Disney has launched ‘The Gift of Play’ campaign that intends to encourage parents and their children to share more imaginative playtime together.
Parenting experts, theatrical ‘stage-masters’ and the Institute of Imagination charity have combined with 100 years of storytelling to show families via a dedicated website how to rediscover the joy of shared imaginative playtime.
Writer, activist, TV presenter and model, Katie Piper was tasked with trialling and promoting the campaign to see if she too could unlock her imagination.
The campaign’s creation follows a recent study carried out by Disney which revealed that three in five (60%) parents felt they had ‘forgotten’ how to use their imagination when it comes to play with their children.
The free-online guide provides ‘inspirational yet informative’ guidance, through a series of activities and toy suggestions inspired by stories and characters from Disney, Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel, to highlight how togetherness, creativity and inventiveness can help to ‘reignite imagination’.
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“Some 5,000 adults across Europe, with children under the age of 12, were asked about their thoughts and behaviours around playtime, and while 80% in the UK recognise the importance of play for a child’s development, nearly half (45%) say that family life is too busy and 40% of those feel they don’t have the time to join in when it comes to shared playtime,” Disney said.
According to the multinational giant, eight in ten parents (77%) admitted that their children are happier when they play all together. Almost half (48%) of the parents said they felt ‘uninspired and lost’ when it came to planning ways to play, and one in two (50%) struggled to find the resources that could help them fix the lack of imagination.
The ‘Gift of Play’ website contains a range of free to view videos, including ‘how-tos’ and a 22-page ‘Gift of Play’ guide that includes a series of Disney Princess themed play-starter scenarios.
“Playtime with my children is a welcome escape from reality and we enjoy nothing more than that special time together, making up games and stories with our favourite Disney characters. Parents are going to get so much out of Disney’s new Gift of Play pack, they won’t run out of enjoyable and easy ways to inspire play together,” Katie Piper said.
The campaign will be supported by various ‘snippets’ of shared imaginative play content, promoted on Disney social media channels across Europe, Middle East and Africa.
The Institute of Imagination added: “Imagination is the starting point for creativity in all areas of human culture and endeavour, but the pressures of modern life mean that opportunities for imaginative play amongst children, and with their parents and carers, can often be neglected. To ensure our children, young people, and indeed adults, develop the skills to be creative and inventive, we believe it is incredibly important we all find the time and space to put our imaginations to work and one of the best ways of doing this is through play.”
The ‘Gift of Play website will be updated continually with featured products available to purchase leading retailers both online and in store.
Disney vice president of marketing communications and consumer products, games and publishing EMEA, Sarah Fox, concluded: “We know that shared play between adults and children can be a truly special experience and we want to support families through Disney’s The Gift of Play. We hope that through this campaign our characters and stories can inspire parents and caregivers, bringing magic and making memorable experiences through play.”
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