The report highlights the importance of play for children's happiness and development, showing that 95% of parents believe that their children's happiness is related to how often they play. It also highlights that 51% of parents spend more time playing with their children now than they did a few years ago. Furthermore, 90% of children say that they are happier when they play. The study reveals that the pandemic, climate change and growing inequalities have increased stress in children, who find in play the key to escape from pressure and stress and to increase happiness.
According to María Tórn, director of the Children's Area at IKEA, "at IKEA we believe that children are the most important people in the world and that all boys and girls have the right to play. We are committed to integrating children's rights into everything we do. The objective of 'IKEA Play Report 2024' is to understand and transmit the deepest layers of children's lives, emotions, needs, behaviors and activities at home, and how that affects their play, their happiness."
Home is the place where families spend most of their time together, so it has an essential role within play. "At IKEA, we strive to create a more fun home. The home is the place where everything happens, which makes it host the needs of all its members. Play is for everyone, and the home is an important playground," says Emma Dafnas, Head of Assortment at IKEA.
IKEA is developing products that make it easier to create playful, stimulating and welcoming spaces in the home, actively involving children in this process, through the ‘Kids Advisory Panel’, a panel of children's advisors from various parts of the world.
To underline the important messages of the report, IKEA has created and directed, together with children, a film to which Janelle Monáe, musician, actress and source of inspiration, has lent her powerful voice.
At IKEA we remain focused on being a reference for creating more fun homes, understanding the perspective and needs of children and families. That is why IKEA products for children are designed based on research, working with children hand in hand and involving various experts in the field.
The next collection of IKEA for children will be launched this October, as it was done in 2023 with the space collection AFTONSPARV and the marine fauna collection BLÅVINGAD in 2022.