NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Jana Pauldin
(301) 570-2111
jpauldin@acei.org

Olney, Maryland (November 15, 2005) — Universal Children's Day is celebrated every year on November 20. Established by the UN General Assembly in 1954, Children's Day is observed to promote international togetherness and increased awareness of the welfare of children all over the world. It also marks the day on which the Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1959) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989).

The world has experienced many natural disasters recently that have had a profound effect on the physical and emotion health of our children. Joe L. Frost, Consultant, Parker Centennial Professor Emeritus, University of Texas, Austin, and former President of ACEI, offers a glimpse into the "strength, resiliency, and coping behaviors of children subjected to" disasters, both man-made and natural. In his article titled, "Lessons From Disasters," Childhood Education, Vol. 82, No. 1 (2005), he explores how "affected children are helped through the intervention of adults and the natural coping mechanisms of play, work, and the creative arts."

Universal Children's Day encourages adults to become aware of how children who are displaced by a natural disaster, can find joy and healing through the "therapeutic powers of spontaneous play and meaningful work." Frost writes that play and creative arts work to help children cope with trauma and related problems because they are "the child's natural medium for self-expression; they allow trained adults to determine the nature and causes of behavior; they allow children to express thoughts and concerns for which they may not have worlds; and they allow for the cathartic release of feelings and frustrations."

The right to play is important for all children. Moreover, Frost states that "the preservation of hope and dignity" must always be central to teaching children how to cope with any type of trauma. Frost outlines suggested activities that promote healing, such as:

• Provide for a balance of meaningful work, classroom study, and spontaneous play.
• Encourage make-believe play, allowing children to play out feelings they do not understand or do not have the words to express. Help children create toys from scrap and readily available materials.
• Provide for play and work in natural play areas (e.g., gardens and woodlands) and playgrounds.
• Encourage and provide for creative arts ‹ dance, drama, music, storytelling, drawing, and painting. Encourage children to create their own stories, poems, and plays.
• Encourage studying, playing with, and caring for small living things and pets.

*A complete listing of activities that promote healing can be found in "Lessons From Disasters: Play, Work, and the Creative Arts" (Frost, Childhood Education, Vol. 82, No.1, 2005).

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About ACEI: ACEI is the oldest professional organization in the world dedicated to the development of the child, from birth to early adolescence. Its primary purpose is to promote the inherent rights, education, and well being of all children in school, home, and the community. Members are educators, parents, and other caregivers who are dedicated to a flexible, child-centered approach to education and have a genuine interest in helping each child learn successfully and fulfill his or her potential. ACEI sponsors an annual conference, advocates on educational topics, issues position statements, and publishes the award winning publication Childhood Education, as well as the Journal of Research in Childhood Education.

Return to ACEI home page.

These pages are copyright 2006 by the Association for Childhood Education International. Please send any comments to Jana Pauldin at jpauldin@acei.org.