Ministry launches plan to protect recess, traditional games

ANKARA

(AA Photo)

The Education Ministry published its first action plan prioritizing children’s right to play, mandating the protection of school recess times and integrating traditional games into the national curriculum.

The comprehensive Türkiye Play Policy Document and Action Plan prohibits schools from shortening allocated times for recess and natural play. Authorities will design schoolyards to minimize risks and establish eco-friendly spaces, introducing interactive physical environments such as “talking walls” alongside traditional playground lines.

The ministry will prepare application files to include selected traditional games in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Local directorates will organize nationwide festivals to revive activities such as five stones, hoop rolling, tug-of-war, drop the handkerchief, jump rope, mangala and sack races.

Play areas will not be limited to a single game type, offering diverse natural elements and catering to different age groups. The plan establishes standards for accessible play areas, allowing children with special needs to play alongside their peers through new space-sharing models.

Officials will prepare a Play Competence Evaluation Guide to assess play opportunities in terms of quality, quantity and accessibility across pilot provinces before expanding nationwide. The ministry will also support domestic digital game developers utilizing Turkish cultural characters, settings and narratives, opening the national inventory for thematic digital game design competitions.

The national curriculum will allocate separate periods for natural play, guided play, educational play and gamified learning. The ministry will train instructor teachers under a play-loving teacher approach and update psychosocial support play contents for crisis and disaster situations.

Authorities will create a value-play matrix matching traditional games with educational values. The initiative also introduces a play module to family training programs, while local municipalities will cooperate to implement neighborhood play streets aligned with a child-friendly city approach.

The ministry will initiate efforts to create a shared play inventory of the Turkic world, expanding the Turkish World Children’s Games Festival to include more participating countries.

The document outlines six goals, 29 policy items and 90 action steps. Officials expect to implement 25 steps in the short term, 53 in the medium term and 12 in the long term. A newly established National Play Coordination Board will meet at least twice a year to publish an annual evaluation report.

The initiative follows a directive sent to all provinces ahead of the new academic year, centering on the theme of play as part of the Century of Türkiye Education Model. The framework covers all educational stages from preschool to high school, adopting a lifelong play approach including adults and senior citizens.