1 ACADEMIA Letters Social work with children: Reviving a twentieth century Akan children’s play in Ghana George Ofosu Oti, Department of Social Work, University of Ghana Abstract Akan children’s play in Ghana in the late twentieth century was characterized by role play; usually storytelling, drama and other forms of physical activity. The Me pɛ kwan akɔ Akan children’s play which was popular in Ghana in the late twentieth century was centred on role play. It was significant in instilling in children the social values of strength, determination, freedom and teamwork. The limitations of the play are that it may not be appropriate for children who are not physically strong, it may not be suitable for children with physical disabilities, and it could present some limitations to the female gender when the play participants include both males and females. The article highlights the implications of the Me pɛ kwan akɔ Akan children’s play for social work practice and concludes by making recommendations for practice and policy. Introduction During the late twentieth century in Ghana, children's play largely involved outdoor activities and was fun-filled. Several related and unrelated families lived communally in large compound houses and their children played together. Akan children’s play in the late twentieth century was characterized by role play; usually storytelling, drama and other forms of physical activity. In this article, the author draws on personal experiences and observations to describe a children’s play of the Akan ethnic group known as Me pɛ kwan akɔ, that was very common during the late twentieth century in Ghana but is now diminishing. The author also draws from relevant literature to highlight some significance and limitations of the play. This is followed by a discussion of the play, and implications of the play for social work practice. The article concludes by making recommendations for practice and policy. Academia Letters, May 2022 ©2022 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: George Ofosu Oti, georgeoti45@gmail.com Citation: Oti, G.O. (2022). Social work with children: Reviving a twentieth century Akan children’s play in Ghana. Academia Letters, Article 5375.