Provisions for children’s play should be recognized as a pillar of humanitarian aid in post-disaster situationsProvisions for children’s play are currently not recognized as a pillar of humanitarian aid in disaster contexts. Yet, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes play as one of the basic rights of children. This research investigated the opportunities for children’s outdoor play in two post-disaster contexts: (1) north-east Japan after the triple disaster of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power plant failure (a natural disaster) and (2) a refugee camp in Jordan accommodating Syrian refugees (a human-induced disaster). The aim of the study was to understand the spatial nature of opportunities for outdoor play in these two post-disaster contexts. Three related questions were addressed: “Do constructed spaces exist? What found spaces do children identify to perceive and actualise affordances for play? What then might be learnt for a more explicit inclusion of children’s outdoor play within humanitarian aid principles and practice.”
Photographs taken during visits to the two post-disaster areas were the primary sources of data. Two trips to post-disaster sites in Japan included visits to temporary housing areas, existing and new schools and community facilities, and a newly constructed playspace outside the boundary of a temporary housing area. Supplementary data collected in Japan were obtained through interviews and conversations with pre-existing contacts, including play workers, school teachers, government officials, academics, and local people. This supplementary data was recorded in the researcher’s daily notes. The site visit in Jordan included an escorted drive through a refugee camp. While the emphasis was on constructed play spaces in the camp, children’s found spaces became obvious. Daily field notes relating to both the social and physical context of the camp were used as supplementary data for this visit.
Photographs from the two case studies included images of both constructed and found playspaces. Three types of constructed spaces were identified: replaced, reclaimed and new. The constructed spaces were designed mostly by adults and not necessarily reflective of children’s priorities. Found spaces – both proximal and distal – were discovered by children and possibly more supportive of the kind of free play children initiate on their own. Children in the found playspaces were observed actualizing the affordances they perceived for play. The natural disaster case study in Japan had more replaced and reclaimed playspaces and fewer new constructed spaces compared to the human-induced case study in Jordan. The layout of some of the constructed spaces in Jordan suggests that they may have been initiated by a concern for children’s safety and not primarily for play.
The fact that there were some constructed playspaces in both case studies indicates that children’s need for play had been addressed to some extent in both situations. Yet, the opportunities for safe and stimulating play were limited in both places. This paper highlights the need for making children’s play a pillar of humanitarian aid in response to both natural disaster and human-induced disaster situations. This paper also notes the need for future research to explore some of the complex issues relating to children’s play in post-disaster situations.
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