Primary schools across the country are being invited to register for Ireland’s annual Game Playing Day on Friday, 23rd October. The idea behind the day is for pupils to have fun playing board games while also raising money for their school or local charity.

Schools are being asked to allow children to bring €2 along with their favourite board games to play during class on the last day of school term. The funds raised can be used by the school itself or donated to a charity of their choice.

Game Playing Day is an initiative of toys and games company, Hasbro who has pledged a hamper of six top MB and Parker games board games free for every school that takes part.

Anne Dermody, Sales and Marketing Manager for Hasbro Ireland, said: “We understand the pressure schools are under to make ends meet and also appreciate the many needs of the local community. We’re pleased we can give schools the opportunity to have some fun and raise money for something they feel will best benefit the children.”

As a further incentive to get involved, Hasbro will give €200 towards the Game Playing Day fund of the school in each county that shows it had the most fun on the day. “Last year we were overwhelmed with the creative ways that schools from all over the country demonstrated what the day meant to them. They used photographs, collages, scrapbooks, stories, poems and even recipes,” she added.

Now in its seventh year, Game Playing Day has to date raised more than €500,000 for charity.

To register to take part in Game Playing Day or for more information, log on to www.ngpw.ie, call (01) 6613533, or email games@hasbro.ie.

Game Playing Day is part of National Game Playing Week (NGPW), which runs this year from 23rd – 30th October.

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