Decline in Outdoor Play

A letter signed by almost 300 academics, authors and charity leaders says there has been a marked decline in outdoor play by children in the last 15 years. The letter goes on to say that this trend in "unstructured, loosely supervised" play is causing a problem with children's mental health.

The main reasons the letter gives for the decrease are over-anxious parents, computer games and school tests. The increase in traffic is also included in the list of reasons why child are playing less and less outdoors.

People who have added their signatures to the letter include novelist Philip Pullman, director of the Royal Institution Baroness Susan Greenfield and child care expert Dr Penelope Leach. Others include over 40 professors, 60 psychologists and psychotherapists, plus leaders of the main children's charities and teaching unions.

It is difficult to disagree with their assertion that play, especially when it takes place outdoors is crucial to a child's health.

Also contained in the letter is the claim that "Just as the epidemic of childhood obesity recently took the developed world by surprise, too much 'junk play' could (like too much junk food) have alarming implications for the next generation."

In my own experience there is little doubt that my own children play less outside than I did, although we are lucky that we have lived in quiet roads that have enabled the children to play outside. From an early age I can remember heading to local parks with a group of friends to play football or cricket. This happened almost daily, but I would be loathe to let a group of junior school children do so now.

What are your own personal experiences? Do your children play outside with other children? Are they allowed to head off to the park unsupervised or do you always accompany them?

What do you think?
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