Worldwide Day of Play
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| Worldwide Day of Play | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Production | |
| Running time | 3 hours |
| Original release | |
| Network | Nickelodeon |
| Release | October 2, 2004, 21 years ago |
| Related | |
| Let's Just Play Go Healthy Challenge | |
Worldwide Day of Play is an annual event produced by Nickelodeon,[1] designed to encourage children and parents to turn off the electronics and play together, especially outdoors. The yearly event officially began on October 2, 2004, and has been broadcast on all of Viacom (now Paramount Skydance)-owned children's channels: Nickelodeon, Nick GAS (until 2007 because of New Year's Eve closure), Nick Jr. Channel (formerly known as Noggin until its 2009 rebrand), TeenNick (formerly known as The N until its 2009 rebrand), Nicktoons, and NickMusic. From 2006 to 2007, the event was designed as a finale for Nickelodeon's six month-long Let's Just Play campaign. In addition, Nick.com would also have special features for children to learn how to stay active and healthy.
International editions of the event have also been broadcast on its versions in Germany, Benelux, Greece, and Eastern Europe.[2][3][4]
Following a four-year hiatus, the event returned on September 30, 2023.[5] The latest event was held on September 27, 2025.[6]
The event encourages children to turn off their TV and mobile devices and go outside and being physically active. Schools and educational organizations have also been encouraged to host events around this theme.
From 2004 to 2017, Nickelodeon suspended programming across all of its digital TV channels, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Nicktoons and TeenNick along websites from 12PM to 3PM (ET/PT) encouraging children and families to "get up, go outside and play." According to Viacom, the owner of the kids' networks at the time, millions of children and parents were expected to participate in "thousands of events in dozens of countries" in 2013.[7]
From 2006 to 2007, when the Let's Just Play campaign ended in September, Nickelodeon aired the Worldwide Day of Play as the finale during the last Saturday of September. Nickelodeon and its sister channels suspend programming for three hours from 12PM to 3PM (ET/PT). During the time there was no programming, a special message would appear on the screen. There was no Let's Just Play campaign in 2008, though the Worldwide Day of Play was held that year.
Starting in the 2018 edition, all of the Nickelodeon networks no longer used the "Off-Air" screens.[8] After the 2019 event, it was on a four-year hiatus, returning in 2023.