The State of Play: Children’s Everyday Experiences of Play and the Right to Play in Maharashtra, India report published in April 2026 by The Opentree Foundation affirms that play is a language for a child to communicate and explore. Play is not only beneficial but, in principle, a child’s right and important for children’s well-being and development. The findings show that play is present in most children’s lives but is consistently restricted by age, gender, geography, and the pressures of adults. 

The age x gender breakdown shows that older girls experience the sharpest reduction – about 35 percent of older girls play for less than an hour a day compared to around 14 percent of older boys. Older children, especially girls, experience reduced play time, more restrictions on where they can play, and greater conditionality linked to academics, safety concerns, and social norms. Instead of treating play as a single activity, the study examines it as an ecosystem shaped by access conditions, adult practices, and broader social and institutional structures. The findings are intended for organisations working on child development, education, or well-being that need grounded data rather than generalisations.

The report can be found here.