Adeline C. Marston School Students Engage in a Day of Unstructured, Creative Play During Global School Play Day

HAMPTON — Superintendent Dr. Lois Costa and Principal Nathan Saddler share that Adeline C. Marston School students engaged in a day of unstructured play on Wednesday, Feb. 5, as part of Global School Play Day. 

Instead of participating in a regular school day, Marston School students of all ages and grades immersed themselves in creative free play without screens, structured games and adult direction.

Over the course of the day, students played board and card games, made bracelets, built blanket forts, made slime and more. Some students visited the music room to play piano. 

Students spoke about the importance of Global Play Day in a video put together by the school. 

“I think it’s good for kids to have a break, and for them to have time to interact with each other, play games with each other and have fun for a day,” said one student. 

“It’s good to learn, but it’s also good to have time to socialize with your friends and other people,” added another. 

View the full video here. 

Marston School students joined hundreds of thousands of others from more than 75 nations in celebrating the 10th annual Global School Play Day. The initiative promotes unstructured and spontaneous play, allowing children to explore their creativity, develop problem-solving skills, and navigate social interactions independently.

“Global Play Day is a great opportunity to highlight the positive impact of play on creativity, social skills, mental health, and learning, while also promoting the idea that play is a fundamental right for all children,” said Principal Saddler. “We were pleased to see our students bond in a creative setting and unite over the activities that they enjoy.”

Global School Play Day was founded to counteract the increasing loss of unstructured playtime in children’s lives. It encourages schools worldwide to dedicate time for students to experience the benefits of free play, such as cultivating creative abilities and developing social skills. 

For more information about Global School Play Day, visit www.globalschoolplayday.com.

“Giving children time to play without structure is extremely valuable to their development and well-being, which is what makes initiatives like Global Play Day so important to our community,” said Dr. Costa. “I am pleased to see our students appreciate the value of play and hopeful that by creating opportunities such as this one, we are fostering creativity, inclusivity, and independence in our students.” 

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