60 per cent of parents say they need inspiration to help reignite their imagination as they’ve ‘forgotten’ how to play
Disney’s The Gift of Play campaign combines 100 years of storytelling with leading experts, to show families how to rediscover the joy of shared imaginative playtime together
As one in three parents say they lack confidence playing ‘make believe’, Disney delivers a new, free online guide as part of the campaign that provides top tips and fun play-starters to inspire families to spend more time playing together at disneythegiftofplay.co.uk

YOUTUBE EMBED LINK FOR ADVERT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KQBC63A7zw

Disney has brought together The Institute of Imagination, parenting experts and theatrical stage-masters to launch The Gift of Play – a new campaign hosted on a dedicated website [disneythegiftofplay.co.uk], which is entrenched in Disney’s nearly 100-year legacy of creative storytelling, to encourage adults and children to have more shared imaginative playtime together.

A recent study from Disney suggests the shared imaginative play gap is widespread across the nation, with three in five (60 per cent) parents revealing they have ‘forgotten’ how to use their imagination when it comes to play. Disney’s The Gift of Play provides inspirational yet informative guidance, through a series of enjoyable activities and toy suggestions inspired by the beloved stories and characters from Disney, Pixar, Star Wars™ and Marvel, to demonstrate how creativity, inventiveness and togetherness can help to reignite imagination.

5,000 adults across Europe - with children under the age of 12 - were asked about their thoughts and behaviours around playtime, and whilst 80 per cent in the UK recognise the importance of play for a child’s development, nearly half (45 per cent) say that family life is too busy and 40 per cent of those feel they don’t have the time to join in when it comes to shared playtime.

While eight in ten parents (77 per cent) admit their kids are happier when they play all together, almost half (48 per cent) say they feel uninspired and lost when it came to planning ways to play, and one in two (50 per cent) struggle to find the resources that could help them.

To help re-ignite the nation’s imagination, Disney has created The Gift of Play - a dedicated website that hosts a range of free to view videos, including easy to follow ‘how-tos’ and resources devoted to families enjoying more imaginative play time together, including The Gift of Play guide. The free 22-page handbook, which includes a series of Disney Princess themed play-starter scenarios, has been created by parenting experts and theatrical stage-masters, to inspire adults and children to use their own surroundings and Disney stories to stimulate imagination, creativity - and most of all, have fun playing.

To help put some of the suggested play-starters found in The Gift of Play guide to the test, Katie Piper was guided by the Disney Stage Masters – theatrical performers who teach adults and adults to make the most of playtime and performance through the Disney stage shows and films.

Katie Piper said: “Playtime with my children is a welcome escape from reality and we enjoy nothing more than that special time together, making up games and stories with our favourite Disney characters. Parents are going to get so much out of Disney’s new Gift of Play pack, they won’t run out of enjoyable and easy ways to inspire play together.”

The Institute of Imagination said: “Imagination is the starting point for creativity in all areas of human culture and endeavour, but the pressures of modern life mean that opportunities for imaginative play amongst children, and with their parents and carers, can often be neglected. To ensure our children, young people, and indeed adults, develop the skills to be creative and inventive, we believe it is incredibly important we all find the time and space to put our imaginations to work and one of the best ways of doing this is through play. We are so excited to be helping Disney on The Gift of Play initiative.”

Sarah Fox, VP Marketing and Communications, Disney Consumer Products, Games & Publishing EMEA, said: “We know that shared play between adults and children can be a truly special experience and we want to support families through Disney’s The Gift of Play. We hope that through this campaign our characters and stories can inspire parents and caregivers, bringing magic and making memorable experiences through play.”

A short piece of live action content demonstrating how adults can use Disney’s The Gift of Play to engage with their children and have more fun together, will also be available to view on The Gift of Play website. The campaign will be supported by various snippets of shared imaginative play content, syndicated on the Disney Family social media channels across Europe, Middle East and Africa.

The Gift of Play website will continue to be updated ahead of the forthcoming Easter break, to help give parents and adults more support and inspiration when enjoying play with children, with featured products available to purchase at leading retailers both in store and online from March 2022.

In the UK, supporting products featured in the guide across Disney, Pixar, Star Wars™ and Marvel are available to purchase from Smyths Toys Superstores and Argos nationwide and other leading toy retailers.

– Ends –

For more information or queries on Disney’s The Gift of Play campaign please contact disneyplay@theacademypr.com.

Notes to Editors

Find out more about Disney’s The Gift of Play campaign on the dedicated microsite disneythegiftofplay.co.uk and on the @DisneyFamily social channels
Disney’s The Gift of Play is now live at Smyths Toys Superstores and other leading toy stores nationwide
The range of Disney, Pixar, Star Wars™ and Marvel products supporting the campaign can be found here
Parenting expert, Sue Atkins, comments: “It is entirely understandable that adults may feel too embarrassed to let themselves go when it comes to playtime but we must in order to help nurture our own and our children's imaginations, because it’s only through imagination that we can create and invent the reality of our dreams. Disney’s The Gift of Play campaign aims to help reignite parents’ imaginations and the magical world of play, which will not only benefit them, but hugely benefit the development of their child’s creativity and inventiveness.”

· The research also revealed that:

82 per cent of parents feel that playing with their children helps brings their family together
One in three (35 per cent) struggle to come up with play ideas
More than one in four (27 per cent) said they don’t have the energy to play

About research

FlyResearch conducted the study of 5,000 adult across the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy with children aged 18 months to 12 years old, in February 2022

About Disney Consumer Products, Games and Publishing

Disney Consumer Products, Games and Publishing (CPGP) brings the magic of The Walt Disney Company’s brands and franchises—including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and more—into the daily lives of families and fans around the world through products and experiences across more than 100 retail categories from toys and t-shirts to apps, books, video games, and more. A division of the Disney Parks, Experiences and Products segment, CPGP’s global operations include: the world’s largest licensing business, one of the biggest children’s publishing brands, a leading licensor of interactive games across platforms, and the shopDisney e-commerce platform.

About the Institute of Imagination

We believe imagination is the super-power of the 21st century. It is vital to creativity and the next generation’s ability to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world.

The Institute of Imagination (iOi) is a London-based children and families charity with international reach. We design and deliver award-winning learning experiences across the arts, sciences and digital technologies, offering a window into the tangible benefits of creative thinking for children aged 5-11. These experiences empower children today with the imagination, self-belief and skills to build a just, fair and sustainable world tomorrow.

Working with industry experts, parents, educators and community leaders, we have transformed the lives of over 100,000 children from underserved communities in London and across the world.

www.ioi.london

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