—long enough to deliver an impactful message, but short enough to be easily consumed without requiring a significant pause from daily life.
To maximize accessibility, we provided subtitles in four major languages—English, Spanish, Arabic, and French—ensuring that as many people as possible could engage with the content. Additionally, we produced multiple format variations, including vertical, landscape, square (1x1), and 4x5 aspect ratios, making it adaptable for different social media platforms.
To amplify the reach, we implemented a multi-channel, integrated approach. The video was published across UNICEF’s global and regional social media channels, spanning various languages and reaching millions of followers. We also engaged partners, influencers, and advocacy groups to share the message on their own platforms, significantly extending its reach.
Beyond social media, we created a dedicated landing page—https://www.unicef.org/parenting/day-of-play—where parents could find additional resources, including:
In the end, what we created was more than just a campaign—it was a movement. “The Magic of Play” became a feel-good, insight-driven video that resonated with millions, sparking conversations and challenged misconceptions about play.
And the best part? The world pressed PLAY.
The International Day of Play (IDOP) 2024 campaign achieved remarkable global reach and engagement, generating over 1.8 billion impressions across all channels and posts.
Unprecedented Video Performance
Authentic Conversations & Global Endorsements
The campaign sparked genuine discussions on social media, with parents, educators, and advocates sharing their own experiences of play. A major highlight was Goodwill Ambassador and global icon David Beckham, who posted a video emphasizing the importance of parenting and play on June 11. His message reached 146.3 million followers across Instagram and Facebook, further amplifying IDOP’s impact.
Strategic Digital Reach & Website Engagement
To maximize visibility, we deployed a comprehensive web marketing strategy, ensuring IDOP communication products reached UNICEF offices in 190 countries. The IDOP landing page, hosted as a subpage on unicef.org, drove at least 10 million page views, with over 5 million views specifically engaging with play-related content.
These results demonstrate the widespread resonance of the campaign, reinforcing the message that play is essential for children, families, and communities worldwide.
