Factsheet: Wales – a play friendly place Despite all the positive immediate and long-term benefits of playing, there are a number of factors in modern society that have contributed to a significant decrease in opportunities for outdoor play: •
increased traffic
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changes to the built environment
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increased educational demands
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the time children are expected to spend in structured activities
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concerns and misplaced emphasis of ‘stranger danger’ risk.
Children have a right to play, as recognised in Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The right to play isn’t being realised for every child in Wales. Children tell us that that the outdoors continues to be their favourite place to play. However, the place they are most likely to be allowed to play outdoors is actually their back garden or a friend’s back garden. The inequalities for play for BAME children and children living in deprived areas were exposed during lockdown. There is an urgent need to make sure that more children are able to be outside, to be visible, playing out in their community.
The importance of play Playing is the most natural and enjoyable way for children to be active, keep well and be happy. Playing can help promote well-being in terms of helping children to: •
meet and exceed physical activity guidelines
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socialise and meet up with friends and other people
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cope with uncertainty and change
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foster resilience through promoting emotional regulation, creativity, relationships, problemsolving and learning.
Playing is one of the most immediate and important aspects of children’s lives – they value the time, the space and the freedom to play. Play involves children doing as they wish in their own time and in their own way. It has the key characteristics of fun, uncertainty, challenge, flexibility and non-productivity. Every aspect of children’s lives is influenced by their urge to play, and that self-directed, self-determined playing offered by quality play opportunities increases children’s opportunities to build their own resilience and support their health and well-being. It is clear that playing has a positive impact on multiple important health outcomes including increased physical activity, reducing childhood obesity, improving well-being in children and helping to develop resilience. It is also vital for the enjoyment it brings to children and their families in their day to day life.
‘We used to be able to play in the school grounds but now they are locked up. We only have our garden to play in otherwise my parents have to take me in a car to go somewhere.’ ‘People speed down the street, my street is now very busy ... The cars are very fast. I can’t go out on my bike.’ ‘I don’t play outside of my garden without my mam, dad or a family member watching me.’ ‘There will be no green spaces left for us to play. We will have to stay in on our computers and play online with our friends instead.’