Finding Joy in Play Amid Hardship

In the bustling refugee settlements near Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, Rohingya children carve out spaces to engage in play despite the ongoing construction around them.

Kids in a Bangladeshi refugee camp use makeshift jump ropes made from rubber bands. In Gaza, children fashion kites from discarded materials, while in Ukraine, they enact imaginary wars, mimicking actual combat as conflicts continue.

For these young ones, play becomes a crucial lifeline, allowing them to craft, imagine, and discover joy even in adversity. Experts in child psychology emphasize that such activities are vital in managing stress, articulating feelings, and establishing a semblance of normalcy and safety amidst turmoil.

Asma Bibi, a 12-year-old living in a Rohingya camp, expresses that play helps alleviate her sorrow. "Without the playroom, my mind would suffer," she shares, reflecting on the tragic loss of her father and brother in Myanmar.

Historically, play has been a refuge for children in crises. Candy Land was created in a polio ward to distract recovering children. Likewise, during Syria's civil tensions, volunteers built a safe underground play area to shield children from harm. Reports also highlight similar uses of play among Nigerian children who lost parents to Boko Haram.

In a school in Maiduguri, Nigeria, children who lost parents to Boko Haram engage in jump rope games to recapture moments of happiness.

Play remains essential as our world grapples with over 60 active conflicts—the most since World War II. "Kids’ resilience is visible in their determination and creativity during play," asserts Lauren Potthoff, a pediatric psychologist collaborating with Ukrainian peers amidst the nation's conflict with Russia.

At the onset of their arrival in 2017, Rohingya children's play revealed signs of trauma, noted Erum Mariam from BRAC's Institute of Educational Development. A child's clay model depicting a fortified house reflected past terror.

Now home to over a million Rohingya, Cox's Bazar shelters many underage refugees who fled Myanmar's persecution.

A young refugee sings and dances joyfully at Cox's Bazar, finding solace in community and creativity.

Programs like BRAC's play labs—over 300 within the camps—provide refuge through play, facilitated by both professional setups and makeshift toys crafted by eager parents.

One beloved activity is Kabbiya, a call-and-response game rooted in cultural tradition, drawing family and community into shared joy.

Initially withdrawn, children now fill the play labs with laughter, having moved beyond pictures of violence to vibrant imaginations, says Mariam.

Ayub Khan, another young refugee, finds mental peace through play, acting out stories and reading poetry when feelings of despair loom.

In Ukraine, children adapt conflict into games—taking on roles of local combatants in hide-and-seek styles that mirror ongoing strife.

Games mimic not just conflict but everyday scenes like checkpoints, illustrating how children internalize and process their environment, according to Yaroslava Mozghova, who leads child-focused programs in Ukraine.

In South Sudan, kids at a refugee transit center play various games, including enactments of skirmishes inspired by local history.

Such play patterns reflect the trauma of conflicts experienced in both South Sudan and Sudan, notes Ruot Gach from War Child Alliance.

Observing armed conflict through play represents attempts at mastering challenging surroundings, as noted by pediatric psychologist Potthoff.

In Gaza's streets, children's eagerness to play is undeterred by hunger or exhaustion. They make do with whatever is at hand, improvising classic games and pursuing social connections, as Georgia Tacey from the Gaza response team notes.

Groups like Save the Children organize activities, offering brief yet significant escapes for kids forced to shoulder adult responsibilities in times of crisis.

The universal nature of children's play, serving as an escape and therapeutic outlet, underscores the resilience innate in youth worldwide.