The City of Lethbridge marked National Child Day on Saturday with a celebration at Lethbridge College.
Mayor Chris Spearman signed the Lethbridge Play Charter, signifying the importance of play in a child’s development.
“There is so much structure in play and so much structure in sports these days that we want to allow spaces that encourage creativity,” he told Global News.
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The city says adopting the charter lines up with a number of completed projects like the outdoor fitness equipment found at some parks.
“Through unstructured play, children learn about the social skills, the emotional regulation, those type of things that help them to develop healthy and to engage and become healthy citizens later down the road,” said Lethbridge Early Years Coalition co-ordinator Vicki Hazelwood.
Twenty-eight local organizations teamed up to be a part of the initiative.