Play to Learn
Unlocking the power of play for children affected by conflict and crisis
Play to Learn is a trailblazing program from Sesame Workshop, BRAC, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), NYU Global TIES for Children, and the LEGO Foundation that is providing children affected by crisis opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive.
All children need opportunities for play to help them learn and grow. But for children affected by conflict and crisis, play can be especially transformative. Research shows that play is not only essential to healthy child development, but it can help young children overcome adversity and build a brighter future.
Around the world, 1 in 6 children lives in a conflict zone, and the number of children caught up in conflict and crisis is only expected to grow. With such high stakes, Play to Learn is bringing playful learning opportunities to children and families affected by the Rohingya and Syrian refugee crises, while designing and testing program approaches and educational content that can be adapted and scaled across multiple contexts.
These 6-year-old twins are the heart of our Rohingya-language content.
Noor Yasmin
Noor is a 6-year-old Rohingya girl driven by insatiable curiosity. She loves to ask big questions and explore new ways of playing and learning with her brother, Aziz. Noor and her family live in the Cox’s Bazar refugee camps in Bangladesh.
Aziz
Aziz, Noor’s twin brother, is a 6-year-old Rohingya boy with a big heart and an even bigger imagination. He is a natural-born performer and storyteller and loves helping his family, whom he lives with in the Cox’s Bazar refugee camps in Bangladesh.
Caregivers in Rohingya Camps
Agree that play should be part of the learning experience.
Increasing Access to Playful Learning through the Power of Media
To reach young children affected by conflict and crisis, Sesame Workshop created Watch, Play, Learn, a series of 140 5-minute animated segments on math, science, social emotional learning, and child protection, health, and safety. Designed as a ready-made, globally tested series with the unique needs of children affected by conflict and crisis in mind, Watch, Play, Learn is reaching children around the world, from Ukraine to East Africa to the Middle East, South Asia, and beyond.