2024-2025 CAMPAIGN
I'm going out to play
In recent years, especially after the pandemic, researchers around the world have studied the consequences of the early use of electronic devices and the Internet on the development and mental health of children and adolescents. .
Although studies often offer contradictory results, it is clear that they highlight the positive aspects that new technologies provide us. On the other hand, they underline how they expose our children to a gradual impoverishment in language development, obesity, or health problems such as depression, anxiety, lack of concentration, lack of social skills, behavioral problems. Even issues with the sleep cycle.
The motivation behind this campaign can be found in thio document which you can download in your preferred language..
Why a campaign in favor of children's free play?
The “I’m going out to play campaign”, vindicates the principles and proposals of Francesco Tonucci’s “The City of Children” project. This international project, active in more than 300 cities around the world, was born more than 33 years ago. It aims to transform cities thanks to the protagonism of children, through their participation in municipal government, their right to autonomous mobility and their right to free play in public spaces.
The campaign addresses the threat to children’s development and well-being caused by the early use of electronic devices and the limited possibility for children to have real experiences of meeting, playing and socializing, without the permanent control of adults.
Against the alarming data on the implications that virtuality generates on the physical and mental health of children, the government’s response is only to try to regulate the time spent in front of the screen or ban it by age group.
We think, however, that it is important for children to build the skills necessary for the correct use of devices and platforms. We also believe that this virtuality should enter later in their lives, only when they have already lived real, significant and fundamental experiences, such as playing outside their home with friends, with the security of having a neighborhood behind them that is present and available to guarantee this precious and decisive experience in their lives.
The campaign insists on the positive impact of free and autonomous play in childhood and in public space, autonomy, daily encounters and real friendships with peers as a concrete, practicable and effective alternative to the problems mentioned above.
To find out more, please read the document the reasons behind this campaign
To have safer cities
Cities where children play in the streets are safe, beautiful and healthy cities. In these cities, mayors have become the guarantors of children's rights, children are listened to and the necessary measures are taken to encourage their autonomy and free play. These cities have returned to the hands of the true and only owners of public space: all individuals.
To promote health
The sedentary lifestyle creates obesity, depression, anxiety, lack of concentration, lack of social skills, behavioral issues and difficulties in the sleep cycle. We ask pediatricians to help families understand that free and independent play is essential for their children's health.
To gain confidence and autonomy
Correct child development requires to have the opportunity to take or avoid risks, face the decision to transgress or respect established rules and this means that parents must allow their children's autonomy, knowing that it is a precious and fundamental gift for the development of their personalities.
To encourage socialization
There is an urgent need to build real relationships, social relationships and true friendships from a very early age, as well as develop critical thinking to be prepared for a "virtual" future . We ask schools to free children from homework and help families understand that children need to play independently every day of their lives to promote their development and well-being.
How do we promote this campaign?
The I’m going out to play campaign
has the privileged and brilliant support of FRATO, who has created a group of exclusive cartoons to invite people to reflect on the meaning of its contents. The cartoons are read and explained by Francesco through short videos that help understand the main ideas of the campaign.
✨Click here to see FRATO’s cartoons dedicated to the I’m going out to play campaign.
✨Watch herethe videos of Francesco Tonucci explaining the message of FRATO’s cartoons
2024
✨Launch of the campaign
The launch of the campaign, created with the International Network “The city of children” and in collaboration with the Inter-American Institute of Children and Adolescents of the Organization of American States IIÑ-OAS, marks the beginning of the international promotion of the campaign. The launch webinar took place on May 30, 2024
The I’m going out to play campaign involves the participation of many wills. They combine efforts to make families understand the importance of independent and free play in childhood from an early age, and to help children to have the guarantee of free time to exercise their right to play.
To achieve this objective, we believe that the best formula is to open the contents of the campaign to different groups and interlocutors through dialogues with Francesco Tonucci. This allows us to highlight the fundamental ideas of the campaign and identify concrete intervention measures.
✨Webinar “Play and health – Dialogue with pediatricians.
Dialogue between Francesco Tonucci and Dr. Julieta Rossi, of the Argentine society of pediatricians, Dr. Catalina Poblete, of the psychiatric clinic of the University of Chile and Dr. Juan Gil, of the Spanish society of social pediatrics.
Watch the recording of the webinar here Play and health – Dialogue with pediatricians
2025
✨Webinar “Meeting with the mayors”
On February 28, 2025, Francesco Tonucci addressed the governments of all the cities who have made the political commitment to transform their municipalities into cities of children thanks to the participation, autonomy of movement and free play of children.
The meeting was attended by numerous mayors of the cities of the international network the city of children, with the intervention of the mayor of Pontevedra (Spain), Miguel Anxo Fernández Lores and the mayor of Rosario (Argentina), Pablo Javkin. .
Click here to see the recording of the first International Meeting of Mayors of 02.28.2025
✨Webinar “Meeting with schools” – Scheduled
✨Webinar “Meeting with families” – Scheduled
✨Webinar “Dialogue with Experts and Guarantors of Children’s Rights” – Scheduled
✨Webinar “Dialogue with children” – Scheduled
How to participate in the campaign?
We invite you to participate in the campaign by first analyzing the contents, and then spreading the ideas, sharing the cartoons, videos, and webinars that we make available on this site.
If you adhere to the ideas promoted by this campaign, we ask you to encourage a discussion on children’s free and autonomous play
- in schools,
- with pediatricians,
- with the municipal authorities,
- with child psychologists,
- within the family, with children, with grandparents, with neighbors.
We encourage families who decide to undertake the change pursued by this campaign – overcoming the fear of opening the door so that their children can go out independently to play, rather than having a device in their hand inside the house – to write to us and share their testimony of the change they are experiencing in their daily lives, and above all by sharing the transformation they are observing in the daily lives of their children.
We can’t wait to hear your experiences!