Original Play unsettles many parents with kindergarten-age children. What is that?

Who has contact with the children in kindergarten without the parents' knowledge and what does this contact look like? There are many questions that concern parents. In this article we will take a closer look at Original Play. This article therefore serves to provide information about what accusations are being made against the concept, what Original Play itself is, what the critical points are and what reactions there have already been.

The reason for the discussion about Original Play is a report by ARD Contrasts together with ORF. This was published on October 24, 2019. Among other things, it includes parents who talk about cases of abuse [1]. Some of these are serious allegations:

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“In the beginning, when I picked my daughter up from daycare, she always said her bottom hurt or her private area hurt, that she had a thorn in it. She didn't want to go to daycare anymore and cried in the morning. She would be afraid. “Last year in June, she came and said out of the blue that this man who offers this original play had stuck his penis in her butt.”

The entire article from ARD Contrasts on this topic:

The report leaves many questions and initially throws people into the deep end, as many people were not even aware of the methods described. First, let's take a look at what Original Play actually is.

Self-description Original Play

Basically, Original Play is an educational concept in which people reduce aggression by playing with each other. The body is used as a play area; toys themselves are not used. Critical voices note that there is no evidence for these effects, but rather they are allegations.

Original Play was developed by Fred O. Donaldson. The fact is that Fred Donaldson had the idea over 40 years ago and he alone. He studied geography and has no educational or psychological training. To date, there has been no review of his method.

Original Play is a foundation based in Poland that operates worldwide [2]. In Austria the foundation operates as an association [3]. On the association's website you can read a summary of the basic idea of ​​the pedagogical concept:

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Original Play seeks to improve relationships between individuals and groups by replacing aggression and violence between people with kindness and love and making every child feel safe and loved.

The classic concept is about people of different ages and genders playing together and learning from each other without rules, without values ​​and hierarchies. This also includes touching. The aim of the concept is, among other things, to strengthen self-esteem and for participants to learn how to deal with conflict and rivalry, but also stress and fear [4]. It's not about competitive situations, but about taking care of each other.

The concept itself does not have to be negative and does not necessarily have to be used between adults and children, but also only takes place between adults. In an interview with Voralberg Online, educator Sabrina Stadelmann describes the play between parent and child [5]:

“Basically, this 'Original Play' is something very valuable. The original natural play is something that is increasingly being lost among children today. Of course, you need a protected space in which this can take place. For us this means: touch always goes hand in hand with relationships.”

The Standard also reports in the article “When strangers come to fight” [6] that they spoke to representatives of various institutions that have accepted Original Play's offer in the past. All representatives emphasize that they have not had any negative experiences and that the parents were informed about what kind of offer this was.

Criticism of Original Play: Strangers & lack of controls

The Original Play concept is implemented by Original Play game leaders at kindergartens or daycare centers, who invite these game leaders. These game leaders are initially strangers to the children.

These game leaders are trained internally at Original Play. There are also workshops and lectures that you can take part in. These workshops are offered in different countries and you can register for them via the foundation's website [2].

Screenshot: Original Play workshop offer
Screenshot: Original Play workshop offer

As part of the Original Play, these apprentices, as they are called in the workshops, then go on to work as external game leaders at those institutions (e.g. kindergartens) that offer the Original Play offer.

For example, the MDR spoke to an “apprentice” who had already attended two courses. In the article “Experts warn daycare centers against 'Original Play'” he describes [7]:

“If someone looks at it from the outside, then of course it affects them on a completely different level because we are simply not used to being affectionate and physical with others. In the sense of: hug us, caress us or just allow us to exchange touch.”

But it is precisely this lack of distance between children and strangers that is in critical focus. In addition to the concept itself, there is another point:

For a course fee of €210 (€250 is quoted elsewhere), people are trained internally to work as external game leaders at kindergartens or daycare centers. Here again, there is no cross-check about the qualifications or origins of the game leaders. ECPAT Austria and the Federal Association of Austrian Child Protection Centers also criticize this and call for mandatory and verifiable child protection standards. A press release states [8]:

Child protection guidelines and child protection concepts for organizations that work with children require an intensive examination of the risks posed to children by their own offerings and include a wealth of preventative measures to counteract any risks. A child protection policy is a set of tools that works at different levels of an organization to prevent violence against children. A criminal record extract alone is certainly not enough.

The SPÖ education spokeswoman Sonja Hammerschmid also calls for uniform quality standards for kindergartens. In their opinion, external associations should comply with Austria-wide guidelines and be audited in the future. According to Hammerschmidt, this uniform quality framework with educational standards would then be the basis for examining external providers or accrediting them for use in kindergartens and after-school care centers [9].

In the end, it's not just about strangers having close physical contact with children, but also about the fact that you can't tell at all what intentions these game leaders have.

The trauma therapist Michaela Huber, interviewed in the report, sees the concept and the aspect that only a seminar is sufficient for training as opening up access to attacks on children [10].

“For me, in my eyes, this is an invitation to abuse children.”

Various voices from the professional world also strongly criticize the association. Karl-Heinz Brisch, child psychiatrist at the University of Munich and the Paracelsus Private University in Salzburg, for example, vigorously doubts the effectiveness and seriousness of the method [11]. Psychologist Ulrike Schiesser from the Austrian Federal Office for Sect Issues even sees cult-like structures in the association.

Direct reactions

The majority of schools and kindergartens in Austria have now suspended cooperation with the association, and the association is no longer allowed to operate in Lower Austria [12]. The report from ARD and ORF has led to politicians demanding uniform high quality standards that external associations in kindergartens and schools must meet.

Original Play has also reacted and published a statement in which the foundation condemns all forms of abuse and violence. It states that the protection of children is fundamentally the top priority [13].

But not only was cooperation with the foundation discontinued in many places; an investigation was also initiated against the association by the Ombudsman in Austria last Monday [14].

There are also reactions in Germany: An article in the Berliner Zeitung shows that the Berlin Senate Administration is considering a ban on Original Play in Berlin daycare centers. According to spokeswoman Iris Brennberger, there are indications that Original Play could endanger children's welfare [15].

Uncertainty about original play on social media

A certain level of uncertainty among parents is also expressed on social media. In special postings and chain letters, parents are asked to contact local kindergartens and daycare centers to find out whether Original Play offers are available there. These are postings like this one [16]:

Screenshot: Warning about Original Play
Screenshot: Warning about Original Play

In addition to these instructions, there are already petitions calling for Original Play to be stopped in kindergartens and daycare centers [17].

What will happen next with Original Play will become apparent in the next few weeks. Since this is currently an ongoing process in Germany and Austria (which we believe will expand to other countries), no final results have been determined yet.

This might also be of interest:

Risk-conscious children, ignorant parents and approachable influencers

References in numerical order:

[1] https://www.rbb-online.de/contrasts/archiv/contrasts-vom-24-10-2019/kindesverkehrs-an-deutschen-kitas.html

[2] http://www.originalplay.de/

[3] https://originalplay.at/info/#pg-901-2

[4] https://originalplay.at/#pgc-2-0-0

[5] https://www.vol.at/original-play-ist-grundsaetzlich-etwas-sehr-wertvolles/6406219

[6] https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000110466902/original-playwenn- Fremde-zum-raufen-kommen

[7] https://www.mdr.de/nachrichten/panorama/sexualer-abuse-through-original-play-100.html

[8] https://www.ots.at/presseaussendung/OTS_20191029_OTS0005/original-play-fall-zweit-streite-bei-qualitaetsstandards-auf

[9] https://www.ots.at/presseaussendung/OTS_20191025_OTS0134/original-play-hammerschmid-ford-unitliche-qualitaetsvorbaren

[10] https://www.rbb-online.de/contrasts/archiv/contrasts-vom-24-10-2019/kindesverkehrs-an-deutschen-kitas.html

[11] https://tvthek.orf.at/profile/ZIB-2/1211/ZIB-2/14029936/Kinderpsychiater-warnt-eintreibn-vor-Original-Play/14581285

[12] https://kurier.at/chronik/niederoesterreich/original-play-darf-in-niederoesterreich-nicht-mehr-taetig-sein/400658186

[13] https://originalplay.at/original-play-verJurt-jede-form-von-abuse-und-violent-protection-fuer-kinder-esten-prinzipiell-an-oberster-stelle/

[14] https://www.diepresse.com/5714099/bdquooriginal-playldquo-ruf-nach-besserem-kinderschutz

[15] https://www.berliner-zeitung.de/berlin/-original-play–nach-verkehrsvorwuerfen–berliner-senat-prueft-ban-in-kitas-33386990

[16] https://www.facebook.com/www.papa.de/photos/a.329662710547977/1385767938270777/

[17] https://www.change.org/p/bmfsfj-stoppen-sie-originalplay-in-unseren-kitas-kein-kind-will-mit-strangen-kuscheln


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