LINC Programme Hosts International Day of Play Event on Children’s Rights and Reggio-Inspired Practice

The Leadership for Inclusion in the Early Years (LINC) Programme recently hosted Realising Children’s Rights Through Reggio-Inspired Practice, an online event marking UNICEF’s International Day of Play 2026. Celebrating this year’s theme, Protect Play: Protect Childhood, the webinar brought together educators, Inclusion Coordinators (INCO’s), managers, academics, policymakers and students to explore children’s rights, play and inclusion through the lens of the Reggio Emilia experience.

The event also marked the launch of two international publications exploring the contribution of the Reggio Emilia experience to advancing children’s rights in a global context: Realizing Children’s Rights in a Global Context: Glocalization of the Reggio Emilia Experience and Reggio Emilia-Inspired Pedagogies of Listening and Inclusion: Advancing Children’s Rights. Published by IGI Global and edited by Prof Marisa Galliano Macy, College of Education, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA, Prof Emer Ring at Mary Immaculate College, and Dr Alessandra Landini, I.C.A. Manzoni in Reggio Emilia and the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, the publications include authors from Canada, Italy, Ireland, India, South Africa, Turkey, Zambia and the USA, with reviewers from Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, China, Georgia, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Turkey and the USA.

In developing the LINC Programme, together with the Irish curriculum and quality frameworks, the Reggio-Emilia inspired principles relating to the image of the child; the hundred languages of children; a pedagogy of listening and the environment as the third teacher were among the key principles embedded in the Competency Framework underpinning the programme.

In acknowledging her co-editors, authors and reviewers, Prof Emer Ring noted that “We hope that the two publications can be compasses for navigating a journey of exploration around the rights of babies, toddlers and young children to support readers in arriving at a chosen destination where the rights of all children are realised”, adding that “the realisation of children’s rights has never been more important as childhood globally is impacted by the uncertainty and volatility generated by conflict, natural disasters, poverty and global crises”. Prof Ring welcomed Anne Macken to the launch and thanked her for sharing her own Reggio-Emilia inspired practice at Happy Days, Ballyporeen, Co. Tipperary, noting the critical importance for education of always making the link between theory and practice visible.

Prof Marisa Galliano Macy added that “The Reggio Emilia experience is shared from multiple perspectives from around the world. We are so grateful for authors who wrote about the rights of children through the lens of Reggio Emilia. The chapters have wonderful ideas for implementation, scholarship, and more”.

Dr Alessandra Landini observed that: “I am very proud of this enterprise as a citizen of Reggio Emilia. The city is really part of a pedagogical mission and we hope that findings and considerations in our books allow a complex and articulated vision of possible support and practices to secure children’s rights in other contexts also. The chapters suggest multiple innovative methods of a pedagogy of listening generated from this philosophical and pedagogical inclusive vision. Furthermore, embracing these different participatory models and cultural suggestions may serve as a source of inspiration, glocalizing the Reggio Experience”.

In the Foreword to both publications, Prof Peter Moss, Emeritus Professor of Early Childhood Provision at the UCL Institute of Education, reminds us that “another world is possible” and that the 2026 International Day of Play theme, Protect Play: Protect Childhood, lies at the heart of both the philosophy of Reggio-Emilia inspired practice and our own Irish Curriculum Frameworks.

Claire Butterly, National Coordinator of the LINC Programme, highlighted the importance of children’s rights, play and inclusion, stating: “We were delighted to celebrate the United Nations International Day of Play 2026 through the launch of two international publications that shine a light on children’s rights through the Reggio Emilia experience. Through the LINC Programme and the LINC+ CPD Programme, we champion a rights-based approach to Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare; one that ensures every child is valued, listened to, respected, and meaningfully responded to. International Day of Play provided an opportunity to reflect on the importance of children’s rights and the power of play, while bringing together educators, SAC practitioners, managers, academics, policymakers and communities committed to creating environments where every child can thrive. Together, we can continue to strengthen a culture that places children’s voices, wellbeing, inclusion and participation at the heart of practice.”

The webinar provided an opportunity for attendees to engage with international perspectives on children’s rights, inclusive practice and Reggio Emilia-inspired pedagogies, while exploring how these approaches can continue to inform early learning and care and school-age childcare settings both nationally and internationally.

A discount code was made available to attendees, offering 50% off any format of the publications (e-book, hardcover or softcover).

Those who were unable to attend the live event, you can watch a recording of Realising Children’s Rights Through Reggio-Inspired Practice here.

Further information on the publications is available at:

Realizing Children’s Rights in a Global Context: Glocalization of the Reggio Emilia Experience

Reggio Emilia-Inspired Pedagogies of Listening and Inclusion: Advancing Children’s Rights

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