1) To promote research on play and toys in various countries and to exchange research findings.

2) To promote the understanding of play and toys, to organize campaigns to ensure the child's right to play, to raise the standards of toys and to inform the public about good toys and their value in child development. In order to reach these aims the association shall work particularly in the following areas:

a) The organisation of international meetings, working groups and conferences.

b) The organisations of international meetings, work-groups and conferences, the support of research and activities, the aims of which correspond to those of the association.
 
c) The opening of a fund to support national and international research activities. Members of the association are the national committees. These committees are composed of individuals or organizations whose aim corresponds to those of the ICCP and who are representative of their countries. Upon application, the assembly of delegates will decide on their admission or eventual exclusion. Exclusion requires a two-thirds majority. Until the information of a definitive national committee, each country will be represented by a temporary committee. During the time Gustav Mugglin from Switzerland was president and Lieselotte Pée from Germany secretary, a number of international conferences were organized in different countries.

During the first conference which was organised by "Spiel Gut" in Ulm, Germany, the International Council for Children's Play (ICCP) was founded. The German name is "Internationale Rat für das Kinderspiel"; the French name: "Conseil Internal pour le Jeu de L'Enfant". The German national organisation "Spiel Gut" had existed already since 1954 and was engaged in the judgement of the quality of toys. Good toys received the orange sticker "Spiel Gut". Some scientists, like Professor Hetzer from Germany, Professor Bayr-Klimpfinger from Austria and Professor Bladergroen, together with practitioners like Mr and Mrs Abbatt (founders from Children's Play Activities in England) and Dr Roderich Thun (one of the founders of "Spiel Gut" ) were engaged in the founding of the ICCP. Mrs Lieselotte Pée from "Spiel Gut" became the first secretary of the ICCP. On the 28 August 1964, when Gustav Mugglin from "Pro Juventute" in Zurich, Switzerland, was the president, the ICCP was registered as a voluntary association in Bern.

The main theme was the foundation of the ICCP.

1960 Brighton, England

There were some important contributions - D E M Gardner (University of London) "The child's need for play and his right of play" and Hildegard Hetzer (University of Giessen) "Obstructions of play and elimination of them". In the discussions a number of important obstructions were discussed: children who do not play, lack of space, lack of play time, home tasks from school, the action of the adult in child's play, the contact of the child with the nature and information for parents.

The theme of the conference was: "Play and toys in our time". During the conference of 1960 it was decided to organise a European toy inventory. Dr Wilhelmina Bladergroen offered the first results and drew some conclusions: There is a big difference in the outcomes of the participating European countries. Outdoor play was most popular in Holland and least in Italy. Playgrounds were most used in Austria, least in Italy. In R van der Kooij & R de Groot publication "That's All in the Game", Schindele Verlag, Rheinstetten (West Germany), 1977, the most important results of the toy inquiry are presented.

The theme of the conference was "Outdoor Play". Important contributions came from Professor Dr H Zbinden (University of Bern) "some remarks on the problem and dangers of our time in regard to children at play" and from Gustav Mugglin, who described the practical work of the foundation "Pro Juventute". Different types of play grounds were discussed: playgrounds for the small children, playgrounds for all age-groups; Robinson playgrounds were introduced - recreation grounds for young and old.

The theme of the conference was: "Play and toys for the handicapped child". Some important lectures were from Professor Bladergroen (University of Groningen) about the place of the handicapped child in the family and in the society. Professor Hetzer lectured about the play of mentally retarded children. Professor Herzka (University of Zurich) presented a paper about the appropriate toy and tasks of psycho-hygiene and psychotherapy.

The theme of the conference was: "Toys and equipment - principles and methods of judging their educational value". Michelet (France) presented a lecture about the theme of toys and phenomenological experience with a contribution to the psycho-pedagogical evaluation of toys. Professor Bartolomeis discussed a guide to the evaluation of toys.

The theme of the conference was: "Play and toys in education for the world of tomorrow." Professor Elisabeth Newson (University of Nottingham) presented a lecture with the title "Toys a necessary evil?" The presentation of Professor Hetzer (University of Giessen) "Play pedagogy in the world of tomorrow" was the best contribution to the conference. Professor Grönseth (University of Oslo) offered thoughts about "The world of tomorrow".

The Theme of the conference was: "Play and creativity in the technical period." Dr W Roth presented a paper about "Analysis of the relations between play and technique". Two years later his dissertation was published with the (translated) title "Development of the technical comprehension". André Michelet from France chose as a topic "How can the technical play stimulate creativity?" Professor Bladergroen lectured about "Creativity".

After 15 years the ICCP "came home" to Ulm. Founded in 1959 in the same town during a small conference, the participants met a great number of colleagues from all over the world. The theme of the conference was: "Children's play and toys". Here are selections from the contributions:

• Professor Dr A Flitner (University of Tübingen) - "Reflections and programs for play stimulation".
• Dr Patricia Stewart (University of Nottingham) presented a paper about the way mothers interacted during play: "Different forms of mother-child relations".
• Dr R van der Kooij (State University of Groningen) lectured about the "Results of a quantitative analysis of children's play".
• The presentation of Professor Hildegard Hetzer (University of Giessen) was titled: "Play and toys for mentally handicapped children".

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