Argentina advances children's right to play with conferences and festivals

On 9 June, AMIA Social held the third edition of its "Abrazando Crianzas" conference series in Buenos Aires, focusing on "Parenting and Play in Early Childhood." The event gathered educators and specialists, with Gabriela Halperín of AMIA leading the opening and speakers such as psychopedagogue Dalia Lipszyc and music therapist Romina Pofcher highlighting play as a core driver of emotional, social and cognitive development. AMIA officials emphasized the need for coordinated action among institutions, families and government to support children’s holistic growth.

A week later, the fifth "Day for the Right to Play" will take place on 20 June in Olavarría’s Centro Cultural San José. Organized by the UNICEN Faculty of Social Sciences’ Observatory of Childhood and Adolescence together with the municipal Commission for the Right to Play, the free public event will feature games, workshops, origami, sensory activities and recycling‑based crafts. The celebration follows a 2022 municipal ordinance that officially recognises play as a fundamental right and creates a multisectoral commission to oversee future activities.