Today, ministers responsible for employment, social affairs, health and consumer policy from across the EU met to discuss the Economy of Wellbeing.
The idea is that, if you put citizen’s wellbeing at the centre of policy and decision making, and make sure people enjoy their fundamental rights and reach their full potential, then the economy grow more rapidly. It’s an idea that certainly makes sense from the perspective of everything we know about play.
Just think back to LEGO’s Play Well Report from last year, which emphasises the importance of play, and the positive effects it has on a child’s development. “Child play and playing together as a family is not only great fun, it’s vital to a child’s ability to develop core life skills like confidence, communication, creativity and critical thinking. These abilities are also crucial to their wellbeing and success as adults.”, the report states. And we all know that happy and successful adults can help our economy and society grow.
It will be interesting to see how todays discussions make their way onto the European agenda. We are passionate at TIE about the benefits of play on children’s health, well-being and development and hope that the EU invests in making sure that children across Europe have the time, space and permission to play.
To learn more about the Economy of Wellbeing, check out the Council’s video below:
