British Children’s Play Survey exposes the generational gap in children’s freedom to play
Professor Helen Dodd, Director of the new Outdoor Play Research Centre at the University of Exeter and an Elected Director (Trustee) of Play England, joined Amber Ogunsanya-William, Elected Director (Trustee) of Play England, on BBC Breakfast to discuss new research exposing the generational gap in children’s freedom to play outdoors.
New research has found that children are nearly 11 before they are allowed to play outdoors independently, more than a year later than their parents’ generation.
The findings come from the latest British Children’s Play Survey, published alongside the launch of the new Outdoor Play Research Centre at the University of Exeter.
What the research found
The nationally representative survey involved 1,974 parents and caregivers of children aged five to 11 living in Britain.
It found that:
children are allowed to play outdoors independently at an average age of 10.8, compared with 9.7 for their parents’ generation
56% of parents and caregivers allow their children to play independently at a later age than they were allowed to
children spend less than 25 minutes a week, on average, playing in streets near their homes
playgrounds, green spaces and indoor play centres provide some of the strongest opportunities for adventurous play
outdoor and adventurous play generally declines as children get older, although the pattern differs between regions
boys experience more total, outdoor and adventurous play than girls.
The findings reveal a clear generational play gap. Children are waiting longer for the independence and freedom that many previous generations experienced as a normal part of childhood.
This is about the conditions for play
Children have not lost the desire or instinct to play. What has changed are the conditions surrounding them.
Busy roads, limited access to welcoming public space, concerns about safety, increased screen use and changing attitudes towards children’s independence all affect where, when and how children can play.
This is why the findings closely reflect Play England’s framework for realising all children’s right to play:
Space: children need accessible, inclusive, integrated and welcoming places to play close to home.
Time: children need sufficient time for freely chosen and self-directed play.
Acceptance: children’s presence, noise, movement, experimentation and reasonable risk-taking must be accepted as part of everyday community life.
Rights: children’s right to play must be recognised in the policies and decisions that shape their lives.
Play cannot be restored through individual parental choices alone. Action is required across planning, housing, transport, education, public health and community investment.
Eugene Minogue, Executive Director of Play England, said:
“This research shows that children have not stopped wanting to play outdoors, explore their neighbourhoods and spend time with friends. Children have not changed. The conditions around them have. Traffic-dominated streets, too few welcoming public spaces and social norms symbolised by ‘No Ball Games’ signs have increasingly squeezed children out of the places closest to home.
“Less than 25 minutes a week of street play is not a failure of parents or families. It is the result of decades of decisions about streets, parks, housing, planning and public space, compounded by societal attitudes that too often treat children playing outdoors as a nuisance rather than a right and a normal part of everyday life. Restoring a play-based childhood demands coordinated action across government and society.
“England needs a new National Play Strategy, underpinned by Play Sufficiency legislation and backed by sustained investment of £125 million a year, so all children have the time, space, opportunity and freedom to play outdoors, close to home, every day.”
Evidence must lead to action
The launch of the Outdoor Play Research Centre creates an important new source of independent evidence for policymakers, practitioners and communities.
Play England looks forward to working with the Centre to ensure this evidence informs policy and produces practical change for children.
There has been recent progress. The Government’s £18 million Playground Fund will support improvements to up to 200 playgrounds in areas of high need. The new National Planning Policy Framework also provides stronger recognition and protection for formal and informal play space.
These are important steps, but the research shows why isolated interventions will not be enough.
Play England continues to call for:
a new National Play Strategy for England
Play Sufficiency legislation requiring every area to assess and secure sufficient opportunities for children to play
sustained national investment of £125m per year in streets, schools, parks, playgrounds, adventure playgrounds and community play
a wider cultural and societal shift that welcomes children and their play as part of everyday life.
Our ten-year strategy - It All Starts with Play! sets a clear objective: to restore a play-based childhood for all children in England by 2035.
The British Children’s Play Survey adds further weight to that case. The evidence is clear. Children need their space, time, opportunity and freedom to play restored.
#ItAllStartsWithPlay #OutdoorPlay #NationalPlayStrategy #PlaySufficiency