Play in Action: Northlands Primary Celebrates Global School Play DayNorthlands Primary School recently joined schools around the world in celebrating Global School Play Day, reaffirming its commitment to nurturing the social, emotional, and developmental wellbeing of students through purposeful, play-based learning. At the beginning of the 2025/2026 school year, educators across the Bermuda Public School System engaged in professional learning highlighting the many health, developmental, and social-emotional benefits of play.  As School Principal, Holly Richardson, put it:  "There is no better way to learn and grow than through play – for adults and children!   As Heather Shumaker has said – ‘Playtime is precious.  Play builds brain pathways for thinking, creativity, flexibility, empathy and many other lifelong skills.’  There was a lot of building that occurred as both students and teachers engaged in play at Northlands Primary during our Global Play Day." That learning came to life at Northlands, where staff intentionally designed a full day of screen-free, hands-on play experiences aligned with the school’s mission and this year’s National School Counselor’s Week theme: Amplify Student Success. For the past six years, Northlands Primary has proudly represented Bermuda as a registered Global School Play Day participant. This year’s celebration transformed the school into a vibrant space for creativity, collaboration, movement, and connection. Throughout the day, students rotated through a wide range of play-based activities that supported both learning and wellbeing. Board games such as checkers, Connect Four, Jenga, puzzles, and Snakes and Ladders encouraged problem-solving, patience, and strategic thinking.  Sensory stations offered opportunities for sorting, stacking, organizing, building, and water play, while chalk art invited students to express creativity and imagination. Movement-based activities, including trampoline play, dancing, hula hoops, skipping, bowling, and ping pong, supported regulation, coordination, and focus. Team activities such as parachute games and netball fostered communication, cooperation, and following directions.  Students were also encouraged to bring their own toys, promoting sharing, negotiation, and positive peer interaction. Teachers and staff actively participated alongside students, modelling joy, connection, and community — reinforcing the message that play is valuable at every age. Through these experiences, students strengthened key social-emotional learning (SEL) competencies, including relationship skills, self-management, responsible decision-making, and social awareness, while also developing executive functioning skills essential for academic success. As educator and children’s advocate Fred Rogers once said, “Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.”  By prioritizing intentional, unstructured play, Northlands Primary continues to create inclusive, supportive environments where students feel safe to explore, connect, and grow. Global School Play Day at Northlands was more than a celebration. It was a powerful reminder that play is a vital tool for building resilience, confidence, and a strong sense of belonging, truly amplifying student success across the school community.