Play Engages the WHOLE Child

Through play-based learning, CPI gives vulnerable children a stronger sense of their own abilities through games, storytelling, mask-making and self-expression in the arts–engaging all their senses. This is a testament to the power of learning through play.

The Body: Learning Through Play

Children learn through their bodies: throwing, jumping, running, balancing, dancing. CPI organizes physical activities, including song and dance, which bring children together through local games, song and dance, and organized sports. 

Physical play not only supports healthy growth, it also helps reduce stress levels, isolation, anxiety and other behavioral problems. This is a form of playful learning that we advocate.

Boys in Pakistan dancing during ChildsPlay International Olympics

The Imagination: Fostering Creative Expression

Childhood is the golden age of imagination.

Children love exploring with color and form. In many places, paper and paintbrushes are a luxury that children rarely have the chance to use. CPI provides materials and guidance—as well as the recognition of displaying the finished works for family and friends. This encourages children to express their creativity and imagination, crucial aspects of play-based learning.

The Heart: Building Relationships Through Play

Play touches the intangible matters of the heart. Play offers a way of forming relationships—as members of a team, or as one-on-one playmates. Play provides ways of showing care and support. At CPI, we understand the emotional benefits of play, especially for vulnerable children. Through our programs, we aim to foster a sense of belonging and emotional well-being among the children we serve.

Vulnerable boy in a refugee camp during CPI Olympics.
Children and teenager singing at an orphanage in Kenya

The Voice: Celebrating Culture Through Song and Dance

Singing, chanting, shouting and laughing: children love to express themselves through their voices. CPI encourages occasions to share those voices in song, especially in learning and celebrating songs of the local culture.

Through our play-based learning approach, we aim to engage the whole child, fostering their physical, emotional, creative, and social development. We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive through play.