Nothing can take the place of a mother or father saying, "come, let's play a game".
And who would argue with this simple act of happiness proposed by one of Joburg's foremost experts in the field of fun, Cynthia Morrison, the president of the International Toy Libraries (ITL) and a director of Active Learning Libraries.
This year, 2009, is the ninth year of World Play Day, an ITL initiative to raise global consciousness about one of the most critical UN documents, the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Clause 31 of that treaty - the most universally adopted in history - stipulates that every child has the right to play in a safe environment. There may be no fairies at the bottom of the garden, but it recognises the craving and need of all children to be enchanted by enjoyment. In the same way, the 1990 African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, drawn up a year after the UN's convention, also acknowledges the right of children to be free to have fun.
Morrison works tirelessly to provide spaces where Joburg's children can set aside their worries and enjoy toys and games, preferably with their parents. She's based at the Active Learning Library in Braamfontein - a busy place where children from the bleak surrounding flatland are welcomed throughout the day.
There's always laughter. Without it, Morrison would be worried. The Braamfontein library is the best-known of its kind, but there are 175 others around the country where children can become themselves, and teachers at disadvantaged schools can book out toys and puzzles - like a reading library - to give the little ones in their care another reason to feel better about their lives.
"I started to interact with toy librarians around the world and discovered the importance of play to help with healing," says Morrison, who used to be a speech therapist.
"Although all children benefit from games, those who have experienced any kind of difficulty really get a lot out of imaginative type of play, even if they find it hard to relax and figure out how to do things in the beginning.
"If cognitive play challenges them at a time when they are still hurting, it's that ability to understand make-believe and fantasy that allows them to live out their experiences and their emotions."
Studies show adults view the value of play differently, depending on their culture and class. Parents in Europe and the US, for instance, may spend big on developmental and commercial toys, while those in developing countries often focus on the social joys of games that need no money.
This is the ideal, Morrison says. But many parents - rich and poor - admit that they neither make the time nor have the emotional will to engage in real play with their children. Those who do not bother, or rely too much on TV for support, are neglecting their children. It's deprivation, and often there is no excuse for it.
Children relish the chance to explore. They need it.
"The great thing about toys and games is that even those children who are experiencing emotional difficulties will be able to find one that is easy enough for them to succeed with," says Morrison.
"Games build confidence. But we've seen adults here at the toy library who had never played with, say, a puzzle in childhood, and when they discover how easy it is, they start coming here more often themselves, and start trying out more complicated puzzles.
"We also see high school learners who can't play with a problem-solving game that a stimulated four-year-old can cope with. But once they get going, there's such a positive impact on their maths and science and general skills. There's really an argument for more toy libraries."
Many Joburg children spend most of their free time on the streets or locked up in overcrowded flats. The opportunity to communicate with other children and grown-ups while playing is a gift.
"Parents spend a lot of time barking orders at their children because they're so busy running around trying to keep their own lives going. They're missing out on that amazing, warm, caring interaction that comes from playing."
Oscar Oliphant, senior manager of stakeholder liaison at City Parks, revels in his job for the same reason as Morrison. There's deep beauty in watching happy children play.
And Oliphant - whose task is to generate more green spaces for fun and freedom in and around Joburg - says he "gets filled up" when he sees parks bursting with the life that only children can bring to emptiness.
"Primarily, our parks are structured for children who want to play... so there is playground equipment in most parks, if not all. We also place a heavy emphasis on family outings to open spaces, so there are passive recreation areas for adults as well. This is critical if people are going to enjoy spending time with their children.
"This is the vision: rolling out parks in areas that previously had no such facilities... Those who grew up in the suburbs always had parks to play in, but we're excited that we are now able to get this same idea into a lot of townships to give children a breathing space.
"There are so many children hidden in alleyways and blocks of flats, and it is really gratifying to watch them play and enjoy what we have done. This is not boardroom stuff. This is real."
A recent news report said too many children around the world felt closer to Bob the Builder and other TV characters than their parents, and this was reason for concern. Who plays with them?
Sue Palmer, a British literacy expert, warned that parents who were not around or did not play enough, could find that their children associated safety and happiness with TV characters.
"If parents aren't careful, and especially if they aren't around, their (child's) relationship with Bob the Builder or Fireman Sam could rival their relationship with them."
This, said the report, could disturb the process of developing real-life relationships, and the lack of human interaction could lead to emotional and communication problems. Talking and singing to children were critical to the development of empathy and language, Palmer said. "The danger is that the child will be more fascinated by the things they see on screen and not learn and be fascinated by real-life play."
Morrison worries about this, too, which is why she dreams of opening more active learning libraries. "And I would love to get mobile toy libraries going".
One of her most meaningful moments came recently at a clinic in Hillbrow.
"When you get there, it's pretty much doom and gloom. But when we put down the toys on the floor and started the games, there was a total switch. Soon, everybody's laughing, and there was one child who wandered over and started trying to play with one (game). He couldn't get it right the first time, so he walked away, but we showed him what to do, and when he saw that he could he was thrilled.
"For those children who haven't ever really played these are amazing moments.
es are powerful. Play is essential."
Games to play with children
Gate Ball:
The family stand in a circle, legs spread and their feet touching the feet of others on either side. Spread legs are the gates. A soft plastic ball is put into the circle and everyone has to try to hit the ball with their hands between the legs of another player. The ball can be stopped by blocking or hitting it back. If the ball goes through someone's legs, that person is out and the circle closes up again. If the "out" person catches a ball that comes through someone else's legs and throws it to someone in the circle, they come back in.
Matchbox Treasure Hunt:
Give your child a matchbox to fill with as many different whole items as possible. Everything must fit in the matchbox, for example, a seed, a leaf, a ticket, a tiny stone. Or find a number of items each of a different colour. Or do it in categories. You will need to give them a list of what to find, such as something that moves, something hard, juicy, edible, smelly or prickly, or a flower with five petals, or something round or square and so on.
Basin game:
Try this on a hot day. Your child lies on her back and puts her feet up together. A basin is placed on her feet and filled with water. She must balance the basin and not let it fall. If it falls, she'll be drenched!
Mini Olympics: Use your imagination to create events.
Shot-put: Use a balloon.
Discus: Use paper plates.
Javelin: Use straws.
High jump: Scissor jump over a rope.
Long jump: Jump with two feet. Careful of hard floors.
Long distance: Run in a sack or try a three-legged race.
Marathon: Run a course with a bean bag or another object on the head.
Kitchen matching game:
Find an advertising catalogue and, while you're making supper, get your child to cut out different images of things that match. The cutting out, the sticking on and the problem-solving aspect of the game are stimulating.
- Games provided by the Children's Rights Centre in Durban.