Disney has brought together The Institute of Imagination, parenting experts and theatrical stage-masters to launch The Gift of Play – a new campaign hosted on a dedicated website [disneythegiftofplay.co.uk], which is entrenched in Disney’s nearly 100-year legacy of creative storytelling, to encourage adults and children to have more shared imaginative playtime together.

A recent study from Disney suggests the shared imaginative play gap is widespread across the nation, with three in five (60 per cent) parents revealing they have ‘forgotten’ how to use their imagination when it comes to play. Disney’s The Gift of Play provides inspirational yet informative guidance, through a series of enjoyable activities and toy suggestions inspired by the beloved stories and characters from Disney, Pixar, Star Wars™ and Marvel, to demonstrate how creativity, inventiveness and togetherness can help to reignite imagination.

5,000 adults across Europe – with children under the age of 12 – were asked about their thoughts and behaviours around playtime, and whilst 80 per cent in the UK recognise the importance of play for a child’s development, nearly half (45 per cent) say that family life is too busy and 40 per cent of those feel they don’t have the time to join in when it comes to shared playtime.

While eight in ten parents (77 per cent) admit their kids are happier when they play all together, almost half (48 per cent) say they feel uninspired and lost when it came to planning ways to play, and one in two (50 per cent) struggle to find the resources that could help them.

To help re-ignite the nation’s imagination, Disney has created The Gift of Play – a dedicated website that hosts a range of free to view videos, including easy to follow ‘how-tos’ and resources devoted to families enjoying more imaginative play time together, including The Gift of Play guide. The free 22-page handbook, which includes a series of Disney Princess themed play-starter scenarios, has been created by parenting experts and theatrical stage-masters, to inspire adults and children to use their own surroundings and Disney stories to stimulate imagination, creativity – and most of all, have fun playing.

To help put some of the suggested play-starters found in The Gift of Play guide to the test, Katie Piper was guided by the Disney Stage Masters – theatrical performers who teach adults and adults to make the most of playtime and performance through the Disney stage shows and films.

Katie Piper said: “Playtime with my children is a welcome escape from reality and we enjoy nothing more than that special time together, making up games and stories with our favourite Disney characters. Parents are going to get so much out of Disney’s new Gift of Play pack, they won’t run out of enjoyable and easy ways to inspire play together.”

The Institute of Imagination said: “Imagination is the starting point for creativity in all areas of human culture and endeavour, but the pressures of modern life mean that opportunities for imaginative play amongst children, and with their parents and carers, can often be neglected. To ensure our children, young people, and indeed adults, develop the skills to be creative and inventive, we believe it is incredibly important we all find the time and space to put our imaginations to work and one of the best ways of doing this is through play. We are so excited to be helping Disney on The Gift of Play initiative.”