TOY4Participation is an innovative project that promotes meaningful child participation in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings, with a particular focus on non-formal community based early childhood services like Play Hubs. These hubs provide safe, inclusive environments where all children can actively engage in their own learning and decision-making. The initiative empowers children aged 0-10, including those underrepresented such as migrants, refugees, Roma, and children with special needs, to express their views and influence decisions that impact them. Building on the success of the TOY for Inclusion programme—which established so far 40 Play Hubs in Europe to promote social inclusion and learning opportunities for young children and families —we are piloting a new dimension focused on child participation to ensure even the youngest voices are heard and respected.
Project homepage: https://icdi.nl/projects/toy-for-participation/
We promote child participation by embedding child-led decision-making into ECEC settings, with a particular focus on community-based non formal services like Play Hubs—safe, inclusive spaces where children and families can connect, learn, and grow together. To support this, we offer tools, resources, and training for practitioners, families, and policymakers, fostering a culture that values and respects children’s voices and agency. Central to our efforts is the development and implementation of a Toolkit on Meaningful Child Participation, which helps local communities create environments that nurture children’s development and encourage civic engagement.
Children have a fundamental right to express their opinions on matters that affect them, as outlined in Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC, 1989) and promoted in the EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child and the European Child Guarantee. By encouraging participation from an early age, we support children’s social, emotional, and cognitive development while fostering a sense of belonging and having a say. Meaningful participation not only prepares children for active citizenship but also promotes inclusion, enhances community engagement and strengthens community ties. At the same time, we address the gap in existing participation mechanisms for young children, ensuring their voices are heard and considered in policy and decision-making processes.
Our project supports child participation in early years at many levels, including: 1) Everyday decisions (e.g. what to play, how to solve problems, how to set up a space); 2) Group decisions (e.g. how to resolve conflicts, what rules we use, what stories we tell); and 3) Community input (e.g. what children think about parks, schools, transport, or safety).
Participation happens in many forms and is adapted to the child’s developmental stage, such as through movement, drawing, gesture, sound, play, silence, and words. It is shaped by relationships, environments, and opportunities, all of which are the heart of what we do in the Play Hubs!
By implementing play-based methodologies tailored to different developmental stages, we ensure participation is age-appropriate, inclusive, and impactful. Our intersectoral approach bridges community services to provide holistic support to children and families, promoting long-term community cohesion and participation.
We work with municipalities, regional governments, civil society organizations, and practitioners from different sectors across Europe to create and sustain Play Hubs as vibrant, accessible spaces.
We are a consortium of partners, led by the International Child Development Initiatives (ICDI), working across 8 European countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine. Our network includes practitioners, local governments, formal education institutions, and community organizations united in the goal of promoting early childhood participation. Our collaborative efforts have already established 40 Play Hubs, reaching over 40,000 children and families, and continuing to expand to new regions.
The TOY4Participation consortium, comprised of ISSA members, funded by the European Commission, and led by International Child Development Initiatives (NL), includes:
Open Academy Step by Step (Croatia)
Partners for Democratic Change/Partners Hungary Foundation (Hungary), Associazione 21 Luglio and Cubo Libro (Italy)
Centre for Education Initiatives – CEI (Latvia)
Wide Open School (Slovakia)
Educational Research Institute (Slovenia)
Labor and Health Social Initiatives (Ukraine)
For Our Children Foundation (Bulgaria)
ISSA Hub as a communication impact and dissemination partner.
TOY4Participation offers a proven model for fostering child participation through Play Hubs—safe, inclusive spaces that support children’s development while promoting civic engagement and social inclusion. By voicing marginalized children, such as migrants, refugees, displaced, Roma, and children with special needs, we help create stronger, more cohesive communities.
Our approach is systemic and sustainable, embedding child participation into non-formal and formal ECEC settings and working closely with local governments to ensure long-term impact. Play Hubs serve as centers for community connection, where children and families receive resources, support, and training.
We use a gender-transformative lens, ensuring equal participation for all children, and focus on breaking down social barriers to inclusion. By engaging children early, we help them become active participants in their learning and future leaders in their communities.